Inclusive Books For Children

Inclusive Books For Children (IBC) is a registered UK literacy charity founded in 2022. Its stated vision is for every child in the UK to grow up reading inclusive books, and it aims to nurture open-minded and inspired young readers. The organisation was created in response to reports on children's literature such as CLPE Reflecting Realities, BookTrust Represents and Excluded Voices, which showed that while progress had been made in minoritised ethnic representation in both book content and creators, there was still a need to make diverse titles easier to find and buy. IBC's core offering is a free website that gathers hundreds of high-quality, inclusive children's books in one place. The site is designed for time-pressed parents, caregivers, librarians and teachers, allowing them to search for books and browse themed booklists by age group, from babies and toddlers through picture books and children's fiction. Every book uploaded each month is rigorously appraised by a professional review team made up of experts in children's literature with backgrounds in education, libraries, academia and publishing. The reviews provide critique of the latest releases, and the booklists help users build a diverse library for a child or a class. Beyond the website, IBC supports schools and libraries and runs the IBC Awards, a prize for the best new inclusive children's books published each year in the UK. The awards are free to enter and have a total prize fund of £30,000, with a £10,000 prize shared between the winning author and illustrator in each of three categories: baby and toddler books (1–3), picture books (3–7), and highly illustrated children's fiction (5–9). Books must be naturally inclusive, featuring at least one form of representation at a human main-character level, such as ethnic minority, disabled, neurodivergence or LGBTQIA+ representation. Judges also consider Own Voice perspectives, challenges to gender stereotypes, diverse family structures and diverse casts. IBC states that its project is entirely free of commercial influence. It operates as a charity rather than a commercial publisher or retailer, and its activities are focused on the UK market. The organisation's public-facing work includes monthly book reviews, themed booklists, blog content and campaigns such as voting for schools to win a Golden Book Box.

Inclusive Books For Children was founded in 2022 as a registered UK literacy charity. Its creation was motivated by a growing body of research and advocacy around representation in children's literature. Reports such as CLPE Reflecting Realities, BookTrust Represents and Excluded Voices had documented both progress and persistent gaps in the representation of minoritised ethnic groups in children's books, among both creators and content. IBC's founders concluded that it was now possible to compile a diverse children's library of any size, but that time-pressed adults needed a trusted, easy way to find and buy those titles. The charity's central response was to build a free website as its core offering. The site collects hundreds of high-quality, inclusive children's books in one place and organises them into searchable lists by age and theme, covering babies and toddlers, picture books, and children's fiction for older readers. To ensure quality and trust, IBC established a professional review team of freelance experts in children's literature with backgrounds in education, library services, children's publishing and academia. New books are uploaded each month and rigorously appraised, with reviews providing thorough critique of the latest releases. IBC also extended its mission beyond discovery. It supports schools and libraries, and it created the IBC Awards, a prize celebrating the talent behind the best new inclusive children's books published each year in the UK. The awards are free to enter and carry a total prize fund of £30,000, with £10,000 shared between the winning author and illustrator in each of three categories. Eligibility requires books to be naturally inclusive, featuring at least one form of representation at a human main-character level, such as ethnic minority, disabled, neurodivergence or LGBTQIA+ representation. Judges also weigh Own Voice perspectives, challenges to gender stereotypes, diverse family structures and diverse casts. The organisation has continued to develop its public-facing programme with monthly book reviews, themed booklists, blog content and engagement campaigns. One such campaign invites the public to vote for a school to win a Golden Book Box. IBC states that its project is entirely free of commercial influence, reinforcing its positioning as a charitable, mission-driven resource rather than a commercial publisher or retailer. Its work remains focused on the UK, with the stated vision that every child in the UK grows up reading inclusive books.

• 2026

  IBC Awards 2027 submissions open on 7 August 2026 and close on 17 September 2026, with a £30,000 total prize fund.

• 2022

  Inclusive Books For Children is founded as a registered UK literacy charity.

A free, expert-reviewed, commercially independent UK charity platform for finding and buying inclusive children's books.

• Free inclusive children's book website

  A searchable platform with hundreds of expert-reviewed inclusive children's books and themed booklists by age group.

• IBC Awards

  An annual prize for the best new inclusive children's books published in the UK, with a £30,000 total prize fund across three categories.

1. 1The best inclusive children’s books, all in one place | IBCinclusivebooksforchildren.org
2. 2About Inclusive Books for Children | IBCinclusivebooksforchildren.org
3. 3IBC Awards | IBCinclusivebooksforchildren.org
4. 4Meet the Inclusive Books for Children review team! | IBCinclusivebooksforchildren.org
5. 5Inclusive Books For Childrenwikidata.org