Shortlists 2026
Excelsior Award White Shortlist 2026
The books on the Excelsior Award White shortlist have been designated as suitable for children aged 9+ (or Key Stage 2 in schools)
Winner - Almost Sunset
by Wahab Algarmi
Published by Harper Collins
ISBN-13: 978-0063355668
Unfairies
by Huw Aaron
Published by Penguin
ISBN-13: 978-0241683767
Hilda and Twig Wake the Ice Man
by Luke Pearson
Published by Flying Eye Books
ISBN-13: 978-1838742928
Minecraft: The Manga
by Kazuyoshi Seto
Published by Viz Media
ISBN-13: 978-1974747146
Tales of the Emotosphere
by Russ Daff and Susannah Redhead
Published by ZunTold
ISBN-13: 978-1915758293
Excelsior Award Blue Shortlist 2026
The books on the Excelsior Award Blue shortlst have been designated as suitable for children aged 11+ (or Key Stage 3 in schools)
Winner (and Overall Winner) - DC x Sonic the Hedgehog
by Ian Flynn and Adam Bryce Thomas
Published by DC Comics
ISBN-13: 978-1799505686
Cat + Crazy
by Wataru Nadatani
Published by Dark Horse
ISBN-13: 978-1506747088
Jango Fett: Trail of Lost Hope
by Ethan Sacks and Luke Ross
Published by Marvel
ISBN: 978-1302958671
Symbiote Spider-Man 2099
by Peter David and Roge Antonio
Published by Marvel
ISBN: 978-1302949969
When the Sky Falls
by Phil Earle and Fred Fordham
Published by Andersen Press
ISBN: 978-1839135620
Excelsior Award Red Shortlist 2026
The books on the Excelsior Award Red shortlst have been designated as suitable for children aged 14+ (or Key Stage 4 in schools)
Winner - The Uncanny X-Men: Red Wave
by Gail Simone and David Marquez
Published by Marvel
ISBN: 978-1302959296
Cosmos
by Ryuhei Tamura
Published by Viz Media
ISBN: 978-1974754649
Astral Panic
by Katie Hicks
Published by Flying Eye Books
ISBN: 978-1838742089
Stranger Things and Dungeons & Dragons: The Rise of Hellfire
by Jody Hauser and Eric Campbell
Published by Dark Horse
ISBN: 978-1506737126
Kneel Before Zod
by Joe Casey and Dan McDaid
Published by DC Comics
ISBN: 978-1779528605
Excelsior Award Black Shortlist 2026
The Excelsior Award Black (sponsored by AccessIt Library) shortlist was different this year - because it is now aimed entirely at school librarians, teachers and other school staff! It's now an award for Grown-Ups!
This did not affect the overall winner, because we still wished for students to be choosing the winning books.
Winner - Dry Cleaned
by Joris Mertens (translated by Julia Blackburn and Sandra van Beek)
Published by Jonathan Cape
ISBN: 978-1787334816
The Bank
by Pierre Boiserrie, Philippe Guillaume and Julien Maffre (translated by Jerome Saincantin)
Published by Cinebook
ISBN: 978-1800441668
Low: Bowie's Berlin Years
by Reinhard Kleist
Published by SelfMadeHero
ISBN: 978-1914224287
The Once and Future Riot
by Joe Sacco
Published by Jonathan Cape
ISBN: 978-1787334328
It Rhymes with Takei
by George Takei, Steven Scott, Justin Eisinger and Harmony Becker
Published by Top Shelf
ISBN: 978-1603095747