CBCA Book of the Year Award Shortlist and Notables 2017

I always look forward to the CBCA list every year, it's such a great forum for celebrating Australia's rather prodigious talent amongst our authors and illustrators for young people. Lot's of books you may have read, or at least heard of, but always something new, something unfamiliar and yet very tempting. 

This year is really a bumper year, the long list- or Notables as they are called, is massive.

Book of the Year Older Readers Shortlist

Waer - Meg Caddy
Words in Deep Blue - Cath Crowley
The Bone Sparrow - Zana Fraillon
Yellow - Megan Jacobson
Frankie - Shivaun Plozza 
One Would Think the Deep - Claire Zorn

Book of the Year Older Readers Notables


The Hounded - Simon Butters
My Best Friend is a Goddess - Tara Ellington
Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club - Alison Goodman
Becoming Aurora - Elizabeth Kasmer
The Sidekicks - Will Kostakis
Ocean of the Dead (Ship Kings #4) - Andrew McGahan
The Stars at Oktober Bend - Glenda Millard
A Toaster on Mars - Darrell Pitt
Our Chemical Heart - Krystal Sutherland
Forgetting Foster - Dianne Touchell
Everything is Changed - Nova Weetman
The Invisible War - Ailsa Wild

Book of the Year Younger Readers Shortlist

Rockhopping - Trace Balla  
Within These Walls - Robyn Bavati
A Most Magical Girl - Karen Foxlee

Dragonfly Song - Wendy Orr

Mrs Whitlam - Bruce Pascoe (see my review)

Captain Jimmy Cook Discovers Third Grade - Kate & Jol Temple

Book of the Year Younger Readers Notables

Cybertricks - Goldie Alexander

Blueberry Pancakes Forever - Angelica Banks

Magrit - Lee Battersby
Yong - Janeen Brian

Freedom Swimmer - Wai Chen

The Family With Two Front Doors - Anna Ciddor

The Pearl-shell Diver - Kay Crabbe

Wicked's Way - Anna Fienberg

Fizz and the Police Dog Tryouts - Lesley Gibbes

Toad Delight - Morris Gleitzman

Iris and the Tiger - Leanne Hall

Daystar - Anne Hamilton

Daughters of Nomads - Rosanne Hawke

Lily in the Mirror - Paula Hayes

Fail Safe - Jack Heath

The Unforgettable What's His Name - Paul Jennings

Theophilus Grey and the Traitor's Mask - Catherine Jinks

When the Lyrebird Calls - Kim Kane

Ruby Wishfingers Skydancer's Escape - Deborah Kelly

Ruby Red Shoes Goes to London - Kate Knapp

Elizabeth and Zenobia - Jessica Miller

The Lost Sapphire - Belinda Murrell

The Twins of Tintarfell - James O'Loghlin

Pocket Rocket - Ellyse Perry & Sherryl Clark

The Other Christy - Oliver Phommavanh

Wormwood Mire (Stella Montgomery #2) - Judith Rossell

Artie and the Grime Wave - Richard Roxburgh

Lizzie and Margaret Rose - Pamela Rushby

Tommy Bell Shoot-out at the Rock - Jane Smith

What's in a Name - Myles Walsh

The Secrets We Keep - Nova Weetman

Squishy Taylor and the Bonus Sisters - Ailsa Wild (see my review)

The Shark Caller - Dianne Wolfer

Book of the Year Early Childhood Shortlist

Go Home Cheeky Animals - Johanna Bell (author), Dion Beasley (illustrator)

All I Want for Christmas is Rain - Cori Brooke (author), Cori Brooke (illustrator)

The Snow Wombat - Susannah Chambers (author), Mark Jackson (illustrator)

Nannie Loves - Kylie Dustan

Chip - Kylie Howarth

Gary - Leila Rudge

Book of the Year Early Childhood Notables

Zelda's Big Adventure - Marie Alafaci (author), Shane McGown (illustrator)

Oh Albert - Davina Bell (author), Sara Acton (illustrator)

Where is Bear? - Jonathan Bentley

Pig the Winner - Aaron Blabey 

Little Chicken Chickadee - Janeen Brian (author), Danny Snell (illustrator)

The 12th Dog - Charlotte Calder (author), Tom Jellet (illustrator)

The Cat Wants Custard - Paul Crumble (author), Lucinda Gifford (illustrator)

Ducks Away - Mem Fox (author), Judy Horacek (illustrator)

Little Bear's First Sleep - Lesley Gibbes (author), Lisa Stewart (illustrator)

Bear Makes Den - Jane Godwin & Michael Wagner (authors), Andrew Joyner (illustrator)

Home in the Rain - Bob Graham 

Bird and Bear and the Special Day - Ann James

Hello Little Babies - Alison Lester 

Smile Cry - Tania McCarthy (author), Jess Racklyeft (illustrator)

Dream Little One Dream - Sally Morgan (author), Ambelin Kwaymullina (illustrator)

Joey Counts to Ten - Sally Morgan (author), Ambelin Kwaymullina (illustrator)

Twig - Aura Parker  

Molly and Mae - Danny Parker (author), Freya Blackwood (illustrator)

Agatha and the Dark - Anna Pignataro

Wild Pa - Claire Saxby (author), Connah Brecon (illustrator)

The Whole Caboodle - Lisa Shanahan (author), Leila Rudge (illustrator)

Ten Little Owls - Renee Treml  

My Perfect Pup - Sue Walker (author), Anil Tortop (illustrator)

Take Ted Instead - Cassandra Webb (author), Amanda Francey (illustrator)

Together Always - Edwina Wyatt (author), Lucia Masciullo (illustrator)

