The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) held its first Book of the Year awards in 1946. Over time, it has added a number of new categories to the awards. You can find a list of previous winners here.
Below you will find the 2011 Book of the Year short-lists for each of the following categories:
- Early Childhood (Intended for children in the pre-reading to early reading stages)
- Young Readers (Intended for independent younger readers.)
- Picture Book (Intended for an audience ranging from birth to 18 years range-Some books may be for mature readers)
- Older readers (These books are for mature readers)
- Eve Pownall Award for Information Book (Intended for an audience ranging from birth to 18 years. (Some books may be for mature readers)
CLICK HERE for a printer-friendly version of the lists. Print and take along to your local library or bookshop.
The winners will be decided by the CBCA panel of judges, and announced on August 19. These are the criteria used by the judges to help them decide the winners. (Taken from the CBCA’s Publisher’s Guidelines document)
- Artistic style and graphic excellence (including typography and its suitability for the implied readership);
- Effective use of media and technique;
- Colour, line, shape, texture;
- Relationship between illustration and text;
- Consistency of style, characterisation, information and setting;
- Clarity, appropriateness and aesthetic appeal of illustrations;
- Quality of book design, production, printing and binding;
- Appeal to the child reader.
Before then, I challenge you to find a copy of each of these books (or simply choose one category to explore). Read and discuss the books with your child/ren and as a family decide which book you think should win Book of the Year. Your child may already have some knowledge of the books if their school is participating in the Junior Judges Competition.
Once you’ve decided PLEASE come back here and tell us which was your favourite or which books you enjoyed.
Early Childhood Short List 2011
| Book | Author/Illustrator | Publisher | ISBN |
| The Tall Man and the Twelve Babies | Tom Champion and Kilmeny/ Deborah Niland | Allen & Unwin | 9781742371153 |
| The Deep End | Ursula Dubosarsky/Mitch Vane | Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) | 9780143305279 |
| Noni the Pony | Alison Lester | Allen & Unwin | 9781741758887 |
| It’s Bedtime, William! | Deborah Niland | Viking Books, Penguin Group (Australia) | 9780670073825 |
| Look See, Look at Me! | Leonie Norrington, Leonie/Dee Huxley | Allen & Unwin | 9781741758832 |
| Maudie and Bear | Jan Ormerod/ Freya Blackwood | Little Hare Books | 9781921541407 |
Younger Readers Short List 2011
| Book | Author/Illustrator | Publisher | ISBN |
| Just a Dog | Michael Gerard Bauer | Omnibus Books, Scholastic Australia | 9781862918870 |
| Henry Hoey Hobson | Christine Bongers | Woolshed Press, Random House Australia | 9781864719956 |
| Violet Mackerel’s Brilliant Plot | Anna Branford/ Sarah Davis | Walker Books Australia | 9781921529177 |
| The Red Wind | Isobelle Carmody | Viking Books, Penguin Group (Australia) | 9780670074037 |
| Duck for a Day | Meg McKinlay/ Leila Rudge | Walker Books Australia | 9781921529283 |
| Toppling | Sally Murphy/Rhian Nest James | Walker Books Australia | 9781921529429 |
Picture Book Short List 2011
| Book | Author/Illustrator | Publisher | ISBN |
| Mirror | Jeannie Baker | Walker Books | 9781406309140 |
| Why I Love Australia | Bronwyn Bancroft | Little Hare Books | 9781921541780 |
| Hamlet | Nicki Greenberg | Allen & Unwin | 9781741756425 |
| Two Peas in a Pod | Chris McKimmie | Allen & Unwin | 9781742373041 |
| Family Forest |
Kim Kane/ Lucia Masciullo | Hardie Grant Egmont | 9781921564703 |
| My Uncle’s Donkey |
Tohby Riddle | Viking Books, Penguin Group (Australia) | 9780670040339 |
Older Readers Short List 2011
| Book | Author/Illustrator | Publisher | ISBN |
| Graffiti Moon | Cath Crowley | Pan Macmillan Australia | 9780330425780 |
| The Midnight Zoo | Sonya Harnett | Viking Books, Penguin Group (Australia) | 9780670074051 |
| About a Girl | Joanne Horniman | Allen & Unwin | 9781742371443 |
| The Life of a Teenage Body-Snatcher | Doug Macleod | Viking Books, Penguin Group (Australia) | 9780143203919 |
| The Piper’s Son | Melina Marchetta | Viking Books, Penguin Group (Australia) | 9780670074235 |
| Six Impossible Things | Fiona Wood | Pan Macmillan Australia | 9780330426060 |
Eve Pownall Award for Information Books Short List 2011
| Book | Author/Illustrator | Publisher | ISBN |
| Theme Parks, Playgrounds and Toys | Nicolas Brasch | Macmillan Education Australia | 9781420268942 |
| Drawn from the Heart: A Memoir | Ron Brooks | Allen & Unwin | 9781742371559 |
| Zero Hour: The Anzacs on the Western Front | Leon Davidson | The Text Publishing Company | 9781921656071 |
| The Return of the Word Spy | Ursula Dubosarsky/Illustrated by Tohby Riddle | Viking, Penguin Group (Australia) | 9780670073542 |
| Wicked Warriors & Evil Emperors: The True Story of the Fight for Ancient China | Alison Lloyd/ Illustrated by Terry Denton | Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia) | 9780143304340 |
| Our World: Bardi Jaawi: Life at Ardiyooloon | One Arm Point Remote Community School | Magabala Books | 9781921248238 |
 |
