Congratulations to the following authors, illustrators and publishers on being recognised on this year’s lists. Shortlists will be announced on March 28. 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.
PDFs download are freely available at the National website as well as critiques by the judges for every book on the lists.
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 |
| Lili Wilkinson | A Hunger of Thorns | 9781760526948 | Allen & Unwin | |
| Robyn Dennison | Blind Spot | 9781922790347 | Text Publishing | |
| Graham Akhurst | Borderland | 9781760802646 | UWA Publishing | |
| Amy Doak | Eleanor Jones is Not a Murderer | 9781761342417 | Penguin Random House Australia | |
| Brendon Ritchie | Eta Droconis | 9781760802615 | UWA Publishing | |
| Karen Comer | Grace Notes | 9780734421722 | Hachette Australia | |
| Chemutai Glasheen | I am the Mau and other stories | 9781760992576 | Fremantle Press | |
| Jack Heath | If You Tell Anyone, You’re Next | 9781761292019 | Scholastic Australia | |
| Suzy Zail | Inkflower | 9781760653736 | Walker Books Australia | |
| Megan Williams | Let’s Never Speak of this Again | 9781922790392 | Text Publishing | |
| Kate J Armstrong | Nightbirds | 9781760526900 | Allen & Unwin | |
| A J Betts | One Song | 9781761264900 | Pan Macmillan Australia | |
| Anna Fienberg | Picasso and the Greatest Show on Earth | 9781760296988 | Allen & Unwin | |
| Kate Rice & Angourie Rice | Stuck up & Stupid | 9781760658281 | Walker Books Australia | |
| Amie Kaufman | The Isles of the Gods | 9781761180064 | Allen & Unwin | |
| Helena Fox | The Quiet and the Loud | 9781760983024 | Pan Macmillan Australia | |
| Garth Nix | The Sinister Booksellers of Bath | 9781761180002 | Allen & Unwin | |
| Anne Liang | This Time it’s Real | 9781761049804 | Penguin Random House Australia | |
| Leanne Yong | Two Can Play that Game | 9781761063374 | Allen & Unwin | |
| Will Kostakis | We Could Be Something | 9781761180170 | Allen & Unwin | |
| Gary Lonesborough | We Didn’t Think it Through | 9781760526931 | 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 |
| Tania Ingram | Anne Yi | Aggie Flea is NOT a Liar! | 9781760972547 | Scholastic Australia |
| Fiona Lloyd | Being Jimmy Baxter | 9781760148515 | Penguin Random House | |
| Carl Merrison & Hakea Hustler | Dub Leffler | Dirrarn | 9781760508432 | Magabala Books |
| Matt Stanton | Evie Dreams Big | 9780733342066 | HarperCollins Publishers | |
| Kate Foster | Sophie Beer | Harriet Hound | 9781760654702 | Walker Books Australia |
| H Hayek | Huda Was Here | 9781761068430 | Allen & Unwin | |
| Shivaun Plozza | Meet Me at the Moontree | 9780702266171 | University of Queensland Press | |
| Jackie French | Ming and Hilde Lead a Revolution
Read S Gervay’s review here |
9781460763445 | HarperCollins Publishers | |
| Sue Whiting | Rebecca Crane | Pearly and Pig and the Lost City of Savan | 9781760655457 | Walker Books Australia |
| Andrew McDonald | Ben Wood | Real Pigeons Flap Out | 9781761211546 | Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing |
| Suzanne Leal | Running With Ivan | 9781460761335 | HarperCollins Publishers | |
| Di Walker | Saving Charli | 9781761297311 | Scholastic Australia | |
| Tristan Bancks | Scar Town | 9780143791812 | Penguin Random House Australia | |
| Dianne Wolfer | Tony Flowers | Scout and the Rescue Dogs | 9781760655860 | Walker Books Australia |
| Tami Sussman | So That Happened… But Maybe You Already Knew That | 9781760656010 | Walker Books Australia | |
| Karen Comer | Sunshine on Vinegar Street | 9781761180132 | Allen & Unwin | |
| Jackie French | The Great Gallipoli Escape | 9781460764176 | HarperCollins Publishers | |
| Pamela Rushby | The Mud Puddlers | 9781760655808 | Walker Books Australia | |
| Matt Stanton | The Power of Being Odd | 9780733340659 | HarperCollins Publishers | |
| Samera Kamaleddine | The Sideways Orbit of Evie Hart
Read S Gervay’s review here |
9781460762653 | HarperCollins Australia | |
| Kate Foster | The Unlikely Heroes Club | 9781760655969 | Walker Books Australia | |
| Jared Thomas | Uncle Xbox | 9781922613363 | Magabala Books |
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 |
| Debra Tidball | Arielle Li | Anchored | 9781922539496 | Exisle Publishing |
| Sue deGennaro | Bear and Duck are Friends | 9781761210327 | Hardie Grant Children’s Publishers | |
| Sally Rippin | Lucinda Gifford | Big Dog is a Big Help | 9781761210839 | Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing |
| Jane Godwin | Terry Denton | Can You Teach a Fish to Climb a Tree? | 9781760508661 | Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing |
| Margaret Wild | Vivienne To | Duckling Runs Away | 9781761065804 | Allen & Unwin |
| Caz Goodwin | Pip Kruger | Grace and Mr Milligan | 9789815009811 | Marshall Cavendish International |
| Trevor Fourmile | Jingalu | Gurril, Storm Bird | 9781922613455 | Magabala Books |
| Briony Stewart | Gymnastica Fantasica! | 9780734421852 | Hachette Australia | |
| Mike Dumbleton | Lucinda Gifford | Hair! | 9780645401325 | Little Book Press |
| Andrea Rowe | Hannah Somerville | In the Rockpool | 9781761213014 | Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing |
| Ali Rubstein | Niña Nill | Ladybirds Do Not Go to Day Care | 9781761213113 | Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing |
| Isobel Bevis | Leanne Zilm | Nedingar: Ancestors | 9781760992712 | Fremantle Press |
| Katrina Germein | Danny Snell | One Little Duck | 9781460761649 | HarperCollins Publishers |
| Jacinta Daniher & Taylor Hampton | Seantelle Walsh | Our Mob | 9781922696236 | Ford Street Publishing |
| Michelle Worthington | Zoe Bennett | Ruby’s Repair Café | 9781922326805 | New Frontier Publishing |
| Kerri Day | Nicky Johnston | Run Pups Run | 9781921136092 | Windy Hollow Books |
| Kirsty Murray | Karen Blair | Shadow Catchers | 9781760526955 | Allen & Unwin |
| Bob Graham | The Concrete Garden | 9781529512649 | Walker Books Australia | |
| Penny Harrison | Hannah Sommerville | The Little Things | 9781761211263 | Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing |
| Victor Steffenson | Sandra Steffensen | The Trees | 9781741178876 | Hardie Grant Explore |
| Sue Whiting | Cate James | The Wheelbarrow Express | 9781760654627 | Walker Books Australia |
| Hayley Rawsthorne | Briony Stewart | These Little Feet | 9781761069017 | Allen & Unwin |
| Niña Nill | We’re Moving Away | 9781761212321 | Hardie Grant Children’s Publishers | |
| Karen Blair | When I’m Big | 9781761045813 | Penguin Random House Australia | |
| David Metzenthen | Jonathan Bentley | Where Do the Sleepy Sheep Sleep? | 9781761066160 | Allen & Unwin |
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 |
| Arielle Li | Debra Tidball | Anchored | 9781922539496 | Exisle Publishing |
| Aura Parker | Bowerbird Blues | 9781760269609 | Scholastic Australia | |
| Mark & Heather Jackson | Julia Lawrinson | City of Light | 9781742036304 | Wild Dog Books |
| Desert Jungle | 9781406387872 | Walker Books Australia | ||
| Tania McCartney | Dorrie | 9781460760109 | HarperCollins Publishers | |
| Peter Cheong | Every Night at Midnight | 9781922992383 | Affirm Press | |
| Sophie Beer | Mel Amon | Good Morning, My Deer! | 9781761380358 | Scribe Publications |
| Sophie Blackall | If I was a Horse | 9780734422712 | Hachette Australia | |
| Niña Nill | Ali Rutstein | Ladybirds Do Not Go to Day Care | 9781761213113 | Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing |
| Trace Bella | Leaf-Light | 9781760526207 | Allen & Unwin | |
| Jennifer Goldsmith | Chanelle Gosper | Little Treasure | 9780734421494 | Hachette Australia |
| Luisa Gioffre-Suzuki | Kaye Baillie | Mizuto and the Wind | 9781922858023 | MidnightSun Publishing |
| Mateja Jager | Margrete Lamond | Paper-flower Girl | 9780645352399 | WestWords |
| Bruce Whatley | Jackie French | Plague | 9781743834824 | Scholastic Australia |
| Michelle Conn | Charlie Archbold | Raised by Moths | 9781922858184 | MidnightSun Publishing |
| Lorena Carrington | Sophie Masson | Satin | 9781922858016 | MidnightSun Publishing |
| Michelle Pereira | Sandhya Parappukkaran | Stay for Dinner | 9781761211966 | Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing |
| Ronojoy Ghosh & Niharika Hukku | Kate Temple & Jol Temple | That Bird has Arms! | 9781761210310 | Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing |
| Eloise Short | Jodie McLeod | The Black Cockatoo with One Feather Blue | 9780646874708 | Wollemi Press |
| Bob Graham | The Concrete Garden | 9781529512649 | Walker Books Australia | |
| Briony Stewart | Cassy Polimeni | The Garden at the End of the World | 9780702265693 | University of Queensland Press |
| Jennifer Faulkner | Apsara Baldovino | The Lucky Shack | 9781922033154 | HarperCollins Publishers |
| Kelly Canby | Timeless | 9781760992323 | Fremantle Press | |
| Anna Read | Martine Murray | World | 9780645039528 | Parachute Press |
| Stephen Michael King | Josh Pyke | Your Head’s Not the Place to Store Problems… In | 9781761293023 | 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.
