Book of the Year Award Judges
It is a great privilege to have such a wealth of of talent, knowledge, and professional practice and industry experience in our judging panel. Our panels of judges sit for 2 year-long terms, within the category of their known speciality. They volunteer their time from the very moment the first books arrive on their doorstep, reading every entry and meeting at regular intervals throughout the year. Without their dedicated passion and attention to excellence in children’s literature, our annual Book of the Year Awards would not be the success they are today.
The CBCA would like to thank the current incoming panel sitting for the 2025-2026 Awards term, and the many judges who have served before them. THANK YOU!
2025–2026 CBCA
Book Of The Year Awards Judges
Learn a little bit about the people comprising our judging panels.
Older Readers Category
Annika Kononen - 2025 & 2026
Annika is a passionate English teacher who believes in the power of reading to inspire and ignite creativity, empathy and wonder. Annika is Head of the English Faculty at Kinross College in Perth, Western Australia and has been an educator for ten years. Her teaching experience spans from Victoria to Western Australia and one of the her favourite parts of the job is teaching creative writing to young people! She is an avid reader and she absolutely loves the genres of speculative fiction, science fiction and romance. Annika is beyond excited to be a judge for the CBCA older reader’s category and is honoured to be a part of an organisation that ignites a passion for reading.
John Chisholm - 2026
John Chisholm has 30 years’ experience in Libraries, starting as a Stack Officer at the State Library of NSW when he was 16. He spent 15 years working in the Northern Territory as a Children’s & Youth Services Librarian, then as a High School Teacher–Librarian. During that time John was the NTs nominee to the inaugural CBCA National Board, spending seven years in that role. He now works in training for Local Government, across remote Central Australia.
Rachel Speck - 2026
Rachel has worked as a Library SSO in Adelaide, South Australia, for over six years. She is the creator and administrator of the Trigger Warning Database, a website providing content warnings for over 14,000 books to a global audience. Since 2011, Rachel has been writing reviews and creating content in the bookish blogosphere. She is an avid reader of every genre and a fierce lover of libraries. On rare occasions when Rachel is without a book, she is busy studying law at Adelaide University. She firmly believes there is a Just Right book for everyone and that literature is the best way to teach children empathy, kindness, and wonder.
Younger Readers Category
Sophie Helfgott - 2025 & 2026
Sophie Helfgott is a dedicated educator with a passion for literature and learning. After qualifying as a primary teacher, she transitioned to become a Teacher Librarian at Christ Church Grammar School, Claremont, in 2019. Sophie’s deep-seated love for reading is evident in her favourite part of the job: recommending books to students, discussing their favorites, and introducing them to new literary discoveries. She takes joy in innovating creative ways to foster a love for books and reading among her students. Sophie is thrilled to be judging the Younger Readers Category.
Bernadette Aitken - 2026
Bernadette Aitken lives and works in Canberra, ACT. She has been involved in education services for close to 40 years. After qualifying and working as a classroom teacher she saw the light and studied to gain her Library qualifications. She has worked as a Teacher Librarian for 30 years and knows it’s the best position to hold in any school.
Bernadette loves to share her love of reading with her students and staff members. She encourages the students to read widely, promoting library books, ebooks and audio books. Library displays, author visits, special literary days and events are all part of developing a love of reading in her students.
Participating in Kids Lit Quiz, Readers Cup and the Shadow Judging program with her students has been a priority over the last few years. These activities have allowed them to delve deeper into great literature.
Bernadette is excited to be a judge and have even more exciting books to share with her students.
Kym Diprose - 2026
Kym Diprose is currently the Head of Library at Haileybury Rendall School, a school situated on Larrakia land in Darwin, catering for students from ELC to Year 12. She holds degrees in Arts and Primary Teaching and a Masters in Librarianship. After starting her working life in libraries she taught English, Literature and Humanities subjects for 20 years in East Gippsland secondary colleges, holding a position as Head of English prior to moving to the Northern Territory in 2020. She taught for two years at Ngukurr school before permanently relocating to Darwin. Returning to a full-time library position and providing information services to students of all ages totally allows her to indulge her lifelong love of books, reading and the joyful creativity of young minds.
