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About us

Inclusive Books for Children is a registered UK literacy charity founded in 2022. Our vision is for every child in the UK to grow up reading inclusive books. We want to nurture the next generation of open-minded and inspired young readers.

Several reports on children’s literature, the CLPE Reflecting Realities, BookTrust Represents and Excluded Voices, show that some progress has been made in minoritised ethnic representation, both in terms of book content and book creators. It is now possible to compile a diverse children’s library of any size, full of brilliantly written and illustrated, inclusive children’s titles.

We created a free website, our core offering, to make it easy for time-pressed parents, caregivers, librarians and teachers to find and buy these diverse titles, confident they have made excellent choices.

Uploaded each month, all books on our website are rigorously appraised by our professional review team comprising experts in children’s literature with backgrounds in education, libraries, academia and publishing. They are all champions of inclusivity and diversity, each person bringing a valuable perspective to a highly diverse team. Their reviews provide thorough critique of the very best latest releases. Read our trusted book reviews and browse our themed booklists to start building a diverse library for your child or class.

Our highly experienced core team is equally passionate about the importance of diverse perspectives and characters in children’s literature, bringing a rich array of experience and skills to make the IBC mission possible. The IBC project is entirely free of commercial influence.

We go above and beyond at IBC! We are committed to getting inclusive books into children’s hands…

We support schools and libraries

Each year, we donate 1000s of high-quality, engaging inclusive books to nurseries, schools and libraries with the greatest need via our IBC Book Box gifting scheme.

The aim is to support adults in building more diverse and inclusive bookshelves that encourage children’s love of books from a young age, as early literacy is a key determining factor in successful life outcomes.

Find out how to register your interest for a free IBC Book Box.

We also help educators and librarians develop an inclusive reading culture in their settings, providing them with evidence-based case studies and CPD resources from our literacy experts, to support their practice.

A broadly smiling young white boy holds up a copy of Secret Beast Club, a book about 2 young Black mystery-solvers.

We champion the best inclusive books

Our annual IBC Awards, which accept submissions from publishers, celebrate outstanding new inclusive children’s books and their talented creators.

With three awards categories and a generous prize fund, the awards are an extremely popular fixture in the book-industry calendar. We announce the diverse longlists and shortlists on our website and social media, with the winners announced at our awards ceremony in February.

Learn more about the IBC Awards and our partners.

Our Children’s Choice Awards shadowing scheme runs in tandem with the main IBC Awards. The scheme gives children the opportunity to engage in the awards process as mini-judges, reading the shortlist and voting on their favourites.

Register to become an Children’s Choice Awards Activity Leader at home or school and access your free Children’s Choice resources.

We research and report for change

We challenge the UK children’s publishing industry to reflect on its inclusive practice through the publication of our annual Excluded Voices report, surveying Own Voice representation in children’s books for 1- to 9-year-olds.

By gathering and presenting quantifiable evidence of representation gaps in children’s books, we hope to provoke meaningful and long-lasting change within the sector.

Download and read our latest Excluded Voices report.

We work collaboratively with local bookstores

IBC Bookshelf is one of our most important UK-wide initiatives, aimed at  promoting inclusive children’s books within local communities.

We collaborate with independent booksellers, providing them with free, specially curated lists of ‘IBC Top Pick’ books to stock and display in-store plus bespoke materials to help them promote these inclusive books to their customers.

Join the IBC Bookshelf scheme. 

Our patron

Liz Pemberton became our patron in 2025 after judging the IBC Awards the previous year.

Liz Pemberton is the Director of The Black Nursery Manager Ltd, a training and consultancy company focusing on anti-racist practice within Early Years.

With 20 years in the education sector, Liz’s roles have included Secondary School Teacher (QTS), Public Speaker and up until 2020, Nursery Manager. 

Liz’s mission is to promote inclusive practice in the Early Years sector, with a particular focus on how race, culture and ethnicity should be considered in this practice.

Her accolades include being recognised in 2024 by Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage as 1 of 100 Black Women Who Have Made a Mark, and nominated as a finalist for Trainer of the Year for the 2022 Nursery World Awards.

Liz is a Black woman with a big smile that shows her teeth. She has straightened black hair cut into a bob and is wearing a short-sleeved, v-neck white top with a delicate gold chain around her neck that has a small pendant on it in the shape of the island of Jamaica. She is standing outside, against an exposed brick wall.\n

Our partners

Peters is the UK’s leading specialist supplier of children’s books and furniture to schools, academies, public libraries and multi-academy trusts.

For 90 years, Peters has worked closely with librarians, educators and reading professionals to promote literacy and help get the right books into the hands of generations of readers.

We are proud to work with them as our main book distribution partner for various initiatives, including IBC Book Box and the Children’s Choice Awards.

Hay Festival Foundation is a registered charity based in the world’s first booktown of Hay-on-Wye in Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, famed for its bookshops and beautiful natural surroundings.

Now in their 38th year, the Festival brings a diverse range of writers and readers together for a mix of conversation, debate, readings, sport, music, comedy and storytelling. Their work reaches children and young people in communities, schools and at their festivals.

We are thrilled to partner with them in showcasing inclusive children’s books and the winners of our IBC Awards to audiences at their annual festival in May.

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‘I love the professional and rigorous approach’

Stella

’One-stop place to find diverse and inclusive books’

Reba

‘I love the professional and rigorous approach’

Stella

’One-stop place to find diverse and inclusive books’

Reba

‘I love the professional and rigorous approach’

Stella

’One-stop place to find diverse and inclusive books’

Reba