Note: Some books in this category are for mature readers and may deal with particularly challenging themes including violence and suicide. Parental guidance is recommended.
| Author | Illustrator | Title | ISBN | Publisher |
| Remy Kowaiski | Tonio Composto | All About the HEART | 9781922610591 | Berbey Publishing |
| Jess Racklyeft | Australia: Country of Colour | 9781922863881 | Affirm Press | |
| Brentos | Australian Animals: From Beach to Bush | 9781922930408 | Affirm Press | |
| Myke Mollard | Australian Backyard Birds | 9781922800237 | Woodslane Press | |
| Anita Heiss | Samantha Campbell | Bidhi Galing | 9781761105258 | Simon & Schuster Australia |
| Mark Wilson | Caroline | 9781922081018 | Windy Hollow Books | |
| Tsheena Cooper, Mary Dann, Dalisa Pigram-Ross, Sheree Ford, Yawuru Ngan-ga Language Centre (trans,) | Country tells us when… | 9781922592460 | Indigenous Literacy Foundation | |
| Isolde Martyn & Robyn Ridgeway | Louise Hogan | Country Town | 9781922696342 | Ford Street Publishing |
| Philip Bunting | Democracy! | 9781761211478 | Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing | |
| Neridah McMullin | Lucia Masciullo | Eat My Dust! | 9781760654191 | Walker Books Australia |
| Dan Marshall | Eww Gross: Foul Facts and Putrid Pictures | 9780645624564 | Pantera Press | |
| Jess McGeachin | High | 9781803380278 | Welbeck Publishing | |
| Sami Bayly | How We Came to Be: Creatures of Camouflage and Mimicry | 9780734421371 | Hachette Australia | |
| Louise Park | Last Man Out | 9781742036427 | Wild Dog Books | |
| Mark Greenwood | Frane Lessac | Our Country: Where History Happened | 9781760653576 | Walker Books Australia |
| Carole Wilkinson | Prue Pittock | River to Bay – Victoria’s Maritime History | 9781742036168 | Wild Dog Books |
| Margo Neale & Lynne Kelly | Blak Douglas | Songlines: First Knowledges for Younger Readers | 9781760763480 | Thames & Hudson Australia |
| Violet Wadrill, Topsy Dodd Ngarnjal, Leah Leaman, Cecelia Edwards, Cassandra Algy, Felicity Meakins, Briony Barr, Gregory Crocetti | Tamarra | 9781741178302 | Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing | |
| Coral Vass | Jess Racklyeft | The Forgotten Song: Saving the Regent Honeyeater | 9781486316403 | CSIRO Publishing |
| Philip Bunting | The World’s Most Atrocious Animals | 9781761212604 | Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing | |
| Corey Tutt | Molly Hunt | This Book Thinks Ya Deadly! | 9781741178159 | Hardie Grant Explore |
| Lisa Harvey-Smith | Sophie Beer | Universal Guide to the Night Sky | 9781760763121 | Thames & Hudson Australia |
| Tania McCartney | Wildlife Compendium of the World | 9781741177473 | Hardie Grant Explore | |
| Myke Mollard | Wildlife of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef | 9781922800367 | Woodslane Press | |
| Samantha Tidy | Rachel Gyan | Wollemi: Saving a Dinosaur Tree | 9781486316083 | CSIRO Publishing |
