Announcing the recipients of the Penguin Children's Bookseller Grant

Established to recognise and empower booksellers who are passionate about inspiring the next generation of readers, the Penguin Children’s Bookseller Grant inspired an outpouring of innovative ideas from booksellers across the country aimed at encouraging children to fall in love with reading. With $200,000 of funding from Penguin Random House Australia, the initiative received an extraordinary response from the bookselling community, attracting 78 applications, which totalled more than double the funding available. The ideas shared reflected a deep passion for children’s literacy, with booksellers proposing unique and community-driven ways to bring the joy of reading to life in their stores and beyond. After careful consideration, 41 bookstores nationwide have been selected to receive a grant of up to $8,000 per store. These grants will fund projects ranging from interactive reading events and storytelling festivals to partnerships with schools and libraries – all designed to make reading accessible, engaging and fun for kids of all ages.

• ‘It’s wonderful to see booksellers across Australia finding new and creative ways to share the joy of reading with children. At Penguin Random House, we believe reading for pleasure is one of the greatest gifts a child can receive – it opens minds, sparks imagination and nurtures curiosity. Through this initiative, we’re proud to support booksellers whose creativity and community spirit are helping children discover the joy and wonder of books.’ – Julie Burland, CEO of Penguin Random House Australia & New Zealand
• ‘We are thrilled to be among the recipients of the Penguin Children's Bookseller Grant. These funds will support us in establishing a program to nurture younger readers in our community, and to celebrate the pleasures of reading whilst fostering empathy, creativity, critical thinking and communication skills, which have never been more imperative than they are now." – Kasey Chambers, Children's Bookseller, Matilda Bookshop
• ‘Every one of the applications reminded us that when we invest in local bookshops, we’re investing in the future of reading. We can’t wait to see these projects come to life in communities across Australia.’ – Belinda Conners, Children's Publishing and Campaign Director

Grant recipients

• Abbey's Bookshop, Sydney NSW
• Beaufort St Books, Mount Lawley WA
• Benn’s Books, Bentleigh VIC
• Booktique Wangaratta, Wangaratta VIC
• Brunswick Bound, Brunswick VIC
• Edgars Books & News, Wangaratta VIC
• Five Senses Education Seven Hills, Seven Hills NSW
• Fullers Bookshop, Hobart TAS
• Gateway Bookshop, Wagga Wagga NSW
• Gleebooks, Glebe NSW
• Harbour Bookshop Ulladulla, Ulladulla NSW
• Imprints, Adelaide SA
• Jeffreys Books, Malvern VIC
• MacLean's Booksellers, Hamilton NSW
• Margaret River BookShop, Margaret River WA
• Mary Martin Bookshop (Southgate), Southbank VIC
• Mary Who? Bookshop, Townsville City QLD
• Matilda Bookshop, Stirling SA
• Megalong Books, Leura NSW
• Mostly Books, Torrens Park SA
• Nice Stack of Books, Meeniyan VIC
• Paper Bird Children’s Books & Arts, Fremantle WA
• Paperchain Bookstore, Griffith ACT
• Pictures and Pages, Coburg VIC
• Quick Brown Fox Bookshop, Grange QLD
• Ramona, Northcote VIC
• Readings Kids, Carlton VIC
• Red Kangaroo Books, Alice Springs NT
• Rosetta Books, Maleny QLD
• Shakespeare’s, Blackwood SA
• The Book Cow, Kingston ACT
• The Book Dispensary, Forbes NSW
• The Bookshop Bowral, Bowral NSW
• The Bookshop Darwin, Darwin NT
• The Hobart Bookshop, Battery Point TAS
• The Leaf Bookshop, Ashburton VIC
• The Little Bookroom, Brunswick East VIC
• The Sun Bookshop, Yarraville VIC
• The Turning Page Bookshop, Springwood NSW
• Umina Beach Book Nook, Umina NSW
• Where the Wild Things Are, West End QLD