The CBCA 2023 Book of the Year Shortlist Announced

Exciting news just in from the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) who have announced the CBCA Awards Short List.

The CBCA is a not-for-profit, volunteer-run organisation that aims to engage the community with literature for young Australians.

Regarded as Australia’s most prestigious children’s literature award, the CBCA Book of the Year is presented in six categories: Older Readers, Younger Readers, Early Childhood, Picture Books, the Eve Pownall Award and the CBCA Award for New Illustrator.

The Shortlist and the Notables List are a great place to start if you’re looking for reading ideas for young children up to teens and as they have all been rigorously assessed you can be sure that they will hit the spot. It’s also a great idea to familiarise yourself with the short-listed books as many schools and libraries will incorporate them into their CBCA Book Week celebrations.

The Shortlist for the CBCA Book of the Year Awards 2023 is below. Congratulations to all CBCA Shortlist authors, illustrators and publishers.

Did your favourite kids and YA reads make the list?

Book of the Year: Older Readers (Ages 13-18)

• The Greatest Thing by Sarah Winifred Searle (Allen & Unwin)
• Neverlanders by Tom Taylor, illustrated by Jon Sommariva (Penguin Random House Australia)
• What We All Saw by Mike Lucas (Penguin Random House Australia)

See the full shortlist for Older Readers here.

Book of the Year: Younger Readers (Ages 7-12)

• August & Jones by Pip Harry (Hachette Australia)
• Evie and Rhino by Neridah McMullin, illustrated by Astred Hicks (Walker Books Australia)
• The Raven’s Song by Zana Fraillon and Bren MacDibble (Allen & Unwin)
• Runt by Craig Silvey (Allen & Unwin)

See the full shortlist for Younger Readers here.

Book of the Year: Early Childhood (Ages 0-6)

• Jigsaw: A Puzzle in the Post by Bob Graham (Walker Books Australia)
• Market Day by Carrie Gallasch, illustrated by Hannah Sommerville (Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing)
• Where the Lyrebird Lives by Vikki Conley, illustrated by Max Hamilton (Windy Hollow Books)

See the full shortlist for Early Childhood readers here.

The Picture Book of the Year

• Dirt Sea by Michael Wagner, illustrated by Tom Jellett (Penguin Random House Australia)
• Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall (Hachette Australia)
• Frank’s Red Hat by Sean E Avery (Walker Books Australia)

See the full shortlist for Picture Book of the Year here.

Eve Pownall Award (Ages 0-18)

• Amazing Animal Journeys by Jennifer Cossins (Hachette Australia)
• Come Together: Things Every Aussie Kid Should Know about the First Peoples by Isaiah Firebrace, illustrated by Jaelyn Biumaiwai (Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing)
• DEEP: Delve into Hidden Worlds by Jess McGeachin (Welbeck Publishing)

See the full shortlist for the Eve Pownall award here.

CBCA Award for New Illustrator

• Naturopolis by Deborah Frenkel, illustrated by Ingrid Bartkowiak (Storytorch Press)
• There’s No Such Book by Jessica Dettmann, illustrated by Jake A. Minton (Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing)
• The Best Hiding Place by Jane Godwin, illustrated by Sylvia Morris (Affirm Press)

See the full shortlist for New Illustrator here.