ABIA Shortlists 2014

We are certainly in the throws of book awards season. The Stella Prize winner was announced last night.

The shortlist for the Australian Book Industry Awards 2014 was also announced yesterday. I was please to find that I had read some of the nominated books in a few categories. I've wanted to read many more, but of course haven't.

The Rosie Project nominated for General Fiction Book of the Year (see my review)

I Quit Sugar nominated for Illustrated Book of the Year (see my review)

I was also very pleased to see John Safran's Murder in Mississippi nominated for the General Non-Fiction Book of the Year, although I haven't read it yet.

I will focus on the short lists for kids books.

Book of the Year for Younger Children (0-8 years)

Alphabetical Sydney - Hilary Bell and Antonia Pesenti
The Very Brave Bear - Nick Bland
The 39-Storey Treehouse - Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton (illustrator)
Ruby Red Shoes Goes to Paris - Kate Knapp (see my review)
Kissed By the Moon - Alison Lester (see my review)
Rules of Summer - Shaun Tan (see my review)

Book of the Year for Older Children (8- 14 years)

WeirDo - Anh Do (see my review)
Ranger's Apprentice 12: The Royal Ranger - John Flanagan
The Kensington Reptilarium - NJ Gemmell
Alice-Miranda in Paris - Jacqueline Harvey (see my review)
The Last Thirteen #1:13 - James Phelan

The books I've read are in red. My predicted winners (clearly without having read all the books) are represented by their covers.

You can see the full list of nominated books here. The winners will be announced in Sydney on May 23, in the midst of the Sydney Writers Festival.

Winner Update. I was pretty good at picking winners! The Rosie Project is General Fiction Book of the Year. I Quit Sugar the Illustrated Book of the Year. My prediction for Book of the Year for Younger Children was spot on- it was indeed The 39-Storey Treehouse, but WeirDo won the Book of the Year for Older Children.