2015 CBCA Children's Book Awards Shortlist

The Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has recently announced the shortlist for the 2015 CBCA Children's Literature awards. There are a couple things worthy of note. First there are many books about war and conflict. This might not be surprising in this year that marks 100 years since the Gallipoli landing that is such a significant part of Australian, New Zealand and British history. Second, there are some wonderful non-fiction books on the list, a number developed by very small presses.

The winners and honour books will be announced in Book Week (16-22 August, 2015). I have already reviewed some of these books in recent posts on children's literature HERE. I will review all the winners when the awards are finally announced in August. CBCA also publishes a list of about 100 'Notable' books each year which can be found HERE.
 

1. Older Readers

'Nona & Me', by Clare Atkins (Black Inc.)

'Intruder', by Christine Bongers (Random House Australia)

'Are You Seeing Me?' by Darren Groth (Random House Australia)

'The Minnow' by Diana Sweeney (Text Publishing)

'The Protected' by Claire Zorn (University of Queensland Press)

'The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl' by Melissa Keil (Hardie Grant Egmont)

2. Younger Readers

'Two Wolves' by Tristan Bancks (Random House Australia)

'The Simple Things' by Bill Condon, Illustrator Beth Norling (Allen & Unwin)

'The Cleo Stories The Necklace and the Present', by Libby Gleeson, Illustrator Freya Blackwood (Allen & Unwin)

'Bleakboy and Hunter Stand out in the Rain', by Steven Herrick (University of Queensland Press)

'Figgy in the World', by Tamsin Janu (Omnibus Books, Scholastic Australia)

'Withering-by-Sea: a Stella Montgomery Intrigue', by Judith Rossell, Judith (ABC Books, Harper Collins Publishers)


3. Early Childhood

'Pig the Pug', by Aaron Blabey (Scholastic Press, Scholastic Australia)

'Scary Night' by Lesley Gibbes, illustrator Stephen Michael King (Working Title Press)

'Go to Sleep, Jessie!', by Libby Gleeson, illustrator Freya Blackwood (Little Hare, Hardie Grant Egmont)

'A House of Her Own', by Jenny Hughes, illustrator Jonathan Bentley (Hardie Grant Egmont)

'Snail and Turtle are Friends', written and illustrated by Stephen Michael King 
(Scholastic Press, Scholastic Australia)

'Noni the Pony goes to the Beach', written and illustrated by Alison Lester (Allen & Unwin)

4. Picture Book of the Year

'Rivertime' written & illustrated by Trace Balla (Allen & Unwin)

'My two Blankets', illustrator Freya Blackwood, text by Irena Kobald (Little Hare, Hardie Grant Egmont)

'One Minute's Silence', illustrator Michael Camilleri, text David Metzenthen (Allen & Unwin)

'The Duck and the Darklings', illustrator Stephen Michael King, text Glenda Millard (llen & Unwin)

'The Stone Lion', illustrator Ritva Voutila, text Margaret Wild (Little Hare, Hardie Grant Egmont)

'Fire', illustrator Bruce Whatley, text Jackie French (Scholastic Press, Scholastic Australia).

5. Eve Pownall Award for Information Books

'A-Z of Convicts in Van Diemen's Land', author/illustrator Simon Barnard (Text Publishing)

'Coming of Age: Growing up Muslim in Australia', Demet Divaroren & Amra Pajalic (editors), (Allen & Unwin)

'Mary's Australia: How Mary Mackillop Changed Australia', by Pamela
Freeman (Black Dog Books, Walker Books Australia)

'Tea and Sugar Christmas', by Jane Jolly, illustrator Robert Ingpen (National Library of Australia)

'Emu', by Claire Saxby, illustrator Graham Byrne (Walker Books Australia)

'Audacity: Stories of Heroic Australians in Wartime', by Carlie Walker, illustrator Brett Hatherly (Department of Veterans' Affairs)