Picture Book of the Year Shortlist

One Photo - Liz Anelli (illustrator), Ross Watkins (author)

Mechanica - Lance Balchin (see my review)

Home in the Rain - Bob Graham 

My Brother - Oliver Huxley (illustrator), Dee Huxley and Tiffany Huxley (authors)

The Patchwork Bike - Van T Rudd (illustrator), Maxine Beneba Clarke (author)

Out  - Owen Swan (illustrator), Angela May George (author)

Picture Book of the Year Notables

The Sisters Saint-Claire - Tamsin Ainslie (illustrator), Carlie Gibson (author)

Desert Lake The Story of Kati Thanda - Lake Eyre - Liz Anelli (illustrator), Pamela Freeman (author)

Circle - Jeannie Baker (see my review)

Colours of Australia - Bronwyn Bancroft  

Where is Bear - Jonathan Bentley

Blue Sky Yellow Kite - Jonathan Bentley  (illustrator),  Janet A Holmes (author)

Don't Call Me Bear - Aaron Blabey  

Molly and Mae - Freya Blackwood  (illustrator), Danny Parker (author)

Hattie Helps Out - Freya Blackwood  (illustrator), Jane Godwin and Davina Bell (authors)

Something Wonderful - Karen Blair  (illustrator), Raewyn Caisley (author)

The Fabulous Friend Machine - Nick Bland  

Reflection Remembering Those Who Served in War - Robin Cowcher (illustrator), Rebecka Sharpe Shelberg (author)

Captain Sneer the Buccaneer - Gabriel Evans  (illustrator), Penny Morrison (author)

A Patch From Scratch - Megan Forward  

Somewhere Else - Gus Gordon  

On the River - Roland Harvey

Mr Chicken Arriva a Roma - Leigh Hobbs  

Grandpa's Big Adventure - Tom Jellett (illustrator), Paul Newman (author)

Blue The Builder's Dog - Andrew Joyner (illustrator), Jen Storer (author)

Welcome to Country - Lisa Kennedy (illustrator), Aunty Joy Murphy (author) (see my review)

A Soldier, A Dog and A Boy - Phil Lesnie (illustrator), Libby Hathorn (author)

Archie No Ordinary Sloth - Heath McKenzie  

Melbourne Word by Word - Michael McMahon  

Snail and Turtle Rainy Days - Stephen Michael King

Pandamonia - Chris Nixon

Crusts - Matt Ottley  (illustrator), Danny Parker (author)

Spark - Andrew Plant (illustrator), Adam Wallace (author)

Smeck - Ben Redlich

Milo - Tobhy Riddle  

Gary - Leila Rudge

Dog Lost - Brian Simmonds (illustrator),  Jan Ramage (author)

Chooks in Dinner Suits - Craig Smith (illustrator), Dianne Jackson Hill (author)

Stanley - Colin Thompson  

Small Things - Mel Tregonning

Cyclone - Bruce Whatley (illustrator), Jackie French (author) (see my review)

New Year Surprise! - Di Wu (illustrator), Christopher Cheng (author)

Eve Pownall Award for Information Books Shortlist
Spellbound Making Pictures with the A B C - Maree Coote

A-Z of Endangered Animals - Jennifer Cossins

The Gigantic Book of Genes - Lorna Hendry

Fabish The Horse that Braved a Bushfire - Neridah McMullen (author), Andrew McLean (illustrator)

Amazing Animals of Australia's National Parks - Gina M Newton

William Bligh A Stormy Story of Temestuous Times - Michael Sedentary (author), Bern Emmerichs (illustrator)

Eve Pownall Award for Information Books Notables

Circle - Jeannie Baker (see my review)

Resource Stories of Australian Innovation in Wartime - Jennet Cole-Adams & Judy Gauld

Socks Sandbags and Leeches: Letters to my Anzac Dad - Pauline Deeves

Desert Lake - Pamela Freeman (author), Liz Anellia (illustrator)

Boomerang and Bat - Mark Greenwood (author), Terry Denton (illustrator)

Chooks in Dinner Suits - Diane Jackson Hill (author), Craig Smith (illustrator)

Hello! - Joanna Karmel (author), Tony Flowers (illustrator)

Australia's Nightingale: Nellie Melba - Cassy Liberman & Sara Carter Jenkins (authors), Emma Borghesi (illustrator)

The ABC Book of Food - Helen Martin & Judith Simpson (authors), Cheryl Orsini (illustrator)

Degas An Art Book for Kids - Kate Ryan (author), Cally Bennett (illustrator)

Aliens Ghosts and Vanishings Strange and Possibly True Australian Stories - Stella Tarakson

Crichton Award for New Illustrators 2017

A Patch from Scratch - Megan Forward

Mechanica- A beginner's field guide - Lance Balchin (see my review)

Melbourne Word by Word - Michael McMahon

Small Things - Mel Tregonning

The Patchwork Bike - Van T Rudd (illustrator), Maxine Beneba Clarke (author)

Welcome to Country - Lisa Kennedy (illustrator), Aunty Joy Murphy (author) (see my review)

Now that's a long list! Not surprising when there were 443 entries. 

I have read a dispiritingly small number of these books, but it certainly gives me something to strive for. I do love that you can name a horse Mrs Whitlam! I must read that one, and soon. It's an interesting short list this year with many debut and even self published authors making the grade. 

As usual I've somewhat randomly predicted my winners for each category. The true winners will be announced Friday August 18 at the start of Book Week. 

This year's Book Week theme is Escape to Everywhere. It has beautiful artwork done by Freya Blackwood.