Supporting the National Year of Reading 2026
Ages 6–8 Shortlist – The Laugh Out Loud Book Awards 2026
Ages 6-8 Shortlist 2026
We’re very excited to announce the Lollies Ages 6-8 Shortlist for 2026! Our judges had a tough time choosing just four books per category, so we hope you are excited to read the shortlisted books and vote for your favourites.
Murray and Bun: Murray the Viking by Adam Stower
Meet your favourite new duo: MURRAY AND BUN!
Murray is a cat. Murray loves snoozing, fluffy blankets, and peace and quiet. Bun is a bun. Bun loves… EVERYTHING! And together they are unstoppable! SOMETIMES Murray’s enchanted cat flap leads to the garden… but mostly it leads to ADVENTURE! And when Murray and Bun travel through the cat flap and find themselves in a land of VIKINGS, they are given a VERY IMPORTANT MISSION: to travel to TROLL ISLAND and rescue Eggrik the Viking… if he hasn’t already been gobbled up by the trolls, that is.
Squirrel and Duck: Mission Improbable by Tom Percival
Squirrel and Duck might seem strange housemates, but they are drawn together by their secret – they are the only two talking animals in the world! When bulldozers arrive to redevelop the abandoned theme park they call home, they run away, taking with them only Mr Spikes, Duck’s beloved ‘pet’ cactus.
When they hear a conversation between two nincompoop art thieves they end up on the trail of untold riches (according to Squirrel) or a great deed to help the nation (as far as Duck’s concerned)! Only some surprisingly unhelpful woodland creatures stand in their way! Readers will love this zanily brilliant story, full of unlikely scenarios and laugh-out-loud moments.
The Notwitches by Gary Panton and Dotty Sutton
While lots of children have one or two problems, Melanda Notwitch has three: her horrible aunts. They really are the absolute WORST!
Luckily, Melanda meets Mitch, a young witch who knows of a magic spell that might make everything better.
All they have to do is find one special ingredient.
How hard can it be?
• Book 1 in a big-hearted and funny adventure series in the spirit of Roald Dahl
• Brimming with loathsome villains, unexpected heroes, extraordinary set pieces and an almost-talking cat!
• With laugh-out-loud funny illustrations from Dotty Sutton
The Misadventures of Mina Mahmood: School Trip! by Farhana Islam and Simran Diamond Singh
Mina, Reema and Mobeen can’t wait to go on their school trip, an overnight stay at Shiremoor Oaks Adventure Centre … until somebody spooks them with stories about Bertie Blackteeth: who haunts the woods, who sharpens her toenails with twigs, who is waiting to skewer her next unfortunate victim all over with cheese-and-onion crisps!
With Bertie Blackteeth lurking and the school bully seeming to have become the teacher’s pet – this trip will test their friendship, courage and love of potato chips to the limit.
Buy the Ages 6-8 Shortlist
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Lollies 2026 Ages 6-8 Shortlist (4 Book Set)
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £16.99
- Rewards/RRP: £30.96
