www.literaryawards.co.uk

he Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) is a volunteer run, not for profit, organisation that was established in 1945 and is comprised of individual members who are passionate about children's and young adult literature. They do a splendid job.

Their annual prizes are for books with an implied readership under the age of eighteen. The Short List in each category is announced April. The winners are announced in August. They are presented in five categories.

Past Winners

2010 CBCA Winners & Shortlists

2010 Older Readers| 2010 Younger Readers | 2010 Early Childhood | 2010 Information Book |2010 Picture Book

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Book of the Year: Older Readers

These books are for mature readers.

Jarvis 24W inner: METZENTHEN, David Jarvis 24 (Penguin Group Australia) -

So far, Marc E. Jarvis has lost a white football boot, a school tie and a buybest friend.

But there's more in store for him when he completes Work Experience at a local car yard – where his world is truly rocked, shocked and shaken.

Then Marc meets Electra. And nothing will ever be the same again . . .

A story of true friends, crazed coaches, shooting stars, and loves lost and found.

Other Shortlisted

Stolen | The Winds of Heaven| Liar | | A Small Free Kiss in the Dark | Loving Richard Feynman

CHRISTOPHER, Lucy Stolen (Chicken House) -Sixteen year old Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok airport and taken to the Australian Outback. This wild and desolate landscape becomes almost a character in the book, so vividly is it described. Ty, her captor, is no stereotype. He is young, fit and cbuyompletely gorgeous. This new life in the wilderness has been years in the planning. He loves only her, wants only her. Under the hot glare of the Australian sun, cut off from the world outside, can the force of his love make Gemma love him back? The story takes the form of a letter, written by Gemma to Ty, reflecting on those strange and disturbing months in the outback. Months when the lines between love and obsession, and love and dependency, blur until they don't exist - almost. More

CLARKE, Judith The Winds of Heaven (Allen & Unwin) - When Fan was little she dreamed of magical countries in the faraway blue hills. And as she grew up she dreamed of love, and the boys came after her one by one by one. Clementine thought her cousin Fan'sbuy house in the country had a special smell: of sun and dust and kerosene and the wild honey they ate for breakfast on their toast. But then there were the feelings: the anger that smelled like iron and the disappointment that smelled like mud. Still, Fan was strong and beautiful and Clementine thought she'd always be like that. But Fan was seeking something, and neither she nor Clementine knew exactly what..more

LARBALESTIER, Justine Liar (Allen & Unwin) - Micah Wilkins is a liar. But when her boyfriend, Zach, dies under brutal circumstancebuys, the shock might be enough to set her straight. Or maybe not. Especially when lying comes as naturally to her as breathing. Was Micah dating Zach? Did they kiss? Did she see him the night he died? And is she really hiding a family secret? Where does the actual truth lie? Liar is a breathtaking roller-coaster read that will have you up all night, desperately seeking for something true. More

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MILLARD, Glenda A Small Free Kiss in the Dark(Allen & Unwin) - Skip's an outsider, a quiet observer. He draws pictures to make sense of the world. He's never fitted in. So he takes to the streets. Life there may be hard, but it's better than the one he's left, especially when he teams up with old Billy. Then come the bombs which leave little Max in his care, and also Tia, the sad dancer, with her sweet baby, Sixpence. Scavenging for food, living on love and imagination...how long can Skip's fragile new family hold out as war grips the city? More
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TANGEY, Penny Loving Richard Feynman (University of Queensland Press) - Richard Feynman was a Nobel Prize-winning physicist. Catherine is a science-loving fifteen-year-old. Richard helped build the atom bomb. Catherine is just trying to survive school. When your life is falling apart around you, is talking to a dead physicist normal? Catherine thinks so, but it isn't until her life begins unravelling that she learns who she can really trust. More

2010 Book of the Year: Younger Readers

Intended for independent younger readers

Winner: HIRSCH, Odo Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool (Allen & Unwin) - The Bell family's ancestors were showered with honours, gifts and grantbuys of land. In exchange, they have bestowed a Gift, once every 25 years, on the town. The Gifts have ranged from a statue to a bell tower with stained-glass windows, but now it's Darius's father's turn - and there is no money for an impressive gift. It looks as though a wheelbarrow full of vegetables is the best they can do. Darius is determined to maintain family honour, and when an earthquake reveals a glorious cave, with the most beautiful minerals lining the walls, he thinks he's found the answer... More

Other Shortlisted

. Matty Forever | Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool | Running with the Horses - <b>Purchase this version of Running with Horses and support Muscular Dystrophy</b> | The Whisperer | Pearl Verses the World | Tensy Farlow and the Home for Mislaid Children

Honour Book: MURPHY, Sally Illus. POTTER, Heather  Pearl Verses the World (Walker Books)
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Honour Book : LESTER, Alison Running with the Horses (Viking, Penguin Group Australia) - Ten-year-old Nina lives with her father above the palace stables at the Royal Academy of Dancing Horses. She loves watching the famous white stallions as they parade for the crowds, but her favourite horse is an ordinary mare called Zelda - an old cab horse Nina often pats on her way home from school. When Nina's world changes dramatically, she and her father have to flee the city. Their journey over the mountains with Zelda and the stallions seems impossible, with danger at every turn. More

FENSHAM, Elizabeth Matty Forever (University of Queensland Press)- Mat and Bill are neighbours - and best friends. They've told each othbuyer their deepest, darkest secrets and in return provide each other with someone to trust and to turn to when things aren't right at home. For Bill, it's a challenging time of missing his father, consoling his sad mother, and starting a new school. For Matty, it is the strength of Bill's steady friendship when her family is different from the rest. When you have a friendship like Bill andMatty do, nothing else matters. An enchanting story of friendship, acceptance and trust from one of Australia's acclaimed storytellers. More

