Disability History Month

This month is Disability History Month (20 November - 20 December). The month focuses on disabled people's struggle for equality and human rights.

To mark the occasion, we are showcasing a selection of our books by and about disabled people. Many are by disabled authors, although we have also included books by non-disabled authors that were recommended by disability activists.

From picture books to graphic novels to memoirs, we hope that the list below includes something for everyone!

Picture books

Can Bears Ski? by Raymond Antrobus, illustrated by Polly Dunbar

Come Over To My House by Eliza Hull and Sally Rippin, illustrated by Daniel Gray-Barnett
Four Bad Unicorns by Rebecca Patterson
Mama Car by Lucy Catchpole, illustrated by Karen George
Splash by Claire Cashmore, illustrated by Sharon Davey

Talking Is Not My Thing! by Rose Robbins
What Happened To You? by James Catchpole, illustrated by Karen George
You Can! by Alexandra Strick, illustrated by Steve Antony

Junior fiction

A Kind of Spark and Keedie by Elle McNicoll
Can You See Me? and sequels, by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott
Cosima Unfortunate Steals a Star by Laura Noakes
Cyborg Cat series by Ade Adepitan
El Deafo by Cece Bell (graphic novel)
Frankie's World by Aoife Dooley (graphic novel)
Harriet Versus the Galaxy by Samantha Baines

The Amazing Edie Eckhart series by Rosie Jones
The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh by Helen Rutter
Wilder Than Midnight by Cerrie Burnell

Young Adult

A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard
Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett
Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution by Kacen Callender
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
Sing If You Can't Dance by Alexia Casale
The First Move by Jenny Ireland
The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas
Wish You Were Her by Elle McNicol

Adult non-fiction

Blind Not Broken by Lucy Edwards

Completely Normal and Totally Fine: My Life With Bipolar Disorder by Rosie Viva
Disability Visibility, edited by Alice Wong

I'm Only In It For the Parking by Lee Ridley
Made Possible: Stories Of Success By People With Learning Disabilities, edited by Saba Salman

Ramping Up Rights: An Unfinished History of British Disability Activism by Rachel Charlton-Dailey
Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw by Eddie Ndopu
Some Of Us Just Fall by Polly Atkin

The Quiet Ear by Raymond Antrobus

To Exist As I Am by Grace Spence Green
Unmasking Autism by Devon Price

We've Got This: Essays By Disabled Parents, edited by Eliza Hull

You can find more book recommendations for children and young adults via our listchallenge here, and recommendations for adults here. All the books are available to borrow from Sheffield Libraries!

If you have your own recommendations, please let us know in the comments!

The Sheffield Children's Book Award 2025

Celebrating the best of children's writing and illustration - The Sheffield Children;s Book Award.

Last Friday, 14th November 2025, the Lyceum and Crucible Theatres in Sheffield were buzzing with excitement as hundreds of schoolchildren gathered to celebrate the Sheffield Book Awards, an annual event that champions the joy of reading and the power of storytelling.

Warmed up by local Poet Craig Bradley, and hosted by CBeebies very own Joanna Adeyinka Burford, this year’s awards were particularly special, showcasing an incredible lineup of books that captured imaginations across the city. Voted for by Sheffield schoolchildren, the awards reflect what truly resonates with young readers today.

The main event was followed up with book signings and author sessions in numerous venues, allowing excited school children to have direct interaction with their favourite authors. 

You can watch our video of the day right here:

Category Winners

The categories were filled with vibrant and engaging titles, each bringing something unique to the table. Congratulations to our category winners below:

• Mixed-Up Farm Animals by Spencer Wilson, published by Boxer Books
• Smelly Peggy  by Helen Stephens, published by Walker Books
• Otto The Top Dog by Catherine Rayner, published by Macmillan
• Croaky: Search for the Sasquatch by Matty Long, published by Oxford
• The Letter with the Golden Stamp by Onjali Q. Raúf, published by Orion
• I Am Rebel by Ross Montgomery, published by Walker Books
• Songlight by Moira Buffini, published by Faber

And the Overall Winner Is…

The biggest cheer of the day went to Otto The Top Dog, crowned the Overall Winner of the Sheffield Book Awards 2025! This book clearly struck a chord with young readers as chants rang throughout the theatre!

