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This month's booklist for our indies project for the National Year of Reading is a love letter to mothers and grandmothers in all their forms — the ones who stay up listening to our worries at ten o'clock at night, who teach us to grow things, who stitch themselves into the very fabric of who we are.

This month, our indies booklist for the National Year of Reading is showcasing 6 children’s books from indie publishers that are guaranteed to put a smile on your face. What would you do if you were Prime Minister? Why does my grandma wear mismatched socks? Who’s hogging the loo and is there an alien in the school library? Find out the answers (or more mysteries?) in these imaginative and funny stories.

For this second booklist of our indies project for the National Year of Reading, we are delighted to collaborate again with our fellow indie publishers to share empowering stories about women and girls. How do girls learn, connect, create, grieve, and fight? What does it mean to be a woman in this world building relationships, homes, and dreams? We hope the stories here provide some answers to these questions.

This February, Lantana and fellow independent publishers celebrate the many colours of love with a collaborative Indies booklist for the National Year of Reading. From throwing a henna party with family to reading to shelter puppies with friends, this joyful selection of children’s books shows how love blossoms in many beautiful ways.

Indie children’s publishers unite for the National Year of Reading 2026, launching monthly inclusive reading lists that celebrate diverse stories and communities.