2025 Book of the Year Awards | Shortlist
The 2025 CBCA Book of the Year Shortlist will be announced Tuesday 25 March at 12 noon AEDT!
Guide to the 2025 Notables
A guide to the 2025 Book of the Year Award Notable titles is available now in our shop.
These short but thoughtful reflections on titles from across all categories are written by this year’s cohort of expert judges.
They represent the hours of time the judges spent reading, re-reading and discussing these important examples of the very best of Australian children’s literature from last year.
A handy digital download, you can start using this guide in your classroom, library, bookshop or Shadow Judging group right away.
Book an Adventure in 2025!
Children’s Book Week | 16–23 August 2025
This year’s theme Book an Adventure ties the exploratory aspirations of this year’s artist Jess McGeachin and our invitation to join us in celebrating 80 years of Children’s Book Week.
Come on an adventure with us in 2025 as we travel across lands, time, and memories.
2025 CBCA Yearly Planner
The CBCA Digital Yearly Planner is the number-one annual gateway to Australian children’s literature.
The 2025 edition features art from this year’s Children’s Book Week theme Book an Adventure – all from the wild imagination of Jess McGeachin.
There’s a week-to-week planner, suggested reading lists and more.
2025 Book of the Year Awards
Mark your calendar with these important dates:
- Notables: Tuesday 25 February 2025
- Shortlist: Tuesday 25 March 2025
- Winners and Honours: Friday 15 August 2025
- Shadowers’ Choice Awards: Friday 15 August 2025
Entries for the 2025 Book of the Year Awards close on Saturday 30 November 2024.
Awards Foundation
We dreamt of funding prizes for Winning and Honour Books in the Children’s Book of the Year Awards to reward their creators. Your generous donation was part of that dream. You can make our dream a reality.
Gift Fund
Your donation to the CBCA Gift Fund will help fund programs that enrich young lives through Australian stories and create a thriving creative world. Support our mission to connect, communicate, celebrate and advocate stories across Australia.