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A Fond Farewell

This year’s ceremony also marked a poignant moment: Schools and Young People's Library Manager Jayne Crawshaw celebrated her final Sheffield Book Awards as she retires after an incredible 45 years of dedicated service to the library community. Jayne’s passion for books and commitment to inspiring young readers has left a lasting legacy in Sheffield.

We wish Jayne all the best in her next chapter and thank her for everything she has done for libraries and literacy in our city.

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The Sheffield Book Awards are more than just a celebration of literature, they’re a testament to the importance of giving children a voice in the world of books. By voting for their favourites, young readers become active participants in recognising the talents of our great authors and illustrators. 

Congratulations to all the authors and illustrators who made this year’s shortlist and to the schools and libraries that continue to nurture a love of reading in Sheffield.

Get those books ready and we'll see you in 2026!!

Libraries Week: Changing Lives, One Visit at a Time

It’s Libraries Week - and we’re celebrating the incredible ways libraries transform lives every day, starting with Charlie’s story. What began as regular visits to the library turned into a passion for helping others. Today, Charlie is a proud member of the library team - proof that libraries don’t just open books, they open doors.

Charlie in Ecclesall Library

"Libraries have always held a special place in my heart.

From a young age, they were more than just buildings full of books - they were peaceful, welcoming spaces that offered calm when I often felt overwhelmed. 

I cherish my position in libraries so dearly. Every day, I get to work in a place that once brought me comfort as a visitor and now gives me purpose as part of the team. For a long time, I didn't believe a future like this one was possible. I left school without any qualifications, struggling with my mental health and unsure of what I was capable of. I could barely leave the house alone. But everything changed when I was offered a place on an internship, and later an apprenticeship. Those opportunities led me into the world of libraries - a place I already loved, now becoming the foundation of my working life.

Working in libraries has completely transformed my confidence. What started as something I thought I couldn't manage has become something I now wake up excited to do every day. I now work full time, and through my apprenticeship I have achieved qualifications I never thought I'd be able to get, including my Maths and English - both of which I passed on my first try!

Charlie with colleagues at the
Apprentice Recruitment Fair 

I think the biggest reason I've come this far is because of the people around me. Library staff are some of the kindest, most encouraging people you could ever hope to work with. Every single person I've met has been supportive, understanding, and genuinely invested in helping me grow. I've gone from someone who couldn't answer a phone to someone who helps run events, supports customers every day, and plays an active role in shaping the library's services.

Libraries truly do change lives - not just for the people who visit them, but for the people who work in them too. I hope that by sharing my story, I can show just how powerful these spaces can be for someone who needs a place to grow, to feel safe, and to belong."

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From sparking a love of reading to supporting local entrepreneurs, libraries are more than just book-filled buildings. They’re welcoming spaces where people connect, learn, and grow.

📖 Reading for Wellbeing

Reading reduces stress, builds empathy, and boosts brainpower. Whether it’s fiction, fact, or fantasy, Sheffield libraries offer free access to physical, audio and digital books and magazines for everyone through our libraries, Libby App and the Home Library Service.

🤝 Tackling Isolation

Libraries are safe, inclusive spaces where everyone is welcome. Events, and community activities help people make connections and feel less alone.

💼 Boosting Business

Through the Business and Intellectual Property Centre (BIPC), Sheffield helps small businesses and startups thrive with free access to expert advice, and the brilliant Cobra Database.

🎉 Get Involved

This Libraries Week:

• Visit your local library
• Join an event or workshop
• Share your story with #LibrariesWeek

Let’s celebrate the places that open doors, spark ideas, and bring people together.

 

The Sheffield Children's Book Award 2025

We're thrilled to announce the books that have been shortlisted for this year's Sheffield Children's Book Award! You can borrow them from your local library, read and vote for your favourite title.

Baby Books: 0-3 years

At the Park by Sam Lloyd, published by Ladybird

There There Little Puppy by Anna Milbourne and illustrated by Bruno Brogna, published by Usborne

Mixed Up Farm Animals by Spencer Wilson, published by Boxer Books.

