Announcing the 2025 CBCA Book of the Year Award Notable Books

Congratulations to the following authors, illustrators and publishers on being recognised on this year’s lists. Shortlists will be announced on March 25. 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 Notable book with Judges’ critiques is now available for purchase at the CBCA eStore

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.

Title Author Illustrator Publisher ISBN
A Way Home Emily Brewin   MidnightSun Publishing 9781922858382
A Wreck of Seabirds Karleah Olson   Fremantle Press 9781760993924
Birdy Sharon Kernot   Text Publishing 9781922790606
Comes the Night Isobelle Carmody   A&U Books for Children and Young Adults 9781760294762
Deep is the Fen Lili Wilkinson   A&U Books for Children and Young Adults 9781761066863
Eleanor Jones Can’t Keep a Secret Amy Doak   Penguin Random House Australia 9781761342424
I hope this doesn’t Find You Ann Liang   Penguin Random House Australia 9781761049811
I’m Not Really Here Gary Lonesborough    A&U Books for Children and Young Adults 9781761180767
Into the Mouth of the Wolf Erin Gough   Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing 9781760507558
Kate Forsyth’s Long-Lost Fairy Tales Kate Forsyth Lorena Carrington New Dawn Publishing 9780645489965
Liar’s Test Ambelin Kwaymullina   Text Publishing 9781922790873
Look Me in the Eye Jane Godwin   Lothian Children’s Books 9780734420794
Maria Petranelli is Prepared for Anything (Except This) Eliza Chenowith   Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing 9781761212451
My Brother Finch Kate Gordon   Riveted Press 9780645869347
My Family and Other Suspects Kate Emery   A&U Books for Children and Young Adults 9781760529215
Return to Sender Lauren Draper   Macmillan Australia 9781761266515
The Invocations Krystal Sutherland   Penguin Random House Australia 9780143777410
The Skin I’m In Steph Tidsell   Macmillan Australian 9781760984977
The Sweetness Between Us Sarah Winnifred Searle   A&U Books for Children and Young Adults 9781761181245
Thunderhead Sophie Beer   A&U Books for Children and Young Adults 9781761180958
White Noise Raelke Grimmer   UWA Publishing 9781760802851
Wrong Answers Only Tobias Madden   Penguin Random House Australia 9780143777403

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.

Title Author Illustrator Publisher ISBN
Aggie Flea Steals the Show Tania Ingram Annie Yi Scholastic Australia 9781760976309
Countdown to Yesterday Shirley Marr   Penguin Random House 9781761340598
Ella and the Amazing Frog Orchestra Casey Polami  Hykie Breeze UWA Publishing 9781760802899
Fluff: Mess Up  Matt Stanton  Matt Stanton ABC Books 9780733342110
Hello Twigs, Look Who’s Grumpy  Andrew McDonald  Ben Wood Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing 9781761212031
How to Break a World Record and Survive Grade Five  Carla Fitzgerald   University of Queensland Press 9780702268717
 Jy Goes for Gold  Carl Merrison & Hakea Hustler Samantha Campbell HarperCollins AU 9781460765074
 Landovel  Emily Rodda   A&U Books for Children and Young Adults 9781761069758
Laughter is the Best Ending Maryam Master Astred Hicks Pan Australia 9781761560132
Ming and Ada Spark the Digital Age Jackie French   HarperCollins AU 9781460764879
Oscar Vs the Grand Old Dude Named York Russ Curnow    Walker Books Australia 9781760657819
 Real Pigeons Power Up  Andrew McDonald  Ben Wood Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing 9781761211553
Saskia Spark-Lee: Fundraiser Fail  Rebecka Sharpe Shelberg  Sofya Karmazina Walker Books Australia 9781760655556
Shower Land 1: Break the Curse  Nat Amoore  James Hart Penguin Random House 9781761342523
Six Summers of Tash and Leopold  Danielle Binks   Lothian Children’s Books 9780734421890
Small Acts  Kate Gordon & Kate Foster   Walker Books Australia 9781760655938
The Kindness Project  Deborah Abela   Penguin Random House 9781761340185 
 The Midwatch  Judith Rossell  Judith Rossell Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing 9781761212369
 The Other Shadow  Tania Ingram   Scholastic Australia 9781761203251
Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger  Jackie French   HarperCollins AU 9781460763506
To and Fro  Anton Clifford-Motopi   A&U Books for Children and Young Adults 9781761180378
Tweet  Morris Gleitzman    Penguin Random House Australia 9781761343742
Twinning BFF’s (NOT)  Alexa Moses Sofya Karmazina  Scholastic Australia 9781761292620
We Do Not Welcome Our Ten-Year-Old Overlord Garth Nix    A&U Books for Children and Young Adults 9781761180491
Worst Week Ever! Saturday Eva Amores  Matt Cosgrove  Scholastic Australia 9781760979089

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.

