Congratulations to the following authors, illustrators and publishers on being recognised on this year’s lists. Shortlists will be announced on March 30. Check local branch websites and social media for events discussing these lists, and join us to celebrate the diversity of books written for children and young adults. Links on titles are to reviews on Reading Time.
The National CBCA website has links to all books in their categories as PDFs
Book of the Year: Older Readers
Entries in this category may be fiction, drama or poetry and should be appropriate in style and content for readers in their secondary years of schooling. Ages 13 – 18 years.
Note: Books in this category are for mature readers and some may deal with particularly challenging themes including violence and suicide. Parental guidance is recommended.
| Author | Illustrator | Title | ISBN | Publisher |
| Gary Lonesborough
|
The Boy from the Mish | 9781760525880 | Allen & Unwin | |
| Nadia L. King | Can the Real JR Stand Up, Please? | 9781913680176 | Dixi Books Publishing | |
| C. S. Pacat | Dark Rise | 9781760875749 | Allen & Unwin | |
| Maree Kimberley | Dirt Circus League | 9781922330253 | Text Publishing | |
| H. M. Waugh | Evacuation Road | 9781761110351 | Rhiza Press | |
| Leanne Hall | The Gaps | 9781922330482 | Text Publishing | |
| Felicity Castagna | Girls in Boys’ Cars | 9781760982980 | Pan Macmillan Australia | |
| Rhiannon Wilde | Henry Hamlet’s Heart | 9780702263149 | University of Queensland Press | |
| Krystal Sutherland | House of Hollow | 9780143796992 | Penguin Random House Australia | |
| Steven Herrick | How to Repaint a Life | 9780702263156 | University of Queensland Press | |
| Alicia Jasinska | The Midnight Girls | 9781760894733 | Penguin Random House Australia | |
| Michael Hyde | Morrison and Mr Moore | 9780645128024 | in case of emergency press | |
| Lynette Noni | The Prison Healer | 9781760897512 | Penguin Random House Australia | |
| Poppy Nwosu | Road Tripping with Pearl Nash | 9781743058435 | Wakefield Press | |
| Hayley Lawrence | Skin Deep | 9781760976446 | Scholastic Australia | |
| Kay Kerr | Social Queue | 9781922458018 | Text Publishing | |
| Jessica Walton | Aśka | Stars in Their Eyes | 9781760990718 | Fremantle Press |
| Malla Nunn | Sugar Town Queens | 9781760526832 | Allen & Unwin | |
| Garth Nix | Terciel and Elinor | 9781760878818 | Allen & Unwin | |
| Rebecca Lim | Tiger Daughter | 9781760877644 | Allen & Unwin | |
| Kathryn Barker | Waking Romeo | 9781760297152 | Allen & Unwin |
Book of the Year: Younger Readers
Entries in this category may be fiction, drama or poetry and should be appropriate in style and content for readers from the middle to upper primary years. 7 – 12 years.
Note: Some of the titles in this category may only be suitable for readers who are in the upper primary years as they may contain mature themes, including violence. Parental guidance is recommended.
| Author | Illustrator | Title | ISBN | Publisher |
| Morris Gleitzman | Always | 9780143793243 | Penguin Random House Australia | |
| Pip Harry | Are You There, Buddha? | 9780734420305 | Hachette Australia | |
| Katherine Battersby | Cranky Chicken | 9780734420954 | Hachette Australia | |
| Wendy Orr | Cuckoo’s Flight | 9781760524913 | Allen & Unwin | |
| Nicki Greenberg | The Detective’s Guide to Ocean Travel | 9781922400673 | Affirm Press | |
| Karen Foxlee | Dragon Skin | 9781760526108 | Allen & Unwin | |
| Nova Weetman | The Edge of Thirteen | 9780702263125 | University of Queensland Press | |
| Emily Rodda | Eliza Vanda’s Button Box | 9781460759608 | HarperCollins Publishers | |
| Emily Gale & Nova Weetman | Elsewhere Girls | 9781922330451 | Text Publishing | |
| Maryam Master | Astred Hicks | Exit Through the Gift Shop | 9781760983512 | Pan Macmillan Australia |
| Lorraine Marwood | Footprints on the Moon | 9780702262838 | University of Queensland Press | |
| Rosanne Hawke | Fozia and the Quest of Prince Zal | 9780702263071 | University of Queensland Press | |
| Shirley Marr | A Glasshouse of Stars | 9781760899547 | Penguin Random House Australia | |
| Samone Amba | The Good Times of Pelican Rise: Save the Joeys | 9781922419217 | Affirm Press | |
| H. Hayek | Huda and Me | 9781760526023 | Allen & Unwin | |
| Yassmin Abdel-Magied | Listen, Layla | 9781760896065 | Penguin Random House Australia | |
| Anna Zobel | Little Gem | 9781760896089 | Penguin Random House Australia | |
| Katrina Nannestad | Cheryl Orsini | Mim and the Baffling Bully | 9780733341656 | ABC: An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers |
| Sherryl Clark | Briony Stewart | Mina and the Whole Wide World | 9780702263231 | University of Queensland Press |
| Peter Carnavas | My Brother Ben | 9780702263330 | University of Queensland Press | |
| Jackie French | Night Ride into Danger | 9781460758939 | HarperCollins Publishers | |
| Remy Lai | Pawcasso | 9781760526771 | Allen & Unwin | |
| Katrina Nannestad | Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief | 9780733341465 | ABC: An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers | |
| Nat Amoore | The Right Way to Rock | 9781760897703 | Penguin Random House Australia | |
| Samantha-Ellen Bound | Seven Wherewithal Way | 9781922419224 | Affirm Press | |
| Denis Knight & Cristy Burne | Wednesday Weeks and the Tower of Shadows | 9780734420190 | Hachette Australia |
Book of the Year: Early Childhood
Entries in this category may be fiction, drama or poetry and should be appropriate in style and content for children who are at pre-reading or early stages of reading. Ages 0 – 6 years.
