The Children’s Book Council of Australia 2019 Book of the Year Shortlist

The Children’s Book Council of Australia 2019 Book of the Year Shortlist was announced this week and of course it has ruffled some feathers and made some book creators weep with joy (I knew this list was live when I got an absolute FLURRY of pings on my Apple watch while I was teaching Year Two library!). Awards stimulate conversation and debate and to be honest that is the main reason I love them. Of course deserving books miss out every year, but having been a literary judge (not for CBCA) for many years I can tell you just how much careful thought goes into each and every book chosen to be shortlisted; it’s actually a truly horrific job in many cases and I’ve been known to cry over titles that just miss out.

I do love that The Children’s Book Council of Australia now put so much emphasis on the notables list and to be honest this year I am happier with the notables list than I am with the shortlist. The notables list was superb (bar a few omissions!) and I feel like there are some shortlisted books which deserved to be on the notables, but I’m not happy with them on the shortlist. Anyways…I’m not a judge and am not putting my hat in the ring for that job (voluntary) anytime soon. I’m merely an armchair commentator really. You can find out more about the CBCA here – I was the national VP for a time and have made some lifelong friends in the CBCA.

‘Sorry Day’ by Coral Vass and Dub Leffler (National Library of Australia)

‘The All New Must Have Orange 430’ by Michael Speechley (Penguin Random House Australia)

‘The Dress-Up Box’ by Patrick Guest & Nathaniel Eckstrom (Hardie Grant Egmont)

‘Leave Taking’ by Lorraine Marwood (University of Queensland Press)

‘The Bogan Mondrian’ by Steven Herrick (University of Queensland Press)

You can read a little more about all the shortlisted books  and purchase each title by clicking on links below and do check out the notables list here. Congratulations to all Short List Books – Authors, Illustrators, Creators and Publishers for 2019

The CBCA 2019 Book of the Year Shortlist

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 (NB: These books are for mature readers).

‘Between Us’ by Clare Atkins (Black Inc. Books)

‘Small Spaces’ by Sarah Epstein (Walker Books Australia)

‘Lenny’s Book of Everything’ by Karen Foxlee (Allen & Unwin)

‘Changing Gear’ by Scot Gardner (Allen & Unwin)

‘The Bogan Mondrian’ by Steven Herrick (University of Queensland Press)

‘The Art of Taxidermy’ by Sharon Kernot (Text Publishing)

 

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. Ages 7-12 years.

‘Brindabella’ by Ursula Dubosarsky. Illustrated by Andrew Joyner (Allen & Unwin)

‘Leave Taking’ by Lorraine Marwood (University of Queensland Press)

‘Black Cockatoo’ by Carl Merrison & Hakea Hustler (Magabala Books)

‘The Slightly Alarming Tale of the Whispering Wars’ by Jaclyn Moriarty (Allen & Unwin)

‘The Peacock Detectives’ by Carly Nugent (Text Publishing)

‘His Name Was Walter’ by Emily Rodda (HarperCollins Publishers)

 

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.

‘Heads and Tails: Insects’ by John Canty (Berbay Publishing)

‘The Dress-Up Box’ by Patrick Guest. Illustrated by Nathaniel Eckstrom (Hardie Grant Egmont)

‘Rainbow Bear’ by Stephen Michael King (Scholastic Australia)

‘Noni the Pony Rescues a Joey’ by Alison Lester (Allen & Unwin)

‘Tricky’s Bad Day’ by Alison Lester (Affirm Press)

‘Here Comes Stinkbug!’ by Tohby Riddle (Allen & Unwin)

 

PICTURE BOOK OF THE YEAR
Entries in this category should be outstanding books of the Picture Book genre in which the author and Illusrator achieve artistic and literary unity or, in wordless picture books, where the story, theme or concept is unified through Illusrations. Ages 0-18 years (NB. Some of these books may be for mature readers).

Note: Picture Books are listed by the Illusrator, followed by the author

‘The Feather’ by Freya Blackwood. Text by Margaret Wild. (Hardie Grant Egmont)

‘The Mediterranean’ by Armin Greder (Allen & Unwin)

‘Girl on Wire’ by Elise Hurst. Text by Lucy Estela. (Penguin Random House Australia)

‘Chalk Boy’ by Mandy Ord. Text by Margaret Wild. (Allen & Unwin)

‘The All New Must Have Orange 430’ by Michael Speechley (Penguin Random House Australia)

‘Cicada’ by Shaun Tan (Hachette Australia)

 

EVE POWNALL AWARD
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.

‘Bouncing Back: An Eastern Barred Bandicoot Story’ by Rohan Cleave & Coral Tulloch (CSIRO Publishing)

‘The Happiness Box: A Wartime Book of Hope’ by Mark Greenwood. Illustrated by Andrew McLean (Walker Books Australia)

‘Waves’ by Donna Rawlins. Illustrated by Mark Jackson & Heather Potter (Walker Books Australia)

‘Make Believe: M.C. Escher for Kids’ by National Gallery of Victoria (National Gallery of Victoria)

‘Our Birds: Ŋilimurruŋgu Wäyin Malanynha’ by Siena Stubbs (Magabala Books)

‘Sorry Day’ by Coral Vass. Illustrated by Dub Leffler (National Library of Australia)

CBCA AWARD FOR NEW ILLUSTRATOR
This Award aims to recognise and encourage new talent in the field of Australian children’s book illustration. Ages 0-18 years.

‘Australian Birds’ by Matt Chun (Hardie Grant Egmont)

‘Grandma Z’  by Daniel Gray-Barnett (Scribble Kids’ Books)

‘Dingo’ by Tannya Harricks. Text by Claire Saxby (Walker Books Australia)

‘The Singing Seal’ by Allison Langton. Text by Merv Lamington (Affirm Press)

‘Carmichael’s Journey’ by Samantha Metcalfe (Little Steps Publishing)

‘Red House, Blue House, Green House, Tree House!’ by Jane Reiseger. Text by Jane Godwin (Affirm Press)