MCINTOSH, Fiona The Whisperer  (Angus & Robertson,HarperCollinsPublishers) buy- Griff is an ordinary boy, working at a circus - but he has an extraordinary ability. He can receive people's thoughts, although in an unfocused way. When the circus master decides to exploit this talent, disaster ensues. Griff decides to escape, taking with him fellow circus member Tess and her magical creatures. Meanwhile, Griff is hearing a cry for help from Lute, the Crown Prince of the realm, under attack from his uncle Janko, who wants to rule in his stead. Escaping from Janko's clutches, Lute encounters Bitter Olof, a bandit with a long history, and Calico Grace, captain of the pirate ship Silver Wind. With allies both magical and human, Griff and Lute must reclaim their inheritance and discover the truth behind their mysterious communication. More

STORER, Jen Tensy Farlow and the Home for Mislaid Children (Viking, Penguin Group Australia)

Book of the Year: Early Childhood
Intended for children in the pre-reading to early reading stages

Winner: SHANAHAN, Lisa Illus. QUAY, Emma Bear & Chook by the Sea Lothian (Children’s books, Hachett)

Other Shortlisted:

The Wrong Book | Kip | The Terrible Plop | Clancy and Millie the Very Fine House| Bear and Chook by the Sea| Fearless

Honour Book: BOOTH, Christina Kip (Windy Hollow Books)

Honour Book: GLEESON, Libby Illus. BLACKWOOD, Freya Clancy & Millie and the Very Fine House (Little Hare ) - Clancy has just moved house. He is missing his old house terribly - the new house is much too big and much too lonely. How will he ever make it hisbuy home? As despair takes hold, Clancy hears asmall voice. Soon, Clancy with the help of his new friend Millie is building towers to the sky and trains to the street outside. Age 3+.

BLAND, Nick The Wrong Book (Scholastic Australia)- Nicholas Ickle is trying to tell a story, but he keeps getting interrupted by characters from buyother stories - a pirate, a queen, even some monsters! To get achance to tell his story, he has to convince the others that they are in the wrong book. More

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DUBOSARSKY, Ursula  Illus. JOYNER, Andrew The Terrible Plop (Viking, Penguin Group Australia) - In this uproarious update of a favorite story,an unexplained noise leads to pandemonium among the animals. The fox, the elephant, even the big brown bear prove no match for the Terrible Plop. Only the littlest bunny learns not to panic when the sky is falling. Full colour.

THOMPSON, Colin  Illus. DAVIS, Sarah Fearless ABC Books (HarperCollinsPublishers)

Picture Book of the Year

Intended for an audience ranging from birth to 18 years. (Some books may be for mature readers)

Winner: ROGERS, Gregory The Hero of Little Street (Allen & Unwin) -Escaping from a gang of bullies, a Boy slips into London's National Gallery - the perfect hiding place, full of mystery and treasures. Enchanted by the magic of painting and befriended by a mischievous dog, the Boy ventures into thbuye world of a famous Vermeer painting - and he and his new friend are transported to Little Street, Delft in seventeenth century Holland. But the streets ofDelft are a dangerous place for a dog, and the Boy has to use every ounce of his ingenuity to rescue his canine mate from an untimely fate on the butcher's block. Young readers will enjoy spotting much-loved characters from the previous Boy Bear books in this triumph of visual storytelling. More

Other Shortlisted:

.Isabella's Garden | Schumann the Shoeman | To the Top End: Our Trip Across Australia | The Hero of Little Street (Boy Bear)

COOL, Rebecca  Text: MILLARD, Glenda  Isabella’s Garden(Walker Books)

DANALIS, Stella Text: DANALIS, John  Schumann the Shoeman (University of Queensland Press) - Schumann the Shoeman was adored for twobuy reasons. The first was for the shoes that he made, which were not only dazzlingly beautiful, but they also lasted a lifetime and no two pairs were ever the same. The second reason was the elegant shoe-shaped sign that hung outside his cobbler's shop in the busy little town of Newmarket. When the sign's laces dangled untied the townsfolk knew that the cobbler was hard at work and was not to be disturbed. But when the laces were tied up into an elegant bow, everyone knew that a wondrous new creation was about to promenade the footpaths of town. However, all this was about to change... More

HARVEY, Roland To the Top End: Our Trip Across Australia (Allen & Unwin) - Henry, Penny, Frankie, Mum and Dad embark on their most buyexciting adventure yet - from Tassie to the very tip of the Top End. Travel with them on the ferry across Bass Strait to the mainland, through Kellycountry, along the Murray, into the Flinders Ranges, underground at Coober Pedy, overhead at the Olgas, overland to the Great Sandy Desert, with the fishes at the Great Barrier Reef, deep into the Daintree, out to the islands, kayaking at Kakadu and finally frolicking on the beach at the very top. Then go back and see if you can find a football in the illustrations on each page. More
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HOBBS, Leigh Mr Chicken Goes to Paris (Allen & Unwin) - Mr Chicken has taken up his friend Yvette's invitation to visit Paris. As they journeytogether through the City of Love, Mr Chicken is overcome by the magic of all it has to offer - and the inhabitants of this most stylish city don't quite know what to make of him. Mr Chicken will delight children of all ages. More OLIVER, Narelle Fox and Fine Feathers (Omnibus Books, Scholastic Australia) - Lyrebird, Coucal, Pitta and Nightjar are groundbirds of thebuy Australian forest floor. Although as different from each other as it is possible to be, they always watch out for danger and warn each other to hide.One day, Lyrebird, Coucal and Pitta are preening and performing and forget to look out for wily Fox. Only Nightjar, with his patchy, dull feathers, is on watch for danger. Can he warn the others in time? More

Eve Pownall Award for Information Books

Intended for an audience ranging from birth to 18 years. (Some books may be for mature readers).

