The Children’s Book Council of Australia are kicking off their year with the announcement of the 2020 CBCA Notables List – the longlist for their Book of the Year awards!
The books on the List this year were drawn from 517 entries, with CBCA National Chair Professor Margot Hillel OAM praising its diversity.
“Our Notable books are set in small towns and big cities in Australia and overseas. They take us from the ocean to the bush, telling stories of Indigenous, immigrant, disabled, LGBTQI+ and elderly characters. Many were created by ‘own voice’ writers and illustrators,” she said.
“There are genre books that break the rules, such as fantasy crossed with science fiction, history and mystery. Romance that isn’t just for girls. Sports books that aren’t really sports books.”
Established in 1946, the CBCA Book of the Year awards are considered to be Australia’s most prestigious prize for children’s literature. The shortlist will be announced on Tuesday, 31st of March and the winners will be revealed on Friday, 21st of August.
Scroll down to see the 2020 CBCA Notables List!
Book of the Year: Older Readers
The Man in the Water by David Burton
Devil’s Ballast by Meg Caddy
The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim
The Boy Who Steals Houses by C.G. Drews
The Last Balfour by Cait Duggan
How It Feels to Float by Helena Fox
Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller
The Honeyman and the Hunter by Neil Grant
Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
It Sounded Better in My Head by Nina Kenwood
Monuments by Will Kostakis
All That Impossible Space by Anna Morgan
Promise Me Happy by Robert Newton
Angel Mage by Garth Nix
When the Ground is Hard by Malla Nunn
Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte
Invisible Boys by Holden Sheppard
This Is How We Change the Ending by Vikki Wakefield
Take the Shot by Susan White
Impossible Music by Sean Williams
Book of the Year: Younger Readers
A Great Escape by Felice Arena
Detention by Tristan Bancks
Mr Walker and the Dessert Delight by Jess Black & Sara Acton (Illustrator)
The Days of in Between by Peter Valentine Fenton
Pirate Boy of Sydney Town by Jackie French
As Happy as Here by Jane Godwin
How to Make a Movie in 12 Days by Fiona Hardy
The Little Wave by Pip Harry
Hapless Hero Henrie by Petra James & A. Yi (Illustrator)
Winston and the Wondrous Wooba Gymnastics Club by Tamsin Janu
A Different Land by Paul Jennings & Geoff Kelly (Illustrator)
The Thing About Oliver by Deborah Kelly
Songbird by Ingrid Laguna
Maddie in the Middle by Julia Lawrinson
The Dog Runner by Bren MacDribble
Catch a Falling Star by Meg McKinlay
The Girl, the Dog and the Writer in Lucerne by Katrina Nannestad
The Glimme by Emily Rodda & Marc McBride (Illustrator)
Sick Bay by Nova Weetman
The Secrets of Magnolia Moon by Edwina Wyatt & Katherine Quinn (Illustrator)
Book of the Year: Early Childhood
Cat and Dog by Jonathan Bentley
Little Puggle’s Song by Vikki Conley & Hélène Magisson (Illustrator)
A Stack of Alpacas by Matt Cosgrove
We’re Stuck by Sue deGennaro
Ivanhoe Swift Left Home at Six by Jane Godwin & A. Yi
Leaping Lola by Tracey Hawkins & Anil Tortop (Illustrator)
I See, I See. by Robert Henderson
The Hole Idea by Beth & Paul Macdonald & Nathaniel Eckstrom (Illustrator)
The Book Chook by Amelia McInerney & Connah Brecon (Illustrator)
Let Me Sleep, Sheep! by Meg McKinlay & Leila Rudge (Illustrator)
Baz & Benz by Heidi McKinnon
One Runaway Rabbit by David Metzenthen & Mairead Murphy (Illustrator)
Little Bird’s Day by Sally Morgan & Johnny Warrkatja Malibirr (Illustrator)
Bat vs Poss by Alexa Moses & Anil Tortop (Illustrator)
When Billy Was a Dog by Kirsty Murray & Karen Blair (Illustrator)
Meerkat Splash by Aura Parker
You Might Find Yourself by Tai Snaith
Sleep Tight, Platypup by Renée Treml
My Friend Fred by Frances Watts & A. Yi (Illustrator)
Goodbye House, Hello House by Margaret Wild & Ann James (Illustrator)
Picture Book of the Year
Ella and the Ocean by Jonathan Bentley & Lian Tanner
Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall
Liarbird by Philip & Laura Bunting
Rodney by Kelly Canby
Dear Grandpa by Ronojoy Ghost & Kate Simpson
Mallee Sky by Tannya Harricks & Jodi Toering
Mr Chicken All Over Australia by Leigh Hobbs
Nop by Caroline Magerl
I NEED a Parrot by Chris McKimmie
Three by Stephen Michael King
The Good Son: A Story from the First World War, Told in Miniature by Jules Ober, Felicity Coonan & Pierre-Jacques Ober
Let Me Sleep, Sheep! by Meg McKinlay & Leila Rudge (Illustrator)
Baby Business by Jasmine Seymour
Queen Celine by Matt Shanks
Windcatcher: Migration of the Short-tailed Shearwater by Craig Smith & Diane Hill
The Gift by Michael Speechley
Lottie and Walter by Anna Walker
Tilly by Anna Walker & Jane Godwin
Little Bird’s Day by Johnny Warrkatja Malibirr & Sally Morgan
One Tree by Bruce Whatley & Christopher Cheng
Eve Pownall Award
Australia’s Amazing Dinosaursby Australian Geographic
Playing with Collage by Jeannie Baker
The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ugly Animals by Sami Bayly
Argh! There’s a Skeleton Inside You! by Idan Ben-Barak & Julian Frost (Illustrator)
Australian Sea Life by Matt Chun
The Ultimate Animal Counting Book by Jennifer Cossins
Explore Your World: Weird, Wild, Amazing! by Tim Flannery & Sam Caldwell (Illustrator)
Searching for Cicadas by Lesley Gibbes & Judy Watson (Illustrator)
Under the Stars: Astrophysics for Bedtime by Lisa Harvey-Smith & Mel Matthews (Illustrator)
Beauty by Sandra Kendell
Now and Then by Fiona Levings
Australian Backyard Earth Scientist by Peter Macinnis
Born to Fly by Beverley McWilliams & Timothy Ide (Illustrator)
A Hollow is a Home by Abbie Mitchell & Astred Hicks (Illustrator)
Wilam: A Birrarung Story by Aunty Joy Murphy, Andrew Kelly & Lisa Kennedy (Illustrator)
Trouble in the Surf by Stephanie Owen Reeder & Briony Stewart
Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe
Yahoo Creek: An Australian Mystery by Tohby Riddle
Cooee Mittigar by Jasmine Seymour & Leanne Mulgo Watson
Kulinmaya! Keep Listening, Everybody! by Mumu Mike Williams
For more information about the Children’s Book Council of Australia, click here
About the Contributor
Olivia Fricot
Olivia Fricot (she/her) is Booktopia's Senior Content Producer and editor of the Booktopian blog. She has too many plants and not enough bookshelves, and you can usually find her reading, baking, or talking to said plants. She is pro-Oxford comma.
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