Early Childhood Category
Tania Mazzeo - 2025 & 2026
Tania has worked in educational publishing for almost 20 years at publishing houses such as Cengage Learning Australia, Oxford University Press and Macmillan. She has had various roles across editorial and publishing including Senior Editor, Managing Editor and Publisher.
Tania’s expertise has been in Primary publishing, having developed an extensive range (hundreds!) of books and digital products, spanning all subject areas, for young students and their teachers. She has collaborated with a diverse group of authors over the years to create engaging and meaningful books and resources. Tania has been on the judging panel of the Educational Publishing Awards Australia several times, most recently in 2022. She has an advanced diploma in professional writing and editing, and a graduate diploma in editing and publishing.
Tania also loves to write in her spare time. She is passionate about children’s literature and its transformational impact on young readers. Tania is absolutely thrilled to be judging the Early Childhood Category, which means she’ll be able to read a mountain of books for our youngest readers!
Anna Davidson - 2026
Anna has been an educator for over 20 years, teaching in Australia, China, and Canada. With a strong background in primary education, she later transitioned into the role of teacher librarian, allowing her to merge her passion for pedagogy, critical thinking, and literature while working with a diverse range of students.
Currently serving as Head of Library at The Hutchins School in nipaluna/Hobart, Anna engages students across all year levels, delivering dynamic library lessons for Pre-Kindergarten to Year 5 and fostering a love of reading among older students through informal interactions. She is particularly passionate about the annual CBCA Book Week, where she leads a shadow judging program for Junior School students, culminating in the much-anticipated School Choice Award ceremony.
A dedicated lifelong learner, Anna holds master’s degrees in Gifted Education, Teacher Librarianship, and Indigenous Education. She is honoured to serve as a judge for the Early Childhood category, firmly believing that there is a picture book for every reader, every learning moment, and every occasion.
Jenny Botje - 2026
Jenny Botje was a primary school teacher for 25 years. Her love for picture books was kindled in 1978 when, after graduating from Teachers’ College, she was gifted a set of picture books written and illustrated by Raymond Briggs. Throughout her years as a primary school teacher, picture books were integral to her teaching.
In 1999 Jenny was offered a position as Education Officer at the Fremantle Children’s Literature Centre where she worked for 17 years. She presented interactive visual literacy sessions to students using picture book exhibitions of the original artwork, and the written and illustration process material. Jenny liaised with authors, illustrators and publishers to discover the stories behind the stories.
Since retiring in 2020, Jenny has been kept busy as a committee member of the CBCA WA Branch, a volunteer for the annual Scribblers Literature Festival, a judge for various children’s writing competitions and a nanna of seven beautiful book-loving grandchildren.
Picture Book / New Illustrator Categories
Liz Murray - 2025 & 2026
Liz Murray is an author, teacher and library director living and working on Wurundjeri and Bunurong land. Her debut picture book ‘Gus’ was published with Berbay Books in 2024. She believes wholeheartedly in the power of picture books, and in the importance of doing all the voices. Liz is thrilled to be part of the iconic CBCA Book of the Year Awards, which has been such a champion of Australian creators and readers over the years. Plus, she’ll get to read a lot of picture books.
Dr Mark Macleod - 2026
Dr Mark Macleod designed courses in Children’s Literature for Macquarie University and Charles Sturt University and has taught Children’s Literature at universities and writers’ centres around the world. For many years he was a regular presenter on national television and radio and he has mentored many developing writers and illustrators.
As Publishing Director at Random House Australia and Publisher, Mark Macleod Books at Hachette Australia, he published and edited over 500 books for young readers, many of them award-winning, and has been National President of the Children’s Book Council of Australia, President of the NSW Branch and a judge for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, the Norman Lindsay Festival Award, and the Henry Lawson Award, among other prizes. His services to Children’s Literature were recognised with the Lady Cutler Award and the Pixie O’Harris Award. A writer for both young people and adults, Mark’s next book is a collection of poems for adults, City of Rainbows.