 

Title Author Illustrator Publisher ISBN
Amid the Sand Dunes Andrea Rowe Hannah Sommerville Little Hare 9781761213786
Dinosaur in my Pocket Ashleigh Barton Blithe Fielden Lothian Children’s Books 9780734422668
Don’t Worry, Felix Yohann Devezy & Katharine Alice Zoe Bennett New Frontier Publishing 9781923145054
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know Know About the Tooth Fairy (And Some Things You Didn’t) Briony Stewart Briony Stewart Lothian Children’s Books 9780734421883
Good Hair Yvonne Sewankambo Freda Chiu Walker Books Australia 9781760655709
Happy All Over Emma Quay Emma Quay ABC Books 9780733341441
How to Make a Bedtime Meg McKinlay Karen Blair Walker Books Australia 9781760653712
How to Move a Zoo Kate Simpson Owen Swan A&U Books for Children and Young Adults 9781761180309
I am Tree Rex! Mo Davey Mo Davey Berbay 9781922610669
Just Like You Natashia Curtin Natashia Curtin Walker Books Australia 9781760658069
Kittens Do Not Care for Baths Ali Rutstein Niña Nill Hardie Grant Children’s Books 9781761213274
Meerkat Mayhem Mem Fox Judy Horacek Penguin Random House 9780143777687
Night Watch Jodi Toering Tannya Harricks Walker Books Australia 9781760655310
One Little Dung Beetle Rhian Williams Mark Jackson & Heather Potter Wild Dog Books 9781742036656
Over or Under? Pip Harry Hilary Jean Tapper Lothian Children’s Books 9780734421807
Reading to Baby Margaret Wild Hannah Sommerville Affirm Press 9781922930378
Sky Country Aunty Patsy Cameron Lisa Kennedy Magabala Books 9781922777218
Spiro Anna McGregor Anna McGregor Scribble 9781761381010
The Big Book of Australian Nursery Rhymes Frané Lessac Frané Lessac Walker Books Australia 9781760655099
The Most Amazing Thing Ian Hayward Robinson Matt Shanks A&U Books for Children and Young Adults 9781761180118
The Wobbly Bike Darren McCallum Craig Smith Walker Books Australia 9781760656416
To Stir with Love Kate Mildenhall Jess Racklyeft Simon & Schuster 9781761426391
Two Turtles Kiah Thomas Jake Minton Little Book Press 9780645401493
Willow’s Gumboots Beverley McWilliam Hélène Magisson MidnightSun Publishing 9781922858535
Worms are our Friends Toni D’Alia Mica Purnell Bright Light 9781761212994

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).