| Author | Illustrator | Title | ISBN | Publisher |
| Vikki Conley | Nicky Johnston | Amira’s Suitcase | 9781922326133 | New Frontier Publishing |
| Megan Jacobson | Beck Feiner | Big Love | 9781760652890 | Walker Books Australia |
| Zanni Louise | Anna Pignataro | Florence and Fox | 9781760651350 | Walker Books Australia |
| Susannah McFarlane | Tamsin Ainslie | Grumble Boats | 9781925712919 | Affirm Press |
| Lisa Shanahan | Leila Rudge | Hello World | 9780733340826 | ABC: An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers |
| Cat Rabbit | How to Make Friends: A Bear’s Guide | 9780645069600 | Berbay Publishing | |
| Gabriel Evans | A Human for Kingsley | 9781760506919 | Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing | |
| Andrea Rowe | Hannah Sommerville | Jetty Jumping | 9781760500658 | Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing |
| Sarah Allen | Jumping Joeys | 9781922626004 | Affirm Press | |
| Jane Godwin | Gabriel Evans | Little One | 9781922400826 | Affirm Press |
| Ursula Dubosarsky | Tohby Riddle | The March of the Ants | 9780648498919 | Book Trail Press |
| Anna McGregor | A Pair of Pears and an Orange | 9781922310750 | Scribble | |
| Sally Morgan | Johnny Warrkatja Malibirr | The River | 9781922613028 | Magabala Books |
| Aunty Patsy Cameron | Lisa Kennedy | Sea Country | 9781925936032 | Magabala Books |
| Aunty Fay Muir & Sue Lawson | Leanne Mulgo Watson | Sharing | 9781925768749 | Magabala Books |
| Davina Bell | Allison Colpoys | Tomorrow is a Brand-New Day | 9781925849462 | Scribble |
| Karen Blair | Train Party | 9781760899578 | Penguin Random House Australia | |
| Nick Bland | Walk of the Whales | 9781760509026 | Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing | |
| Ashleigh Barton | Martina Heiduczek | What Do You Call Your Grandma? | 9780733340840 | ABC: An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers |
| Kaye Baillie | Max Hamilton | When the Waterhole Dries Up | 9781922081971 | Windy Hollow Books |
| Leila Rudge | Winston and the Indoor Cat | 9781760652609 | Walker Books Australia | |
| Emma Bowd | Tania McCartney | Wonderful Shoes | 9781922081988 | Windy Hollow Books |
The Picture Book of the Year.
Entries in this category should be outstanding books of the Picture Book genre in which the author and illustrator achieve artistic and literary unity or, in wordless texts, where the story, theme or concept is unified through the illustrations. Ages 0 – 18. Note: Some books may be for mature readers).
