CBCA Book of the Year Awards Shortlist 2016

The Children's Book Council of Australia do so much to promote the vast number of marvellous childrens and young adult books that are released in Australia every year. The CBCA Awards are the pinnacle of this recognition. Every year I look forward to the release of the Shortlist in April. This year was no exception.

I've made somewhat random predictions for the winners, based on nothing much really a lot of the time as clearly I haven't read most of the books. I am pleased to have read 4 of these books so far, but have quite a big undertaking to get through as many as possible by August. I'll be particularly trying to get through the Picture Book, Early Childhood and Younger Readers Shortlists. Although Soon is the fifth book of a series, none of which I've read, which makes things very difficult.

Book of the Year Older Readers Shortlist

The Flywheel - Erin Gough
The Pause - John Larkin
Freedom Ride - Sue Lawson
A Single Stone - Meg McKinlay
Inbetween Days - Vikki Wakefield
Cloudwish - Fiona Wood

Older Readers Notable Books

In the Skin of a Monster - Kathryn Barker
Rich & Rare - Paul Collins
The River and the Book - Alison Crogon
One True Thing - Nicole Hayes
Talk Under Water - Kathryn Lomer
The Beauty is in the Walking - James Moloney
Newt's Emerald - Garth Nix
For the Forest of a Bird - Sue Saliba
A Small Madness - Diane Touchell
The Guy, The Girl, The Artist and His Ex - Gabrielle Williams


The Book of the Year Younger Readers Shortlist

Soon - Morris Gleitzman
The Cleo Stories: A Friend and A Pet - Libby Gleeson, Freya Blackwood (illustrator)
Run, Pip, Run - J.C. Jones
Sister Heart - Sally Morgan (see my review)
Molly and Pim and the Millions of Stars - Martine Murray (see my review)
Star of Deltora: Shadows of the Master - Emily Rodda

Younger Readers Notable Books

The 65-Storey Treehouse - Andy Griffiths, Terry Denton (illustrator)
The Cut Out - Jack Heath
300 Minutes of Danger - Jack Heath
Bella and the Wandering House - Meg McKinlay
Bridget: A New Australian - James Moloney
Helix and the Arrival - Damean Posner
The Fourteenth Summer of Angus Jack - Jen Storer
The Hush Treasure Book - Karen Tayleur

The Book of the Year Early Childhood Shortlist

Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas - Aaron Blabey
My Dog Bigsy - Alison Lester
Perfect - Danny Parker, Freya Blackwood (illustrator)
Ollie and the Wind - Ghosh Ronojoy
Mr Huff - Anna Walker
The Cow Tripped Over the Moon - Tony Wilson, Laura Wood (illustrator)

Early Childhood Notable Books

As Big As You - Sara Acton
I Need A Hug - Aaron Blabey (see my review)
Pig the Fibber - Aaron Blabey (see my review)
The Very Noisy Bear - Nick Bland
I'm a Hungry Dinosaur - Janeen Brian, Ann James (illustrator)
Small and Big - Karen Collum, Ben Wood (illustrator)
Puddles are for Jumping - Kylie Dunstan
This & That - Mem Fox, Judy Horacek (illustrator)
Meep - Andy Geppert
Thunderstorm Dancing - Katrina Germein, Judy Watson (illustrator)
What Do You Wish For - Jane Godwin, Anna Walker (illustrator)
Hop Up! Wriggle Over - Elizabeth Honey
Too Busy Sleeping - Zanni Louise, Anna Pignut (illustrator)
Frog Finds a Place - Sally Morgan & Ezekiel Kwaymullina, Dub Leffler (illustrator)
This is a Ball - Beck Stanton & Matt Stanton
Alfie's Lost Sharkie - Anna Walker
Bogtrotter - Margaret Wild, Judith Rossell (illustrator)


The Picture Book of the Year Shortlist

Perfect - Freya Blackwood (illustrator), Danny Parker (text)
Ride, Ricardo, Ride - Shane Devries (illustrator), Phil Cummings (text)
My Dead Bunny - James Foley (illustrator), Sigi Cohen (text) (see my review)
Flight - Armin Greder (illustrator), Nadia Wheatley (text)
Suri's Wall - Matt Ottley (illustrator), Lucy Estela (text)
And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda - Bruce Whatley (illustrator), Eric Bogle (text) (see my review)

Picture Book Notable Books

The Eagle Inside - Bronwyn Bancroft (illustrator), Jack Manning-Bancroft (text)
Eye to Eye - Graeme Base
In the Evening - Gaye Chapman (illustrator), Edwina Wyatt (text)
How the Sun Got to Coco's House - Bob Graham
My Gallipoli - Robert Hannaford (illustrator), Ruth Starke (text)
One Step at a Time - Sally Heinrich (illustrator), Jane Jolly (text)
Adelaide's Secret World - Elise Hurst
Platypus - Mark Jackson (illustrator), Sue Whiting (text)
Why I Love Footy - Tom Jellet (illustrator), Michael Wagner (text)
What's Up MuMu - David Mackintosh
Lara of Newtown - Chris McKimmie
Bob the Railway Dog - Andrew McLean (illustrator), Corrine Fenton (text)
Tea Cup - Matt Ottley (illustrator), Rebecca Young (text)
Numerical Street - Antonia Pesenti (illustrator), Hilary Bell (text)
Where's Jessie? - Anne Spudvilas (illustrator), Janeen Brian (text)
Mr Huff - Anna Walker


The Eve Pownall Award for Information Books Shortlist

Phasmid: Saving the Lord Howe Island Stick Insect - Rohan Cleave, Coral Tulloch (illustrator)
The White Mouse: The Story of Nancy Wake - Peter Gouldthorpe
The Amazing True Story of How Babies Are Made - Fiona Katauskas
Lennie the Legend: Solo to Sydney by Pony - Stephanie Owen Reeder
Ancestry: Stories of Multicultural Anzacs - Robyn Siers, Carlie Walker (illustrator)
We are the Rebels: the Men and Women who made Eureka - Clare Wright

Eve Pownall Award Notable Books

The Girl from the Great Sandy Dessert - Jakuna Mona Chuguna & Pat Lowe, Melvyn Street (illustrator)
Life in Australia's Inland Sea - Danielle Clode
Green Tree Frogs - Sandra Kendell
A is for Australia - Frane Lessac
Australian Kids Through the Years - Tania McCartney, Andrew Joyner (illustrator)
ANZAC Sons: Five Brothers on the Western Front - Allison Marlow Paterson
My Gallipoli - Ruth Starke, Robert Hannaford (illustrator)
Atmospheric: The Burning Story of Climate Change - Carole Wilkinson
Alice's Food A-Z - Alice Zaslavsky

Chricton Award for New Illustrators Shortlist

The Underwater Fancy Dress Parade - Allison Colpoys (illustrator), Davina Bell (text)
The Cat With the Coloured Tail - Dinalie Dabarera (illustrator), Gillian Meares (text)
My Gallipoli - Robert Hannaford (illustrator), Ruth Starke (text)
Fish Jam - Kylie Howarth
Meet Weary Dunlop - Jeremy Lord (illustrator), Claire Saxby (text)

I'll be trying to read as many titles as I can before the winners are announced on August 19 at the start of Children's Book Week 2016. The theme this year is Australia! Story Country with fabulous art work by Shaun Tan.