Title Illustrator Author Publisher ISBN
A Leaf Called Greaf Kelly Canby Kelly Canby Fremantle Press 9781760993894
Afloat Freya Blackwood Kirli Saunders Little Hare 9781760505899
Bernie Thinks in Boxes Zoe Bennett Jess Horn Affirm Press 9781922930033
Dragon Folding Lucia Masciullo Christopher Cheng Penguin Random House 9781761340949
Footprint Sally Soweol Han Phil Cummings A&U Books for Children and Young Adults 9781761180323
For 60,000 Years Rhys Paddick Marlee Silva Scholastic Australia 9781760265274
General Waste Michael Streich Michael Streich Scholastic Australia 9781761205699
Grow Big, Little Seed Sarah Capon Bec Nanayakkara Bright Light 9781761212963
House Charlotte Lane Don Giovannoni Fremantle Press 9781760994709
Listen, Hippo! Gabriel Evans Gabriel Evans Penguin Random House Australia 9781761341700
Night Watch Tannya Harricks Jodi Toering Walker Books Australia 9781760655310
Stickboy Matt Ottley Rebecca Young Scholastic Australia 9781742994468
The Garden Of Broken Things Freya Blackwood Freya Blackwood HarperCollins AU 9781460757550
The Land Recalls You David Cragg & Noni Cragg Kirli Saunders Scholastic Australia 9781760975159
The Space Between Jess McGeachin Jess McGeachin Penguin Random House Australia 9780143779186
The Truck Cat Danny Snell Deborah Frenkell Bright Light 9781761212291
Then and Now Datsun Tran Datsun Tran Slingshot Books 9780645975406
These Long-Loved Things Ronojoy Ghosh Josh Pyke Scholastic Australia 9781761293849
Three Dresses Wanda Gibson Wanda Gibson University of Queensland Press 9780702266355
Tilly in a Tangle Monty Lee Margrete Lamond Dirt Lane Press 9781923044289
Two Turtles Jake Minton Kyah Thomas Little Book Press 9780645401493
Walking Together Dub Leffler Coral Vass Scholastic Australia 9781761126260
We Live in a Bus Dave Petzold Dave Petzold Thames & Hudson Australia 9781760764647
Why I Love Christmas Tom Jellett Michael Wagner Penguin Random House Australia 9781761344688
Words that Taste Like Home Michelle Pereira Sandhya Parappukkaran Bright Light 9781761213281

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.

 

Title Author Illustrator Publisher ISBN
All About the Brain Gabriel Dascheck Kim Siew Berbay 9781922610768
Always Was, Always Will Be Aunty Fay Muir & Sue Lawson   Magabala Books 9781922777614
Anti-Racism Kit Sabina Patawaran & Jinyoung Kim Emma Ismawi Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing 9781761211171
Australia’s Baby Animals Jess Racklyeft Jess Racklyeft Affirm Press 9781923022812
Before the Mountain had a Name Fiona Leavings Fiona Leavings Forty South Publishing 9780645983579
Come Together Again Isaiah Firebrace Jaelyn Biumaiwai Hardie Grant Explore 9781741179019
Design & Building on Country Alison Page & Paul Memmott Blak Douglas Thames & Hudson Australia 9781760763565
Extreme Animal Facts Jennifer Cossins Jennifer Cossins Lothian Children’s Books 9780734422477
Flora: Australia’s Most Curious Plants Tania McCartney Tania McCartney NLA Publishing 9781922507716
Follow Your Gut Ailsa Wild & Lisa Stinson, with Briony Barr & Gregory Crocetti Ben Hutchings Scribe Publications 9781761380891
I am a Magpie, I am a Currawong Bridget Farmer Bridget Farmer Black Cockatoo Books 9780645713725
Into the Ice: Reflections on Antarctica Allison Lester & Coral Tulloch Allison Lester & Coral Tulloch A&U Books for Children and Young Adults 9781760526061
Making the Shrine: Stories From Victoria’s War Memorial Laura J Carroll Laura J Carroll The Crossley Press 9781763515604
Now for the Good News Planet Ark Environmental Foundation Sarah Weicek Penguin Random House Australia 9780143779582
Plantabulous! More A to Z of Australian Plants Catherine Clowes Rachel Gyan CSIRO Publishing 9781486317202
See to Sky: Life in the Daintree Pamela Freeman Liz Anelli Walker Books Australia 9781760653750
Sensational Australian Animals Stephanie Owen Reeder Cher Hart CSIRO Publishing 9781486316892
South with the Seabirds Jess McGeachin Jess McGeachin A&U Books for Children and Young Adults 9781761068645
Sunny Finds his Song Catherine Storey & Penny Watson Sarah Matsuda Wet Season Books 9780645370836
The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Extinct Animals Sami Bayly Sami Bayly Lothian Children’s Books 9780734421395
Too Many Tigers Monica Reeve Monica Reeve Forty South Publishing 9780975640654
Unreal Kat Simpson Leila Rudge A&U Books for Children and Young Adults 9781761180347
Walking the Rock Country in Kakadu Diane Lucas & Ben Tyler Emma Long A&U Books for Children and Young Adults 9781761067860
Wedge-Tailed Eagle Claire Saxby Christina Booth Walker Books Australia 9781760655686
When the World was Soft Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation Alex Mankiewicz A&U Books for Children and Young Adults 9781761180651

 

Scroll to Top