BOOK OF THE YEAR: EARLY CHILDHOOD
Bev and Kev
Mandy Foot (Text: Katrina Germein) Publisher:Little Book Press Publisher Link: Bev and Kev BLURB Bev is tall and Kev is small. An unlikely pair! Could this be the beginning of a very big friendship? A heart-warming tale about learning to love yourself and the value of a true friend.
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Jigsaw: Puzzle in the Post
Bob Graham (Illust: Bob Graham) Publisher:Walker Books Australia Publisher Link: Jigsaw: Puzzle in the Post Author Link: Bob Graham, author and illustrator BLURB “Oh, let’s do it!” say Kitty and Katy and Mum when a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle mysteriously arrives in the post. “I have time on my hands,” agrees Dad. Starting in winter with the edges, by autumn they’re almost done, only to discover that one piece is missing.
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Lionel and Me
Corinne Fenton (Illust: Tracie Grimwood) Publisher:New FrontierPublisher Link: Lionel and Me Author Link: Corrine Fenton, author Other Link: Tracie Grimwood, illustrator BLURB When Lionel arrives, Maverick is unimpressed. Is there enough love to go round for the two of them? This book celebrates friendship.
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Market Day
Carrie Gallasch (Illust: Hannah Sommerville) Publisher:Hardie Grant Children's Publishing Publisher Link: Market Day Author Link: Carrie Gallasch, author Other Link: Hannah Sommerville BLURB When a girl is given a coin to spend at the market, she thinks carefully about what to buy. She is tempted by the towering stacks of fruit, spinning rides and glass jars filled with sweets. But it isn’t until a stranger gives something to her, without expecting anything in return, that she knows exactly what to do with her coin.
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Snap!
Anna Walker (Illust: Anna Walker) Publisher:Scribble Kids' Books Publisher Link: Snap! Author Link: Anna Walker, author and illustrator BLURB Tap, tap tap … Frog thinks there’s no one else in the forest, but you never know what’s just around the corner …
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Where the Lyrebird Lives
Vikki Conley (Illust: Max Hamilton) Publisher:Windy Hollow Books BLURB High in the mountains through the sleepy clouds. Deep in the forest past the chiming birds. Will we see the lyrebird? I don’t know. Tip-toe, tip-toe.
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PICTURE BOOK OF THE YEAR
Dirt by Sea
Tom Jellett (Text: Michael Wagner) Publisher:Penguin Random House Australia Publisher Link: Dirt by Sea Author Link: Tom Jellett, illustrator Other Link: Machael Wagner, author BLURB Daisy lives in inland Australia with her dad and her grandparents. It’s home, and she loves the red dirt land around her. But when her dad realises that she’s never seen the beach and thinks the Australian anthem is about a country ‘dirt by sea’, he sets off to show her the ocean in a once-in-a-lifetime father-daughter trip along the Australian coast, inspired by the first holiday he took with Daisy's mum. Along the way they will learn about Australia and much, much more . . .
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Farmhouse
Sophie Blackall (Text: Sophie Blackall) Publisher:Hachette Australia Publisher Link: Farmhouse Author Link: Sophie Blackall, author and illustrator BLURB Step inside the dollhouse-like interior of Farmhouse and relish the daily life of the family that lives there, rendered in impeccable, thrilling detail. Based on a real family and an actual farmhouse where Sophie salvaged facts and artefacts for the making of this spectacular work, page after page bursts with luminous detail and joy.
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Frank's Red Hat
Sean E Avery (Text: Sean E Avery) Publisher:Walker Books Australia BLURB Frank is a penguin with ideas. Mostly terrible ones. That’s why his fellow penguins are nervous when he shows them his strange new creation. Something they’d never seen or expected to see in their cold and colourless Antarctic world — a red hat.
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My Strange Shrinking Parents
Zeno Sworder & Zeno Sworder Publisher:Thames & Hudson Australia Publisher Link: My Strange Shrinking Parents Author Link: Zeno Sworder; author and illustrator BLURB It goes without saying that all children believe their parents to be strange. Mine were unusual for a different reason… One boy’s parents travel from far-off lands to improve their son’s life. But what happens next is unexpected. What does it mean when your parents are different? What shape does love take? And what happens when your parents sacrifice a part of themselves for you?
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Our Dreaming
Dub Leffler (Text: Kirlie Saunders) Publisher:Scholastic Australia Publisher Link: Our Dreaming BLURB Goodjagah, little one, walk with me ... I want to tell you our Dreaming as the Elders told it to me.
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Paradise Sands: A Story of Enchantment
Levi Pinfold (Text: Levi Sands) Publisher:Walker Books Publisher Link: Paradise Sands: A Story of Enchantment BLURB Washed clean in his pool, we fall under his rule Away from what is, for we are now his. When a young girl and her brothers step into the ghostly Paradise Sands hotel, they fall under the rule of the mysterious Teller. She makes a deal with him to free them all from his haunting paradise. But can she hold up her side of the bargain?
