The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) today announced their 2024 Book of the Year Awards.
The winning books are a mix of debut creatives (including Karen Comer whose YA novel Grace Notes written in verse form showcases incredible literary technique) through to the experienced, such as the established Tristan Bancks, whose Scar Town was 13 years in the making, and is already being used by teachers to entice reluctant readers.
Erica Wagner might be new to illustrating children’s books, however she has enjoyed a thirty-year long career in children’s publishing as an editor and publisher. The Eve Pownall winner Country Town showcases the brilliance of communicating information creatively combining the expertise of First Nations teacher Robyn Ridgeway, historical novelist Isolde Martyn and illustrator Louise Hogan.
Two Western Australian author/illustrators round out this year’s winners with Briony Stewart’s energetic Gymnastica Fantastica! winning the Early Childhood, and Kelly Canby’s Timeless taking out the competitive Picture Book Category above 200 other entries.
This year the Sun Project: Shadow Judging Book of the Year Award Winners were also announced simultaneously. Now in its third year, over 240 groups of school children (our Shadow Judges) assessed the shortlisted books and voted for their winners.
Reading is a magical experience, particularly for young people, and its importance in our society should not be underestimated. Our 78th CBCA award winners showcase the vibrancy and resilience of Australia’s literary landscape, and we are thrilled this year to also be announcing the results of the Shadow Judging simultaneously, which recognises the power of peer-to-peer recommendations.
— Jonathan Howard, CBCA National Chair
You can view the full list of winning titles from our Book of the Year Winners page.