Toddler Books: 3-5 years

Runaway Cone by Morag Hood, published by Two Hoots

Smelly Peggy by Helen Stephens, published by Walker Books

Lionel by Lo Cole, published by Rocket Bird Books

Picture Books: 5-7 years

Snail in Space by Rachel Bright and illustrated by Nadia Shireen, published by Simon & Schuster

The Girl at the Front of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf and illustrated by Pippa Curnick, published by Hodder Children’s Books

Otto the Top Dog by Catherine Rayner, published by Macmillan

Emerging Reads: 7-9 years

Croaky: Search for the Sasquatch by Matty Long, published by Oxford

Astrid and the Space Cadets! Attack of the Snailiens! by Alex T. Smith, published by Macmillan

Murray and Bun! Murray the Viking by Adam Stower, published by HarperCollins

Shorter Novels: 9-11 years

A History of my Weird by Chloё Heuch, published by Firefly Press

The Letter with the Golden Stamp by Onjali Q. Raúf, published by Orion

Reggie Houser Has the Power by Helen Rutter, cover illustration © Andrew Bannecker, published by Scholastic

Longer Novels: 11-14 years

I am Rebel by Ross Montgomery, published by Walker Books

The Wrong Shoes by Tom Percival, published by Simon & Schuster

The Girl Who Couldn’t Lie by Radhika Sanghani, published by Usborne

Young Adult Books: 14+ years

Songlight by Moira Buffini, published by Faber

Handle With Care by Louisa Reid, published by Guppy Books

The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland, published by Hot Key Books

Does your child love the Summer Reading Challenge? You can now sign up for the FREE Winter Mini Challenge - an online reading challenge that runs from 1 December 2024 to 20 February 2025!

The challenge is online only and there are lots of games, puzzles and activities to do online! Children who read at least three books will be able to unlock a virtual badge and print off a certificate (you can do this for free in our libraries).

You can join the challenge by visiting wintermini.org.uk and creating a profile with your child - it's super easy to do!

Happy reading!

Dig Where You Stand Events, July - August 2024

Dig Where You Stand is a project which unearths untold stories of people of colour living, working and putting down roots in South Yorkshire over hundreds of years. Last year we commissioned 14 artists of colour to respond to the stories they found in the archives.  During July/August 2024 we will be showcasing their work at exhibitions and events across the city.

Dig Where You Stand - launch event

📆Friday 19 July 2024, 6-8pm (doors open from 5:30pm)

📍Persistence Works, Yorkshire Artspace, 21 Brown Street, S1 2BS

Over the last year, 14 artists have been commissioned to dig through local archives and respond to the untold stories of people of colour in South Yorkshire. Their artworks will be on display in various venues across Sheffield City Centre, from 20 July to 18 August 2024. We would love for you to join us at our inaugural event and enjoy a ceremonial blessing, private viewing and party, including a live DJ.  No limit on numbers but RSVP if you can: digwhereyoustand.sy@gmail.com

 

Dig Where You Stand presents ‘We Gather’ with Sheffield Cathedral

📆Monday 22 July 2024, 7-9pm (doors open from 6:45pm)

📍Sheffield Cathedral, Church Street, S1 1HA

Join us for a special evening of live performances to celebrate Dig Where You Stand's new and groundbreaking summer exhibition. Featuring commissioned artists Otis Mensah, CJ Simon, Rosa Cisneros and Désirée Reynolds. Through live poetry, dance and music our artists will re-imagine the encounter between two West African sailors and a Sheffield-born missionary in 1820, the psychodrama of a son settling in the steel city as he wrestles with the fame of his African American father in the late 19th century, and the female strength of the so-called 'Gypsy Queen' buried in Beighton, Sheffield in the 1940s.

https://www.dwys.co.uk/events/we-gather-with-sheffield-cathedral

Open Studio with our Artists

📆Saturday 27 July 2024, 11am-2pm (drop in, watch the artists at work, ask questions!)