Winner: MACINNIS, Peter  Australian Backyard Explorer National Library of Australia

Other Shortlisted:

In the Footsteps of Giants: Australian Megafauna in the Pleistoceine | Australian Backyard Explorer | Lost!: A True Tale from the Bush | Maralinga - the Anangu Story

Honour Book: YALATA & OAK COMMUNITIES with  MATTINGLEY, Christobel Maralinga: The Anangu Story Allen & Unwin -Maralinga - the Anangu Story is ourstory. We have told it for our children, our grandchildren and their children. We have told it for you. In words, traditional artwork and pictures which movingly evoke a lost age, community members, with author Christobel Mattingley, describe what happened in the Maralinga Tjarutja lands of South Australia before and after the British nuclear bomb tests in the 1950s. More

Honour Book : PATRICK, Tanya Illus: HUTCHESON, Nicholas  Polar Eyes: A Journey to Antarctica CSIRO

CLODE, Danielle Prehistoric Giants: The Megafauna of Australia  (Museum Victoria)

M is for Mates: Animals in Wartime from Ajax to Zep, Department of Veterans’ Affairs in association with the Australian War Memorial

REEDER, Stephanie Owen Lost! A True Tale from the Bush (National Library of Australia)

Past Winners

CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood | CBCA Picture Book of the Year | The Eve Pownall Award for Information Book | Crichton Award for New Illustrators | back to top | home page

2009 CBCA Winners - 21st August 2009

Perry Angel's Suitcase (Kingdom of Silk)| How to Heal a Broken Wing | Collecting Colour | Alive in the Death Zone: Mount Everest Survival | Tales from Outer Suburbia

Winners 2009 CBCA Book of the Year:

Winner Younger Readers

buy_from_fishpondPerry Angel's Suitcase (Kingdom of Silk), Glenda Millard, illus by Stephen Michael King, (ABC Books) - It has taken Perry Angel almost seven years to find the place where he belongs. A heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting story about lost, human kindness, being yourself and finding your place in the world. Ages 7+. More

Winner Early Childhood

buy_from_fishpondHow to Heal a Broken Wing, Bob Graham, (Walker Books)- When Will helps an injured bird, he learns that a little kindness can go a long way.No one in the busy city sees the bird lying on the pavement, its wing broken. No one but a small boy called Will. He and his mum carry it home and, with time, rest, and a little bit of hope, the wing mends...and they set the bird free to soar over the city once more. More

Winner Picture Book of the Year

buy_from_fishpondCollecting Colour,Kylie Dunstan, (Lothian) - Collecting Colour tells the story of a day spent collecting colour in the Top End of the Northern Territory, narrated by a white Australian girl, Rose. Rose s best friend Olive s mother, Karrang, makes beautiful coloured baskets, mats and bags from leaves from the pandanus palm a tall, thin tree with very long, spiky leaves. Rose and Olive spend a day out bush helping to gather the pandanus leaves and stringy bark for making into strong bags and baskets. They collect the colour that the bags will be bright yellows and pinks, from special plants and berries . More

Winner Eve Pownall Award for Information Book of the Year

buy_from_fishpondAlive in the Death Zone: Mount Everest Survival, Lincoln Hall, Random House)- Lincoln Hall’s story of climbing the world’s highest mountain, being left for dead near the summit and his subsequent return to life and safety, is an incredible and exciting adventure that will inspire anyone who reads it. It’s a story of survival against all odds using sheer willpower, courage and determination.

Winner Older Readers

buy_from_fishpondTales From Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan, (A&U) -Do you remember the water buffalo at the end of our street? Or the deep-sea diver we found near the underpass? Do you know why dogs bark in the middle of the night? Shaun Tan, creator of The Arrival, The Lost Thing and The Red Tree, reveals the quiet mysteries of everyday life: homemade pets, dangerous weddings, stranded sea mammals, tiny exchange students and secret rooms filled with darkness and delight. Fifteen intriguing illustrated stories about the mysteries that lurk below the surface of suburban life. More

Also of interest ? 2009 Carnegie Medal Winner Winner | 2009 UK Kate Greenaway Medal Winner:

2009 CBCA Shortlists

2009 CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers

The Children's Book of the Year Award: Younger Readers has been presented annually since 1982 . From 1982 to 1986 this award was titled Junior Book of the Year.

The Award "will be made to outstanding books of fiction, drama, poetry or concept books for readers who have developed independent reading skills but are still developing in literary appreciation. Generally, books in this category will be appropriate in style and content for readers from the middle to upper primary years."

The Wish Pony | Polar Boy | Then | Audrey of the Outback | Perry Angel's Suitcase (Kingdom of Silk) | The Wizard of Rondo

2009 Winner

buy_from_fishpondPerry Angel's Suitcase (Kingdom of Silk), Glenda Millard, illus by Stephen Michael King, (ABC Books) - It has taken Perry Angel almost seven years to find the place where he belongs. A heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting story about lost, human kindness, being yourself and finding your place in the world. Ages 7+.