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CBCA AWARD FOR NEW ILLUSTRATOR
Australia: From Dawn to Dusk
Brentos . Publisher:Affirm Press Publisher Link: Australia: From Dawn to Dusk BLURB It’s a new day in Australia. Let’s follow the sun! Wake up with kookaburras on Arakwal Country (Byron Bay), bask with wombats on wulinantikala (Cradle Mountain), watch black and red cockatoos flying over Anangu Country, scratch the Daintree Rainforest floor with cassowaries on Kuku Yalanji Country, and go to sleep as quokkas wake up on Whadjuk Noongar Country (Rottnest Island).
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The Best Hiding Place
Sylvia Morris Publisher:Affirm Press Publisher Link: The Best Hiding Place BLURB One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten … Coming, ready or not! Archie has found the best hiding place. But after a while, it feels too quiet. Is the game still on? Has Archie been forgotten?
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Naturopolis
Ingrid Bartkowiak Publisher:Storytorch Press Publisher Link: Naturopolis BLURB Look closer, look with care And you may find a forest… Among the steel and stone canyons of the city, nature flourishes in tiny, tenacious ways. Follow the ant (Iridomyrmex purpureus) to discover the scraps of wilderness hiding in plain sight in this lyrical celebration of urban flora and fauna.
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There's No Such Book
Jake A. Minton Publisher:Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing Publisher Link: There's No Such Book BLURB It's the night before the Book Week parade and Ellie announces that she needs a costume by the morning. Mum, who is taken by surprise, desperately tries to piece together a costume from what’s lying around the house … They went into the bathroom. ‘Hmm,’ said Mum. ‘Don’t I remember once reading you a book about a monster whose skin looked like it was made of bright green towels?’ ‘No,’ said Ellie. ‘There is no such book.’ Ellie heads to bed only with Mum's promise that she’ll have a costume sorted by the morning. Mum stays true to her word, but perhaps not in the way that Ellie was hoping.
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Tiny Wonders
Sally Soweol Han Publisher:University of Queensland Press Publisher Link: Tiny Wonders BLURB April thinks if her town was a colour, it would be grey. Everyone is too busy to stop and look around. How can she help them slow down? When she remembers the happiness that dandelions brought her grandmother, April comes up with a plan ...
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We Are Australians
Jandamarra Cadd Publisher:Wild Dog Books Publisher Link: We Are Australians BLURB For those born in Australia, it’s easy to take citizenship and its responsibilities for granted. But there is much more to being an Australian citizen than having a passport and the right to vote.
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BOOK OF THE YEAR: YOUNGER READERS
August & Jones
Pip Harry Publisher:Hachette Australia Publisher Link: August & Jones Author Link: Pip Harry, author BLURB Eleven-year-old Jones Kirby has just moved to Sydney from her farm in country New South Wales. She's missing her alpacas and wide-open paddocks and can't get used to her family's tiny city apartment. She's also worried that her vision is blurry - she lost her eye to cancer as a toddler. Could it be another tumour? Enrolling at her new school, Jones meets shy, awkward August Genting. He loves fun facts, the library and knitting as much as Jones loves rock climbing and being outdoors. Who would have thought they'd become fast friends? At home, August's parents are fighting. And for Jones, the news from the doctor is not good. To cheer themselves up, the pair hatch a brilliant plan: the August and Jones Must-See Bucket List. Together, this brave duo will set out to meet a rare monkey, run across the Harbour Bridge and even climb Australia's highest mountain. After all, with your best friend beside you, anything is possible! |
Evie and Rhino
Neridah McMullin (Illust: Astred Hicks) Publisher:Walker Books Australia Publisher Link: Evie and Rhino Author Link: Neridah McMullin, author Illustrator Link: Astred Hicks BLURB A young girl with a tragic past and a rhinoceros facing life in captivity form an unlikely and magical bond after a fateful storm and a shipwreck bring them together. A moving tale about love, connection and the healing power of friendship. 1891 On a stormy night off the coast of southern Australia, a ship transporting a cargo of exotic animals tosses and turns in enormous seas. Rhino senses they are in grave danger. . . Not far away, ten-year-old Evie and her grandfather shelter in their crumbling, once-grand old home. They know too well how deadly storms can be. When all is calm, Evie treks over the dunes to the sea and makes a discovery that will change her life, and Rhino’s, forever. Will the tragedies of their pasts finally be put to rest?
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The Raven's Song
Bren MacDibble & Zana Fraillon Publisher:Allen & Unwin Publisher Link: The Raven's Song BLURB This is how we have to live now. Shelby and her best friend Davy live quiet low-tech lives in a closed community that is made up of exactly three hundred and fifty kind, ethical people living on exactly seven hundred hectares. When they climb through a hole in the perimeter fence to venture into the surrounding jungle, what they find is more astonishing than anything they could have imagined. And when Shelby realises the terrible danger that is unfolding, it will take all of her daring and determination to ensure the past does not repeat itself.