📍Soft Ground, The Moor (opposite Debenhams), S1 4PF

Drop into the Dig Where You Stand open studio and watch how three of our artists made their work through shadow puppets, textiles and poetry. Cole Morris will show how he created shadow puppets to tell the story of serial dreamer Joe Phillips, who having tried and failed to produce his own Sheffield westerns attempted to build his own boat and sail back to Jamaica from the shallow depths of a Sheffield canal. Witness how Jacqui Hilson uses fabric to sew together the seemingly distant stories of West Africa and South Yorkshire, honouring the names and contributions of the unknown Africans who have settled here over the centuries. Observe how Dal Kular binds together her own journals and makes zines, as the first step to a poetic exploration of the 1939 Register, which appears to name the first non-elite Sikh woman in Sheffield but obscures her full identity.

https://www.dwys.co.uk/events/open-studio

Dig Where You Stand: An Evening in the Archives

📆Thursday 8 August 2024, 6-7:30pm

📍Sheffield City Archives, 52 Shoreham Street, S1 4SP

Most of the historical material used by the artists was found in Sheffield City Archives. We gather there now to hear from visual artists Kedisha Coakley, Seiko Kinoshita and Patricia Bugembe, alongside Senior Archivist, Cheryl Bailey. Together they discuss their experience working in the archives, discovering new stories and producing creative responses in the form of portraiture, wallpaper and installation. This will also be a unique opportunity to see some of the original archive material that inspired the artists’ work.

https://www.dwys.co.uk/events/dwys-presents-we-gather-with-sheffield-city-archives

Creative Workshop with Sile Sibanda (for ages 14 - 17)

📆Wednesday 31 July 2024, 11am-1pm

📍Sheffield Cathedral, Church Street, S1 1HA

Come and join us for a workshop filled with inspiration and creativity at Sheffield Cathedral!

In this workshop, you'll have the chance to learn from the talented Sile Sibanda and unleash your artistic potential. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced artist, this event is perfect for anyone looking to explore their creative side. You will also discover some fascinating hidden history about South Yorkshire along the way.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-creative-workshop-with-dig-where-you-stand-sile-sibanda-tickets-941073344707?aff=oddtdtcreator

Ancestral Futures - Public Procession and Street Performance

📆Saturday 17 August 2024, 2-3pm

📍Meet outside The Crucible, Tudor Square at 2pm

A Chinese baby is born and dies in Sheffield in 1855. At just 5 weeks old he’s buried at St Paul’s, now the site of the Peace Gardens. His dad, Teh Kwei 德貴  aka ‘Tuck Guy’, a magician known for his knife throwing act, was performing in Sheffield at the time. His signature appears on the death certificate of his infant son. We think of them when we walk past the Peace Gardens. Join us for live procession through Sheffield City Centre to honour Teh Kwei  德貴, his baby, and the other numerous ancestors from East and South-East Asian communities who passed through or settled in South Yorkshire.

https://www.dwys.co.uk/events/dwys-procession

Marvellous Makers Summer Reading Challenge 2024

Launches Saturday, 6 July in Sheffield Libraries

Join Sheffield Libraries this Summer for the "Marvellous Makers" Summer Reading Challenge with free activities for families from 6 July 2024.

Image description - children playing and being creative outdoors. Some are dancing, some are making music, one is orienteering and one is taking photos. They are joined by a little dog and a squirrel.

It’s FREE to take part in The Summer Reading Challenge! Just ask at your local Sheffield library (visit the website: "Sheffield Libraries"). It is aimed at children from birth to 11 years of age. They have to read or share six books of their choice over the summer holidays, collecting stickers for each book that they read along the way. All children who complete the challenge in libraries will receive a medal and certificate.

It runs throughout the Summer holidays from 6 July until mid September.

The Challenge is all about reading for fun, so children can read anything they like!  Audio books, e-books, fiction, non-fiction, comics, joke books, poetry books, graphic novels…it all counts!  Library staff and volunteers are more than happy to help children discover new reads which suit their interests and reading level.

The Reading Agency has worked in partnership with Create, a leading arts charity, and public libraries, this year's Challenge celebrates kids' creativity and storytelling abilities. Children will be encouraged to explore new books and stories while taking part in free activities, from arts and crafts to music, dance, and more.

Children can also take part in the Summer Reading Challenge online by visiting the Summer Reading Challenge website.

For all enquiries, please contact: 

Sheffield Libraries 

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