Kerry Gittins - 2026
Kerry is a writer, musician, podcaster and retired teacher librarian. Engaging children in reading and helping them understand the world through picture books has been a driving force throughout her career. She has taught in libraries around the globe including Germany, Switzerland, Vietnam and back home in Australia. Kerry has also lived in Papua New Guinea, Nepal and Sri Lanka and has seen the universal joy children derive from accessing a diverse range of high-quality literature in a variety of languages, and the positive impact it has on their engagement with reading, literacy, and learning. She co-hosts the podcast With This Book We Can which focuses on picture books and how to bring them to life in the classroom. Kerry is an avid reader of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, but picture books have always been her passion. She is excited and honoured to have been chosen as a judge for the Picture Book/New Illustrator category.
Eve Pownall Category
Jo Pentony - 2025 & 2026
Jo Pentony is a dedicated and passionate advocate for children’s literature, with a diverse career that spans roles as a Kindergarten teacher, primary school teacher, secondary school teacher, English teacher, Head of LOTE, and Lecturer of Literature.
Jo’s love for stories is evident in every aspect of their life. Growing up, Jo’s favourite place was the library, particularly sections 792 and 793, where many school days were spent immersed in books instead of the classroom. This early love for literature has only grown, and Jo now delights in reading, listening to, talking about, and sharing stories with anyone who will listen. A fervent supporter of quality Australian children’s literature, Jo is committed to celebrating and promoting the best works in the field. Currently, Jo dedicates their time to working with boys, helping them rediscover the joy of reading and fostering a lifelong love for books.
Amy McKinnon - 2026
Amy McKinnon is a bookseller for Avid Reader and Where The Wild Things Are Bookshops in Brisbane. Amy has been the Book Fairs Manager at Where the Wild Things Are Bookshop since 2022, providing services to schools and childcare centres across Queensland. More recently, Amy has been responsible for the development of WTWTA’s in-school catalogue, Reading Explorers. In 2023, Amy received a RISE International Booksellers Grant and did a residency at a bookshop in Chicago. She is an active member of the CBCA Queensland branch and has contributed to ABC Radio programs. When she’s not organising children’s book fairs, she’s busy reading speculative fiction and romance novels.
Lara Cain Gray - 2026
Lara Cain Gray is an author, librarian and storytelling advocate based in Meanjin, Brisbane. Her professional past includes research, teaching, librarianship and curatorial roles, including at the British Library, Queensland Museum, QUT and UQ. She currently works as Head of Acquisitions at nonprofit education publisher Library For All where she creates multilingual books for communities where poverty, history or remoteness prevents children’s access to traditional libraries. She has a PhD in Australian Literature and Culture Studies, has reviewed books on her website, in print and online for over 10 years, and has held a range of board and committee roles across the Arts. Her book, The Grown-Up’s Guide to Picture Books, was published in 2024 (with Lorena Carrington & Timothy Ide, MidnightSun Publishing). She is passionate about elevating respect for children’s literature and supporting its widespread enjoyment in homes, schools and wider society. She is honoured to be part of the judging panel in the Eve Pownall category.
2024-2025 CBCA
Book Of The Year Awards Judges
Learn a little bit about the people comprising our judging panels!
Older Readers Category
Maria Alessandrino - 2024 & 2025
Annika Kononen - 2025
Annika is a passionate English teacher who believes in the power of reading to inspire and ignite creativity, empathy and wonder. Annika is Head of the English Faculty at Kinross College in Perth, Western Australia and has been an educator for ten years. Her teaching experience spans from Victoria to Western Australia and one of the her favourite parts of the job is teaching creative writing to young people! She is an avid reader and she absolutely loves the genres of speculative fiction, science fiction and romance. Annika is beyond excited to be a judge for the CBCA older reader’s category and is honoured to be a part of an organisation that ignites a passion for reading.
Julia Petricevic - 2024 & 2025
Julia Petricevic is the Head of Library and Information Services at Genazzano FCJ College in Kew, Victoria. She has been working as a teacher librarian for nearly a decade, focusing on fostering in students a love for reading through discussion and social connection. She has written book reviews for Magpies and Viewpoint and has recently re-joined the committee for the Victorian branch of the CBCA, having previously served on the committee in 2015 – 2016. Julia is the author of a children’s picture book, Shadowcat, featuring stunning illustrations by Anne Ryan.
Julia has helped students through the Shadow Judging process for several years and is excited to begin her journey as a Judge for the Older Readers category.
Younger Readers Category
Cathie Tasker - 2024 & 2025
Once a publisher and editor, Cathie Tasker has edited and commissioned over 800 books and now works as a creative writing teacher and freelance editor and project manager of picture books. She’s passionate about books, reading and online learning.