| Illustrator | Author | Title | ISBN | Publisher |
| Stephen Michael King | Christopher Cheng | Bear and Rat | 9781760896287 | Penguin Random House Australia |
| Gabriel Evans | Sonya Hartnett | Blue Flower | 9781760894450 | Penguin Random House Australia |
| Freya Blackwood | The Boy and the Elephant | 9781460759998 | HarperCollins Publishers | |
| Michelle Pereira | Sandhya Parappukkaran | The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name | 9781760509361 | Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing |
| Bruce Whatley | Jackie French | Christmas Always Comes | 9781460757895 | HarperCollins Publishers |
| Gregg Dreise | Common Wealth | 9781760975166 | Scholastic Australia | |
| Matt Chun | Amy McQuire | Day Break | 9781760508159 | Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing |
| Anna Walker | Jane Godwin | Don’t Forget | 9781761040955 | Penguin Random House Australia |
| Evie Barrow | Maggie Hutchings | Enough Love? | 9781922400833 | Affirm Press |
| Tull Suwannakit | Vicki Bennett | The Flying Angel | 9781743835517 | Scholastic Australia |
| Jess McGeachin | Frankie and the Fossil | 9781760898847 | Penguin Random House Australia | |
| Tull Suwannakit | Happy Hoppy Home | 9781742999937 | Scholastic Australia | |
| Jess Racklyeft | Claire Saxby | Iceberg | 9781760526047 | Allen & Unwin |
| Lucia Masciullo | Christopher Cheng | The Imagineer | 9780642279682 | National Library of Australia |
| Armin Greder | The Inheritance | 9781760526788 | Allen & Unwin | |
| Jules Ober | Pierre-Jacques Ober | Jacqueline, A Soldier’s Daughter | 9781925804911 | Ford Street Publishing |
| Connah Brecon | Phil Cummings | Joe and the Stars | 9781742995045 | Scholastic Australia |
| Christopher Nielsen | Margrete Lamond & Anthony Bertini | Just One Bee | 9780648023890 | Dirt Lane Press |
| Lavanya Naidu | Radhiah Chowdhury | The Katha Chest | 9781760524326 | Allen & Unwin |
| Jonathan Bentley | Jo Kasch | Mo and Crow | 9781760631758 | Allen & Unwin |
| Gabriel Evans | Norton and the Borrowing Bear | 9780645069655 | Berbay Publishing | |
| Anne Ryan | Inda Ahmad Zahri | Salih | 9781925804638 | Ford Street Publishing |
| Di Wu | Jane Jolly | Star of Anise | 9780642279538 | National Library of Australia |
| James Foley | Stellarphant | 9781760990732 | Fremantle Press | |
| Heidi McKinnon | We Found a Cat | 9781761121005 | Scholastic Australia |
The Eve Pownall Award for Information Books
Entries in this category should be books which have the prime intention of documenting factual material with consideration given to imaginative presentation, interpretation and variation of style. Ages 0 – 18 years.
| Author | Illustrator | Title | ISBN | Publisher |
| Margaret Wild & Dan Wild | Donna Rawlins | The Amazing Meals of Martha Maloney | 9781921529238 | Walker Books Australia |
| Jennifer Cossins | Book of Curious Birds | 9780734420473 | Hachette Australia | |
| Bridget Farmer | The Bush Birds | 9780646843025 | Black Cockatoo Books | |
| Corey Tutt | Blak Douglas | The First Scientists: Deadly Inventions and Innovations from Australia’s First Peoples | 9781741177527 | Hardie Grant Publishing |
| Philip Bunting | The Gentle Genius of Trees | 9781760975173 | Scholastic Australia | |
| Karen Wyld | Jaelyn Biumaiwai | Heroes, Rebels and Innovators | 9780734419835 | Hachette Australia |
| Claire Saxby | Jess Racklyeft | Iceberg | 9781760526047 | Allen & Unwin |
| Sami Bayly | The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Peculiar Pairs in Nature | 9780734420046 | Hachette Australia | |
| Kunyi June Anne McInerney | Kunyi | 9781925936575 | Magabala Books | |
| Marc Martin | Masters of Disguise | 9781760895891 | Penguin Random House Australia | |
| Philip Bunting | Me, Microbes & I. | 9781760507923 | Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing | |
| Dan Marshall | No Way! The Wildest Mind-Blowing Facts in the Universe | 9780648677024 | Pantera Press | |
| Penny Jaye | Alicia Rogerson | One Potoroo: A Story of Survival | 9781486314645 | CSIRO Publishing |
| Mark Wilson | Rachel’s War | 9780734420114 | Hachette Australia | |
| Diane Jackson Hill | Craig Smith | Saving Seal: The Plastic Predicament | 9781921833540 | Museums Victoria |
| Safdar Ahmed | Still Alive, Notes from Australia’s Immigration Detention System | 9780980593730 | Twelve Panels Press | |
| Philip Bunting | Superpower | 9781760507930 | Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing | |
| Mirranda Burton | Underground | 9781760631475 | Allen & Unwin | |
| Diane Lucas & Ben Tyler | Emma Long | Walking in Gagudju Country: Exploring the Monsoon Forest | 9781760525958 | Allen & Unwin |
| Anne Morgan | Lois Bury | The Way of the Weedy Seadragon | 9781486313952 | CSIRO Publishing |
| Larry Brandy | Wiradjuri Country | 9780642279866 | National Library of Australia | |
| Christopher Cheng | Liz Duthie | Wombat | 9781760651374 | Walker Books Australia |
