More information
ºìÌÒÊÓƵ Young People's Book Prize aims to inspire young people to read about science and promotes the writing of excellent, accessible books for under-14s.
How does it work?
An expert adult judging panel meet in the summer of each year to choose a shortlist of their favourite science books written in the previous year. Once the six best books have been selected we hand over the task of picking a winner to those who know best – groups of young people aged up to 14 across the UK.
These groups can be formed anywhere, from schools and libraries to youth groups, or science centres. Participation is open to any group under 14 who are able to read and discuss the shortlist and vote for what they think is the best book.
Each group taking part mirrors the adult shortlisting panel, forming their own judging panel. They elect their own Chair, hold judging meetings, discuss the merits of each book and submit their votes and comments to us to collate and determine the winner. All participating groups have an equal say in deciding the winner. Each group receives a judging pack with all the information they need to take part. The results from all the groups are then collated by us to determine the winner.
Prize timeline
| Date | Details |
|---|---|
| May 2026 | Call for publisher entries opens |
| July 2026 | Call for publisher entries closes |
| September 2026 | Applications for judging panels open |
| October 2026 |
Applications for judging panels close Shortlist announced |
| November 2026 |
Shortlisted books and judging packs sent out to judging panels |
| December 2026 | Video competition submissions open |
| November 2026 - February 2027 | Judging panels read and judge the books |
| February 2027 | Deadline for judging panels decisions and video competition submissions |
| March 2027 | Winner announced at the award ceremony |
What else goes on?
Alongside the prize we run a video competition for all the judging panels involved. Take at look at some of .
Enquiries
We have specific information for publishers and school/youth groups looking to get involved with the Young People's Book Prize.
For all queries, contact us at sciencebooks@royalsociety.org. We are always exploring new ideas, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.