Other Shortlisted

buy_from_fishpondThe Wish Pony by Catherine Bateson, (Woolshed Press) - Ruby's mum is having a baby, but why does she need one of those when's already got a Ruby? To make matters worse, her best friend Sarah has just found another, BETTER, friend. It seems like everyone is abandoning her. But when Ruby meets the mysterious Magda, who gives her a very special gift that might, just might, even be a bit magical, everything begins to change. Ages 8+. More

buy_from_fishpondPolar Boyby Sandy Fussell, (Walker Books) - Set in a 13th century polar community, a young boy's destiny transforms him from a frightened child into a courageous hero. Illuak, a Too-lee boy, has been told by his grandmother that it is his fate to save his people from a bear. But the mere thought of a polar bear makes Illuak's stomach churn and he lives in fear of this destined encounter. When Illuak summons the courage to rescue a Northman (Viking) child from a polar bear he realises there is a far greater challenge involved in the prophecy - two very different cultures are about to collide head-on.

buy_from_fishpondThen,Morris Gleitzman, (Viking) - The second story of Felix and Zelda. They escaped from the Nazis but how long can they now survive when there are so many people ready to hand them over for a reward? Thanks to the courage of a kind, brave woman they are able to hide for a time in the open, but Felix knows he has a distinguishing feature that identifies him as a Jew. Ages 8+.

buy_from_fishpondAudrey of the Outback, Christine Harris, illus by Ann James, (Little Hare) - In this story about identity and independence, Audrey tries being a swagman, a man, a teacher and a pirate - all with dire consequences! Determined, mischievous, imaginative and inquisitive, Audrey of the Outback will have every girl in the country, wishing she were a swaggie. Ages 8+.(SA: Year 3 - Year 5).

buy_from_fishpondThe Wizard of Rondo, Emily Rodda, (Omnibus) - The fantastic world of Rondo can be perilous, but Leo and Mimi know they can't keep away. They have to play their part in the continuing battle to keep Rondo safe from their deadly enemy, the remorseless Blue Queen. Age 9+.

CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood | CBCA Picture Book of the Year | The Eve Pownall Award for Information Book | Crichton Award for New Illustrators | back to top | home page

CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers Winners 1982 to present

Dragon Moon (Dragonkeeper) | Being Bee | Helicopter Man | The Silver Donkey | Dragon Keeper | Rain May & Captain Daniel


2008 Carole Wilkinson Dragon Moon Black Dog Books
2007 Catherine Bateson Being Bee University of Queensland Press
2006 Elizabeth Fensham Helicopter Man Bloomsbury
2005 Sonya Hartnett The Silver DonkeyViking Books
2004 Carole Wilkinson Dragon KeeperBlack Dog Books
2003 Catherine Bateson Rain May and Captain Daniel University of Queensland Press
2002 John Heffernan, illus. Andrew McLean My Dog Margaret Hamilton Books
2001 Diana Kidd Two Hands Together Penguin Books
2000 Jackie French Hitler's Daughter HarperCollins
1999 Meme McDonald and Boori Pryor My Girragundji Allen & Unwin
1998 Elaine Forrestal Someone Like Me Puffin Books
1997 Libby Gleeson, illus. Ann James Hannah Plus One Puffin Books
1996 James Moloney Swashbuckler University of Queensland Press
1995 Wendy Orr, illus. Kerry Millard Ark in the Park HarperCollins
1994 Emily Rodda Rowan of Rin Omnibus Books
1993 Garry Disher The Bamboo Flute HarperCollins
1992 Anna Fienburg, illus. Kim Gamble The Magnificent Nose and Other Marvels Allen & Unwin
1991 Emily Rodda, illus. Noela Young Finders Keepers Omnibus Books
1990 Jeannie Adams Pigs and Honey Omnibus Books
1989 Emily Rodda, illus. Noela Young The Best-Kept Secret Angus and Robertson
1988 Nadia Wheatley and Donna Rawlins My Place Collins Dove
1987 Emily Rodda, illus. Noela Young Pigs Might Fly Angus and Robertson
1986 Mary Steele Arkwright Hyland House
1985 Emily Rodda, illus. Noela Young Something Special Angus and Robertson
1984 Max Dann, illus. Ann James Bernice Knows Best Oxford University Press
1983 Robin Klein, illus. Alison Lester Thing Oxford University Press
1982 Christobel Mattingley, illus. Patricia Mullins Rummage Angus and Robertson

CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood | CBCA Picture Book of the Year | The Eve Pownall Award for Information Book | Crichton Award for New Illustrators | back to top | home page

2009 CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood

The Children's Book of the Year Award: Early Childhood has been presented annually since 2001.

The Award "will be made to outstanding books of fiction, drama, poetry or concept books for children who are at pre-reading or early stages of reading. They may be picture books, picture storybooks or texts in which illustrations play a sustantial part in the storytelling or concept development

Puffling | How to Heal a Broken Wing |Leaf |

2009 Winner

buy_from_fishpondHow to Heal a Broken Wing, Bob Graham, (Walker Books)- When Will helps an injured bird, he learns that a little kindness can go a long way.No one in the busy city sees the bird lying on the pavement, its wing broken. No one but a small boy called Will. He and his mum carry it home and, with time, rest, and a little bit of hope, the wing mends...and they set the bird free to soar over the city once more. More

Other Shortlisted

buy_from_fishpondLeaf, Stephen Michael King, Scholastic)- A boy who hates having his hair combed discovers an extraordinary side-effect of messy, matted hair when a seed falls on his head and begins to grow. Ages 6+. (SA: Reception - Year 2).

buy_from_fishpondSpecial Kev, Chris McKimmie, (A&U) - Special Kev follows on from Brian Banana Duck Sunshine Yellow and Maisie Moo and Invisible Lucy to explore the world of red-headed Special Kev and his eleventy million cousins. When Special Kev ties Fatty Boombah to a tree, we experience all the emotions of his situation and its consequences, as well as his redemption through the love of his parents and extended family.