Cathie has worked with Australia’s leading trade and children’s book publishers: Magabala Books, HarperCollins Publishers, Scholastic Australia and Koala Books. She judges literary awards for fun, and has worked with the CBCA, the Aurealis Awards, the NSW Premier’s LiteraryAwards, the Lane Cove Short Story Award and others.
Cathie is well respected in the industry and was invited to update the Australasian content of The Oxford Companion to Children’s Literature in 2015.
Ilona Urquhart - 2024 & 2025
Ilona Urquhart is a Children’s and Youth Services Librarian with the Geelong Regional Libraries. She has a PhD in Literary Studies from Deakin University, where she formerly taught classes on Children’s Literature. Her love of libraries, books, and working with children led her to change her career focus and complete a Master of Information Studies (Children’s Librarianship) through Charles Sturt University. Ilona also reviews YA fiction and Adult Thrillers and Crime Fiction for Books + Publishing. She is an avid reader of a wide range of books and is thrilled to be a CBCA Judge in the Younger Readers Category.
Sophie Helfgott - 2025 & 2026
Sophie Helfgott is a dedicated educator with a passion for literature and learning. After qualifying as a primary teacher, she transitioned to become a Teacher Librarian at Christ Church Grammar School, Claremont, in 2019. Sophie’s deep-seated love for reading is evident in her favourite part of the job: recommending books to students, discussing their favorites, and introducing them to new literary discoveries. She takes joy in innovating creative ways to foster a love for books and reading among her students. Sophie is thrilled to be judging the Younger Readers Category.
Early Childhood Category
Nola Allen - 2024 & 2025
Nola Allen has worked in the library and education sectors in Western Australia for over 40 years, specialising in services for children and families. From 2004 to 2013, Nola was the Program Co-ordinator of the State Library of Western Australia’s Better Beginnings Family Literacy Program. In this role she collaborated on the initiation, development and implementation of this award-winning statewide literacy program which promotes reading and book sharing with children from birth.
With a special interest in the fields of children’s literature, literacy and reading promotion, Nola has co-authored two children’s books and writes for professional journals and publications. Nola has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Library Studies), is a long-standing committee member of the WA Branch of the Children’s Book Council of Australia and a past CBCA Book of the Year Eve Pownall award judge. In recent years, as a freelance consultant, Nola has worked as a research assistant for Edith Cowan University on early literacy projects, and with local governments and libraries on library programming and community publishing projects with families and young people.
Kathryn Beilby - 2024 & 2025
Kathryn Beilby is a qualified teacher and teacher librarian who currently works as a Library SSO in a small Catholic school in Adelaide, SA. Kathryn became President of the CBCA SA Branch late 2021 and continued in the role in 2022. She had been a committee member for several years prior to becoming President.
Kathryn is a regular reviewer of children’s literature for ReadPlus and several Australian publishers. She loves the quality and diversity of Australian children’s literature and enjoys sharing these wonderful books with her students and the wider community.
Tania Mazzeo - 2025
Tania has worked in educational publishing for almost 20 years at publishing houses such as Cengage Learning Australia, Oxford University Press and Macmillan. She has had various roles across editorial and publishing including Senior Editor, Managing Editor and Publisher.
Tania’s expertise has been in Primary publishing, having developed an extensive range (hundreds!) of books and digital products, spanning all subject areas, for young students and their teachers. She has collaborated with a diverse group of authors over the years to create engaging and meaningful books and resources. Tania has been on the judging panel of the Educational Publishing Awards Australia several times, most recently in 2022. She has an advanced diploma in professional writing and editing, and a graduate diploma in editing and publishing.
Tania also loves to write in her spare time. She is passionate about children’s literature and its transformational impact on young readers. Tania is absolutely thrilled to be judging the Early Childhood Category, which means she’ll be able to read a mountain of books for our youngest readers!
