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28 September 2023

BREAKING NEWS: Announcing Better Reading’s 2023 Top 50 Kids’ Books!

BREAKING NEWS: Announcing Better Reading’s 2023 Top 50 Kids’ Books!

We are thrilled to announce Better Reading’s 2023 Top 50 Kids’ Books, and it’s a stellar list!

Each year, Australians have their say about which children’s books and authors they love to read. The Better Reading Top 50 Kids is a well-loved annual event that readers vote for, celebrate and then discuss. It’s a true reflection of what Australian kids read. We’re thrilled with this year’s list and look forward to sharing it with our readers.

So without further ado, the 2023 top spot goes to… drumroll, please… Runt by Craig Silvey! Runt is a heart-warming and hilarious tale of kindness, friendship, hurdles and bringing out the best in others. This is the first time an author has taken out the number one spot in both our Top 100 and Top 50 Kids lists in the same year. He’s very deserving of this special spot.

Better Reading Director Cheryl Akle says, “Congratulations to Craig Silvey on the number one spot. With Runt, Silvey has once again shown why he is one of Australia’s most beloved and accomplished storytellers. While contemporary in setting, Runt feels like a timeless
classic. This sets the tone for the stellar books on this year’s list. While we have our classics and popular titles that have rightfully made our list for consecutive years, it’s also fantastic to see so many new titles. Among others, Jeremy Lachlan’s Jane Doe and the Cradle of All Worlds, Wylah the Koorie Warrior #1: Guardians by Jordan Gould and Richard Pritchard, and David Walliams’ Robodog all make the list for the first time.”

Some other noteworthy observations:

  • 27 of the 50 books are written by women
  • 12 books are by debut authors
  • 26 of the authors are Australian, and they account for 52% of the books on the list!

Here is the Top 10, as voted by you:

  1. Runt by Craig Silvey
  2. Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox
  3. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
  4. The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
  5. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
  6. The BFG by Roald Dahl
  7. Wolf Girl #1: Into the Wild by Anh Do
  8. Are We There Yet? by Alison Lester
  9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
  10. The 13-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton

 The Top 50 Kids books are available in Big W stores nationwide, bookshops and libraries. All over the country, readers use the Top 50 kids as their annual book list, counting down their reads alone, with friends, in libraries and school classrooms and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using the hashtags #Top50Kids2023 #BRTop50Kids.

Thank you to everyone who voted in this year’s Top 50 Kids! We are pleased to announce the following seven winners who will receive a copy of all 50 books:

  • Greg Atkinson, NSW
  • Lesley Fletcher, QLD
  • Kialani Tesselaar, SA
  • Jason Love, NT
  • Selina Jauk, WA
  • Elliot Leung, TAS
  • Jenny Wu, VIC

All winners have been notified by email.

Click here to view the full booklist

The 2023 Better Reading Top 50 Kids’ Books

COMMENTS

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  1. Emily Williams says:
    28 September 2023 at 9:02 pm

    Hi there.
    My dad entered your competition, his name is Greg Atkinson of NSW.
    Just checking to see if the Greg Atkinson winner of your top 50 is the same or different?
    His email is [email protected]

    Thank you.

    Reply
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