Special Kev | Applesauce and the Christmas Miracle | Tom Tom |

buy_from_fishpondApplesauce and the Christmas Miracle, Glenda Millard, illus by Stephen Michael King, (ABC Books)- Against a rural Australian setting of drought and bushfire, a little pig called Applesauce learns that Christmas comes from the heart.

buy_from_fishpondTom Tom, Rosemary Sullivan, illus by Dee Huxley, (Working Title Press)- Tom Tom is an engaging contemporary story that traces a day in the life of a small boy living in a typical Aboriginal community in the Top End of the Northern Territory. Rosemary Sullivan's simple text and Dee Huxley's vivid illustrations capture the warmth and security of Tom Tom's world as he moves freely within his community from relative to another.

buy_from_fishpondPuffling, Margaret Wild, illus by Julie Vivas, (Omnibus)- Puffling is a baby, small and white and very hungry. Every day he waits in the burrow while Big Stripy Beak and Long Black Feather hunt for food. Puffling dreams of the day when he will leave the burrow and fly away, but he isn't ready yet, not until he is tall and brave enough to fend for himself. Ages 4+. (SA: Reception - Year 2)

CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood | CBCA Picture Book of the Year | The Eve Pownall Award for Information Book | Crichton Award for New Illustrators | back to top | home page

CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood Winners 2001 to present

Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley | Amy and Louis | Annie's Chair | Where is the Green Sheep? | Grandpa and Thomas and the Green Umbrella | A Year on Our Farm

2008 Aaron Blabey Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley Viking Books
2007 Libby Gleeson, illus. Freya Blackwood Amy and Louis Scholastic Press
2006 Deborah Niland Annie's Chair Viking Books
2005 Mem Fox, illus. Judy Horacek Where is the Green Sheep? Viking Books
2004 Pamela Allen Grandpa and Thomas Viking Books
2003 Penny Matthews, illus. Andrew McLean A Year on Our Farm Omnibus Books
2002 Bob Graham "Let's Get a Pup!" Walker Books
2001 Catherine Jinks, illus. Andrew McLean You'll Wake the Baby! Penguin Books

CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood | CBCA Picture Book of the Year | The Eve Pownall Award for Information Book | Crichton Award for New Illustrators | back to top | home page

2009 CBCA Picture Book of the Year

The Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book has been presented annually since 1955.

The Award "will be made to outstanding books of the Picture Book genre in which the author and illustrator achieve artistic and literary unity, or, in wordless picture books, where the story, theme or concept is unified through illustrations."

Sunday Chutney | Collecting Colour | Home and Away | Nobody Owns the Moon | Captain Congo and the Crocodile King | The Big Little Book of Happy Sadness

2009 Winner

buy_from_fishpondCollecting Colour,Kylie Dunstan, (Lothian) - Collecting Colour tells the story of a day spent collecting colour in the Top End of the Northern Territory, narrated by a white Australian girl, Rose. Rose s best friend Olive s mother, Karrang, makes beautiful coloured baskets, mats and bags from leaves from the pandanus palm a tall, thin tree with very long, spiky leaves. Rose and Olive spend a day out bush helping to gather the pandanus leaves and stringy bark for making into strong bags and baskets. They collect the colour that the bags will be bright yellows and pinks, from special plants and berries . More

Other Shortlisted

buy_from_fishpondSunday Chutney,Aaron Blabey, (Viking) - Sunday Chutney has the most extraordinary life - she has lived all over the world! Of course, moving around means she's always the new kid at school and never really has a place to call home. But Sunday Chutney doesn't care about that. Or does she? Age 4+.

buy_from_fishpondHome and Away, Matt Ottley, written by John Marsden, (Lothian) - April 26, Dad burns the toast, yells at Toby, thanks me for cleaning the cab of the truck, kisses Mum and Toby, then he's gone. April 27, the war starts. Everyone wants a place of safety, a place to share with the people they love. What would happen if a typical Australian family found themselves refugees? Age 10+. (SA: Year 6 - Year 9).

buy_from_fishpondNobody Owns the Moon, Tohby Riddle, (Viking) - Clive Prendergast is a fox with a regular job and a place to call home. His friend Humphrey is a struggling donkey with no fixed address. Life in the city is a mixed bag for these two, but a special-looking blue envelope is about to change everything - at least for one night. Set in a bustling big city, Nobody Owns the Moon is a whimsical story about friendship and belonging. Ages 5+.

buy_from_fishpondCaptain Congo and the Crocodile King, Greg Holfield, written by Ruth Starke, (Working Title Press) - An anthropologist searching for the legendary Treasure House of the Queen of Sheba is missing, and Captain Congo is sent by the Agency to Abyssinia to find him. Danger and intrigue lie ahead - just what Captain Congo loves. Also lying in wait, to the dismay of his pintsized assistant Pug, are mosquitoes, scorpions and the biggest crocodiles in Africa. Will our two heroes be able to pick up the missing professor's puzzling trail? Read this action-packed adventure to find out. In the style of Tin Tin, this first adventure in the start of a new series by award-winning writer Ruth Starke and talented illustrator and animator Greg Holfeld, will engage and excite young readers, especially boys.

buy_from_fishpondThe Big Little Book of Happy Sadness, Colin Thompson, (Random House) - George lives with his grandmother and a big empty space where his mother and father should be. One Friday on his way home from school, George visits the animal shelter. There, in the very last cage, is Jeremy, a sad dog who looks as lost and lonely as George feels. When Jeremy comes home to live with George and his granny, their whole lives change, and they learn that when it comes to love, it's quality not quantity that counts...

CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood | CBCA Picture Book of the Year | The Eve Pownall Award for Information Book | Crichton Award for New Illustrators | back to top | home page

Winners CBCA Picture Book of the Year 1956 to present

Requiem for a Beast | The Arrival | The Short and Incredibly Happy Life of Riley | Are We There Yet? | Cat and Fish

2008 Matt Ottley Requiem for a Beast Lothian
2007 Shaun Tan The ArrivalLothian
2006 Colin Thompson The Short and Incredibly Happy Life of RileyLothian
2005 Alison Lester Are We There Yet? A Journey Around Australia Viking Books
2004 Joan Grant, illus. Neil Curtis Cat and Fish Lothian
2003 Norman Jorgensen, illus. Brian Harrison-Lever In Flanders Fields Fremantle Arts Centre Press
2002 Libby Gleeson, illus. Armin Greder An Ordinary Day Scholastic Press
2001 Margaret Wild, illus. Ron Brooks Fox Allen and Unwin
2000 Margaret Wild, illus. Anne Spudvilas Jenny Angel Viking Books
1999 John Marsden, illus. Shaun Tan The Rabbits Lothian
1998 Junko Morimoto, translated by Isao Morimoto The Two Bullies Random House
1997 Elizabeth Honey Not a Nibble! Little Ark
1996 Narelle Oliver The Hunt Lothian
1995 Gary Crew, illus. Stephen Woolman The Watertower Keystone, Era
1994 Gary Crew, illus. Peter Gouldthorpe First Light Lothian
1993 Bob Graham Rose Meets Mr Wintergarten Penguin Books
1992 Jeannie Baker Window Julia MacRae
1991 Bob Graham Greetings From Sandy Beach Lothian
1990 Margaret Wild, illus. Julie Vivas The Very Best of Friends Margaret Hamilton
1989 Allan Baillie, illus. Jane Tanner Drac and the Gremlin Viking Books
Graeme Base The Eleventh Hour Viking Books
1988 Bob Graham Crusher is Coming! Lothian
1987 Helen Smith, illus. Junko Morimoto, text based on a story by Kenji Miyazawa Kojuro and the Bears Collins
1986 Terry Denton Felix & Alexander Oxford University Press
1985 No award
1984 Pamela Allen Bertie and the Bear Nelson Australia
1983 Pamela Allen Who Sank the Boat? Nelson Australia
1982 Christobel Mattingley, illus. Patricia Mullins Rummage Angus & Robertson
1981 No award
1980 Peter Pavey One Dragon's Dream Nelson Australia
1979 Percy Trezise and Dick Roughsey The Quinkins Collins
1978 Jenny Wagner, illus. Ron Brooks John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat Viking Kestrel
1977 No award
1976 Dick Roughsey The Rainbow Serpent Collins
1975 A. B. Paterson, illus. Quentin Hole The Man from Ironbark Collins
1974 Jenny Wagner, illus. Ron Brooks The Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek Longman Young
1973 No award
1972 No award
1971 A. B. Paterson, illus. Desmond Digby Waltzing Matilda Collins
1970 No award
1969 Ivan Southall, illus. Ted Greenwood Sly Old Wardrobe Cheshire
1968 No award
1967 No award
1966 No award
1965 Elizabeth MacIntyre Hugh's Zoo Constable Young Books
1964 No award
1963 No award
1962 No award
1961 No award
1960 No award
1959 No award
1958 Axel Poignant, illus. photographs Piccaninny Walkabout Angus and Robertson
1957 No award
1956 Peggy Barnard, illus. Shiela Hawkins Wish and the Magic Nut John Sands

CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood | CBCA Picture Book of the Year | The Eve Pownall Award for Information Book | Crichton Award for New Illustrators | back to top | home page

2009 Eve Pownall Award for Information Book of the Year

The Word Spy | Simpson and His Donkey | Alive in the Death Zone: Mount Everest Survival | Chicken: the Story of Chicken in Australia | Every Picture Tells a Story: Adventures in Australian Art

2009 Winner

buy_from_fishpondAlive in the Death Zone: Mount Everest Survival, Lincoln Hall, Random House)- Lincoln Hall’s story of climbing the world’s highest mountain, being left for dead near the summit and his subsequent return to life and safety, is an incredible and exciting adventure that will inspire anyone who reads it. It’s a story of survival against all odds using sheer willpower, courage and determination.

Other Shortlisted

buy_from_fishpondThe Word Spy, Ursula Dubosarsky, (Viking) - Discover the meaning of acronyms, cliches and spoonerisms. Find out the history of the alphabet, punctuation, pen names and plurals. Learn how to trick your friends by speaking in Pig Latin or rhyming slang. This entertaining, quirky and enlightening look at the English language is full of games, puzzles, facts and riddles. Ages 9+.

buy_from_fishpondSimpson and His Donkey, Mark Greenwood, illus France Lessac, Walker Books) - A poignant account of the story of John Kilpatrick Simpson and how he and his donkey, Duffy, rescued over 300 men during the campaign at Gallipoli.

buy_from_fishpondChicken: the Story of Chicken in Australia, Catriona Nicholls & Janet Paterson, illus by Rod Waller, (Kondinin Group)
Tuart Dwellers, Jan Ramage, illus by Ellen Hickman,( Department of Environment and Conservation, WA) - The Story of Chicken is the latest edition to The Workboot Series. The Story of Chicken takes children onto Australian meat chicken farms where they will discover how meat chickens are raised, chicken meat is processed and packaged, and how a wide range of chicken products are made available for them to enjoy every day.

Children and adults alike will enjoy discovering fascinating chicken facts with The Story of Chicken. Did you know there were 87 chickens brought out to Australia with the First Fleet? Or that more than a million meat chickens are hatched in Australia every day?

buy_from_fishpondEvery Picture Tells a Story: Adventures in Australian Art,John Ross & Anna Booth, (Craftsman House) - Throughout Australia’s history, the big events and the big themes of our national story have always been the subject of artistic interpretation. Every Picture Tells a Story was conceived as a project with the National Gallery of Australia – the concept was to bring Australia’s history alive to children through the NGA’s collection. Grand iconic images sit beside prints, drawings and photographs, many of them with contemporary themes.

CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood | CBCA Picture Book of the Year | The Eve Pownall Award for Information Book | Crichton Award for New Illustrators | back to top | home page

Eve Pownall Award for Information Book of the Year Winners 1988 to present

2008 Frances Watts, illus David Legge Parsley Rabbit's Book about Books ABC Books
2007 Mark Norman The Penguin Book: Birds in Suits Black Dog Books
2006 Leon Davidson Scarecrow Army: The ANZACS at Gallipoli Black Dog Books
2005 Bryan Sullivan with Jackie French, illus. Gus Gordon To the Moon and Back: The amazing Australians at the forefront of space travel plus fantastic Moon facts HarperCollins
2004 John Nicholson Animal Architects Allen & Unwin
2003 Allan Tucker Iron in the Blood: Convicts and Commandants in Colonial Australia Omnibus Books
2002 Papunya School Publishing Committee Papunya School Book of Country and History Allen & Unwin
2001 Dyan Blacklock, illus. David Kennett Olympia: Warrior Athletes of Ancient Greece Omnibus Books
2000 John Nicholson Fishing for Islands: Traditional Boats and Seafarers of the Pacific Allen & Unwin
1999 John Marsden, illus. Shaun Tan The Rabbits Lothian
1998 John Nicholson A Home Among the Gum Trees: The Story of Australian Houses Allen & Unwin
1997 Gordon Cheers and Julie Silk, illus. Marjorie Crosby-Fairall Killer Plants and How to Grow Them Puffin Books
1996 John Nicholson The First Fleet: A New Beginning in an Old Land Allen & Unwin
1995 Robert E. Stewart New Faces: The Complete Book of Alternative Pets Agmedia
1994 Patricia Mullins V for Vanishing: An Alphabet of Endangered Animals Margaret Hamilton
1993 Gracie Greene and Joe Tramacchi, illus. Lucille Gill Tjarany Roughtail: The Dreaming of the Roughtail Lizard and Other Stories told by the Kukatja Magabala
1988 Nadia Wheatley and Donna Rawlins My Place Collins Dove

CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood | CBCA Picture Book of the Year | The Eve Pownall Award for Information Book | Crichton Award for New Illustrators | back to top | home page

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CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood | CBCA Picture Book of the Year | The Eve Pownall Award for Information Book | Crichton Award for New Illustrators | back to top | home page

2009 CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers Readers

The Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers has been presented annually since 1946. Note: from 1946 to 1986 this award was known as "Book of the Year".

The Award "will be made to outstanding books of fiction, drama, or poetry which require of the reader a degree of maturity to appreciate the topics, themes and scope of emotional involvement. Generally, books in this category will be appropriate in style and content for readers in their secondary years of schooling."

Lamplighter (Monster Blood Tattoo) |Into White Silence | A Rose for the Anzac Boys | Finnikin of the Rock | Kill the Possum | Tales from Outer Suburbia

2009 Winner

buy_from_fishpondTales From Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan, (A&U) -Do you remember the water buffalo at the end of our street? Or the deep-sea diver we found near the underpass? Do you know why dogs bark in the middle of the night? Shaun Tan, creator of The Arrival, The Lost Thing and The Red Tree, reveals the quiet mysteries of everyday life: homemade pets, dangerous weddings, stranded sea mammals, tiny exchange students and secret rooms filled with darkness and delight. Fifteen intriguing illustrated stories about the mysteries that lurk below the surface of suburban life. More

Other Shortlisted

buy_from_fishpondMonster Blood Tattoo Book 2: Lamplighterby D M Cornish, (Omnibus) _ Rossamund Bookchild has successfully negotiated the treacherous route to High Vesting. But even within the sturdy walls of the great city, he is far from safe. For the path to becoming a Lamplighter is fraught with dangers - and not just from the dread monsters who lurk in the wilds. Rossamund will need all his wits to survive his training. More

buy_from_fishpondInto White Silence by Anthony Eaton, (Woolshed Press) _During the winter of 1922, the exploration vessel, Raven, became trapped in the Antarctic icepack, entombing twenty-eight men aboard it through the dark polar night. Into White Silence tells their story - a story of a lost past, of a tragic future, of ice, ambition and madness. It captures the terrible, fascinating beauty of Antarctica, both as it was then and as it is today, and is a journey into the mind of every person who has ever set foot upon those ice-bound shores.

A Rose for the Anzac Boys by Jackie French, (Angus & Robertson) - The 'war to end all wars', as seen through buy_from_fishpondthe eyes of three young women. It is 1915. War is being fought on a horrific scale in the trenches of France, but it might as well be a world away from 16-year-old New Zealander Midge Macpherson, at school in England learning to be a young lady. But the war is coming closer: Midge's brothers are in the army, and her twin, Tim, is listed as 'missing' in the devastating defeat of the Anzac forces at Gallipoli. Desperate to do their bit -- and avoid the boredom of school and More

buy_from_fishpondFinnikin of the Rock, Melina Marchetta, (Viking) - At the age of nine, Finnikin is warned by the gods that he must sacrifice a pound of flesh in order to save the royal house of his homeland, Lumatere. He stands on the rock of three wonders with his friend Prince Balthazar and the prince's cousin, Lucian, and together they mix their blood. And Lumatere is safe: but then the unspeakable! More

buy_from_fishpondKill the Possumby James Moloney, (Penguin) - A girl desperate to live a normal life. A family tormented by a monster's cruelty. Two boys with a plan to make him stop. Forever. From the award-winning author of Lost Property and Bridge to Wiseman's Cove comes a gripping and powerfully moving story of a family stretched to breaking point - and a portrait of a killer... More

CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood | CBCA Picture Book of the Year | The Eve Pownall Award for Information Book | Crichton Award for New Illustrators | back to top | home page

CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers Readers Winners 1946 to present

The Ghost's Child | Red Spikes | The Story of Tom Brennan

2008 Sonya Hartnett The Ghost's Child Viking Books
2007 Margo Lanagan Red SpikesAllen and Unwin
2006 J.C. Burke The Story of Tom Brennan Random House
2005 Michael Gerard Bauer The Running Man Omnibus Books
2004 Melina Marchetta Saving Francesca Viking Books
2003 Markus Zusak The Messenger Macmillan Publishers
2002 Sonya Hartnett Forest Viking Books
2001 Judith Clarke Wolf on the Fold Allen and Unwin
2000 Nick Earls 48 Shades of Brown Penguin Books
1999 Phillip Gwynne Deadly, Unna? Penguin Books
1998 Catherine Jinks Eye To Eye Puffin Books
1997 James Moloney A Bridge to Wiseman's Cove University of Queensland Press
1996 Catherine Jinks Pagan's Vows Omnibus Books
1995 Gillian Rubinstein Foxspell Hyland House
1994 Isobelle Carmody The Gathering Penguin Books
1993 Melina Marchetta Looking for Alibrandi Puffin Books
1992 Eleanor Nilsson The House Guest Viking Books
1991 Gary Crew Strange Objects Heinemann
1990 Robin Klein Came Back to Show You I Could Fly Viking Books
1989 Gillian Rubinstein Beyond the Labyrinth Hyland House
1988 John Marsden So Much to Tell You Joy Street Books
1987 Simon French All We Know Angus and Robertson
1986 Thurley Fowler The Green Wind Rigby
1985 James Aldridge The True Story of Lilli Stubeck Hyland House
1984 Patricia Wrightson A Little Fear Hutchinson
1983 Victor Kelleher Master of the Grove Kestrel Books
1982 Colin Thiele The Valley Between Opal Books
1981 Ruth Park Playing Beatie Bow Nelson Books
1980 Lee Harding Displaced Person Hyland House
1979 Ruth Manley, illustrated by Marianne Yamaguchi The Plum-Rain Scroll Hodder and Stoughton
1978 Patricia Wrightson The Ice is Coming Hutchinson
1977 Eleanor Spence, illustrated by Malcolm Green The October Child Oxford University Press
1976 Ivan Southall Fly West Angus and Robertson
1975 No award
1974 Patricia Wrightson The Nargun and the Stars Hutchinson
1973 Noreen Shelley, illustrated by Robert Micklewright Family at The Lookout Oxford University Press
1972 H. F. Brinsmead Longtime Passing Angus and Robertson
1971 Ivan Southall Bread and Honey Angus and Robertson
1970 Annette Macarthur-Onslow Uhu Ure Smith
1969 Margaret Balderson, illustrated by Victor G. Ambrus When Jays Fly to Barbmo Oxford University Press
1968 Ivan Southall, illustrated by Jennifer Tuckwell To the Wild Sky Angus and Robertson
1967 Mavis Thorpe Clark, and illustrated by Genevieve Melrose The Min-Min Lansdowne Press
1966 Ivan Southall, illustrated by Clem Seale Ash Road Angus and Robertson
1965 H. F. Brinsmead, illustrated by Annette Macarthur-Onslow Pastures of the Blue Crane Oxford University Press
1964 Eleanor Spence, illustrated by Geraldine Spence The Green Laurel Oxford University Press
1963 Joan Phipson, illustrated by Margaret Horder The Family Conspiracy Constable
1962 L. H. Evers The Racketty Street Gang Hodder & Stoughton
1961 Nan Chauncy, illustrated by Brian Wildsmith Tangara Oxford University Press
1960 Kylie Tennant, illustrated by Clem Seale All the Proud Tribesmen
1959 Nan Chauncy, illustrated by Margaret Horder Devil's Hill Oxford University Press
1958 Nan Chauncy Tiger in the Bush Oxford University Press
1957 Enid Moodie-Heddle (ed.), illustrated by Nancy Parker The Boomerang Book of Legendary Tales Longmans Green
1956 Patricia Wrightson, illustrated by Margaret Horder The Crooked Snake Angus and Robertson
1955 Norman B. Tindale & Lindsay, Harold Arthur Lindsay, illustrated by Madeleine Boyce
The First Walkabout Longmans Green
1954 K. Langloh Parker, edited by Henrietta Drake-Brockman,

illustrated by Elizabeth Durack
Australian Legendary Tales Angus and Robertson
1953 Joan Phipson, illustrated by Margaret Horder Good Luck to the Rider Angus and Robertson
1952 Eve Pownall, illustrated by Margaret Senior The Australia Book John Sands
1951 Ruth C. Williams, illustrated by Rhys Williams Verity of Sydney Town Angus and Robertson
1950 Alan J. Villiers, illustrated by Charles Pont Whalers of the Midnight Sun Angus and Robertson Macmillan
1949 No competition
1948 Frank Hurley Shackleton's Argonauts: A Saga of the Antarctic Icepacks Angus and Robertson
1947 No award
1946 Leslie Rees, illustrated by Walter Cunningham The Story of Karrawingi the Emu John Sands

CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers | CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood | CBCA Picture Book of the Year | The Eve Pownall Award for Information Book | Crichton Award for New Illustrators | back to top | home page