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Runt
Craig Silvey Publisher:Allen & Unwin Publisher Link: Runt BLURB You don't have to carry the weight of the world in your tool belt. Annie Shearer lives in the country town of Upson Downs with her best friend, an adopted stray dog called Runt. The two share a very special bond. After years evading capture, Runt is remarkably fast and agile, perfect for herding runaway sheep. But when a greedy local landowner puts her family's home at risk, Annie directs Runt's extraordinary talents towards a different pursuit - winning the Agility Course Grand Championship at the lucrative Krumpets Dog Show in London. However, there is a curious catch: Runt will only obey Annie's commands if nobody else is watching. With all eyes on them, Annie and Runt must beat the odds and the fastest dogs in the world to save her farm.
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The Way of Dog
Zana Fraillon Publisher:University of Queensland Press ISBN:9780702265563 Awards Year:2023 Category:Book of the Year: Younger Readers Publisher Link: The Way of Dog BLURB Be strong. Be fierce. Life is more than a concrete floor. Scruffity is born into the harsh, grey world of a puppy farm. Taken from his mamma and locked in a concrete cage, what he yearns for most is Family. To belong is The Way of Dog. But no one wants him. Just as his chances of adoption grow dangerously thin, Scruffity is set free by a boy as unwanted and lonely as he is. Outside, Scruffity learns all about The Way of Dog – it is to run, to dig, to howl and, biggest of all, to love. But when tragedy strikes, Scruffity is suddenly all alone. How does a dog find his way home when he never had one to begin with?
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Xavier in the Meantime
Kate Gordon Publisher:Riveted Press ISBN:9780645218091 Awards Year:2023 Category:Book of the Year: Younger ReadersPublisher Link: Xavier in the Meantime BLURB Sometimes Xavier wakes up feeling hopeless. Every new doctor … this will fix it. Removing him from school … this will fix it. The therapy group … this will fix it. And his dad moving out. Maybe, this will fix it. His daily affirmations seem to be helping, yet the black dog never really goes away. But Xavier has a plan. Enlisting the help of best friend Aster, he tries to convince his dad to turn the family hogget farm into a therapy retreat for the group session kids. But he is up against decades of tradition, his parents who are on a “break,” and the spectre of the black dog. Can Xavier learn to cherish the moments in between the struggles—the moments in the meantime? Companion to 'Aster's Good, Right Things'.
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EVE POWNALL AWARD (non fiction)
A Is for Australian Reefs
Frané Lessac (Text: Frané Lessac) Publisher:Walker Books Australia Awards Year:2023 Category:Eve Pownall AwardPublisher Link: A Is for Australian Reefs Author Link: Frané Lessac, author and illustrator BLURB Along the coastline of Australia, underwater reefs are bustling with the most amazing sea creatures living on the planet! A deep dive into the biodiversity of Australia’s remarkable coastline from sharks to octopuses to dolphins and manta rays and seahorses - and the most famous reef of all – the Great Barrier Reef.
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Amazing Animal Journeys
Jennifer Cossins (Illust: Jennifer Cossins) Publisher:Hachette Australia Awards Year:2023 Category:Eve Pownall AwardPublisher Link: Amazing Animal Journey's Author Link: Jennifer Cossins, author and illustrator BLURB Did you know that Arctic terns have the longest migration of all birds, flying from the Arctic to Antarctica and back each year? Or that the wildebeest migration in east Africa is so vast it can be seen from outer space? Come along on these amazing animal journeys!
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Come Together: Things Every Aussie Kid Should Know about the First Peoples
Isaiah Firebrace (: Jaelyn Biumaiwai) Publisher:Hardie Grant Explore Awards Year:2023 Category:Eve Pownall Award BLURB In this essential book, Isaiah, a Yorta Yorta and Gunditjmara man, establishes a foundation of First Nations knowledge with 20 key topics. |
DEEP: Delve into Hidden Worlds
Jess McGeachin (: Jess McGeachin) Publisher:Welbeck Publishing Awards Year:2023 Category:Eve Pownall Award BLURB What hidden worlds lie beneath your feet? Or in the deepest parts of the ocean, where not even sunlight can reach? Come on a journey to meet glowing deep-sea creatures, zombie-making fungi and the trillions of tiny workers that live inside your own body. But be warned, things can get a little strange in the deep... |
Opal and Dart
Vianne Brain (Illust: Clare Bradley) Publisher:Forty South Publishing Awards Year:2023 Category:Eve Pownall AwardPublisher Link: Opal and Dart BLURB Opal and Dart, beautiful swallows, met as fledglings learning to fly. Together they must travel incredible distances, fend off malevolent sparrows, and build their nest so that future generations can follow their journey. |
Publisher:Allen and Unwin Awards Year:2023 Category:Eve Pownall AwardPublisher Link: Wild Australian Life BLURB More than one million animal species make their homes in Australia - from the deepest oceans to the tops of mountains and the harshest deserts. But just how do they survive? Discover the remarkable stories behind some of the world's most extraordinary animals in this must-have collection for every Australian family.
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