Picture Book / New Illustrator Categories
Natalia Bragaru - 2024 & 2025
As a well-versed aficionado of children’s literature, Natalia Bragaru’s deep-set passion for picture books has earned her a respected voice in the field. Her current role as a Consultant Book Buyer at ‘Lost in Books’, a multilingual children’s bookshop, allows her to inspire love for reading across languages, drawing upon her multicultural approach to literature and appreciation for aesthetic illustrations. Natalia’s insightful reviews and in-depth analysis of children’s books, shared on her blog, Kids Book Explorer, have won a broad and appreciative readership. This passion for picture books is embodied in her impressive personal collection of over 1000 titles and more than 80 original illustrations from renowned international artists.
Possessing a Master of Art and Curatorship from the University of Sydney and serving as Director, Arts Investment Analysis at the Australia Council for the Arts, Natalia has a deep-rooted connection to the arts. This background underpins her valuable contributions to the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA), including her time as a committee member and Treasurer of the NSW Branch. The experience she garnered at Pinerolo, the Children’s Book Cottage run by Margaret Hamilton, along with her interactions with numerous children’s picture book creators, has sharpened her expertise in illustration techniques, media, and styles.
Lotte ten Hacken - 2024 & 2025
Lotte has been a primary school educator for 20 years. She has a Masters in Teacher Librarianship and has been a TL since 2016. She loves her job working part-time as a TL at St Peter’s Lutheran College, Indooroopilly. Her passionate belief in the transformational power of picturebooks inspired her to pursue a doctorate and she is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland. Her research focuses on using picturebooks to stimulate dialogue and foster children’s intercultural understanding. Lotte also works as a sessional academic at UQ, teaching pre-service primary teachers English curriculum. Her favourite part of the year is Book Week and she especially enjoys having animated debates about the shortlisted book with her students (and anyone who will listen!). She is thrilled to contribute to the mission of the CBCA to celebrate and advocate for the value of stories through her role as a judge.
Liz Murray - 2025
Liz Murray is an author, teacher and library director living and working on Wurundjeri and Bunurong land. Her debut picture book ‘Gus’ was published with Berbay Books in 2024. She believes wholeheartedly in the power of picture books, and in the importance of doing all the voices. Liz is thrilled to be part of the iconic CBCA Book of the Year Awards, which has been such a champion of Australian creators and readers over the years. Plus, she’ll get to read a lot of picture books.
Eve Pownall Category
Fran Carson - 2024 & 2025
How could we not Read, Grow and be Inspired by the wonderful non fiction books which are submitted each year for judging in the Eve Pownall category. As a teacher and Teacher Librarian for a number of decades in both government and Catholic schools, I have had the privilege of sharing many of these books with children. The high standard of both the information and illustrations displayed by books in this category has continued to grow and inspire each year. The visual appeal of these powerful Australian books is certainly a far cry from the information books of my childhood.
I have been the Secretary and an active committee member of the Central Coast, NSW Sub-Branch for over 25 years and a facilitator for the Shadow Judging initiative in 2022 and again this year. I have a Master of Applied Science (Teacher Librarianship) from CSU and am very excited to have the opportunity to be part of the Judging Panel for the Book of the Year Awards.
Kathryn Eyre - 2024 & 2025
Kathryn is a committed believer in the power of Literature
to enhance our society and improve educational outcomes. Kathryn is Head
of Library & Information Services at Saint Ignatius’ College, Riverview,
NSW and has been an educator for over 20 years. Her teaching experience
includes positions in Japan, England and Australia and she has taught across
the different sectors of education, Government, Catholic and Independent. In
2023, Kathryn was awarded the SLANSW John H Lee Memorial Award for Library Team
of the Year. She has been a board member for ALIA and also CBCANSW president.
She is surrounded by young adults each day and is acutely
aware of their reading styles and habits. Kathryn is a keen supporter of the
wonderful work of the CBCA. She has previously judged the Older Readers
category and is now in her second year as judge for the Eve Pownall category.
Jo Pentony - 2025
Jo Pentony is a dedicated and passionate advocate for children’s literature, with a diverse career that spans roles as a Kindergarten teacher, primary school teacher, secondary school teacher, English teacher, Head of LOTE, and Lecturer of Literature.
Jo’s love for stories is evident in every aspect of their life. Growing up, Jo’s favourite place was the library, particularly sections 792 and 793, where many school days were spent immersed in books instead of the classroom. This early love for literature has only grown, and Jo now delights in reading, listening to, talking about, and sharing stories with anyone who will listen. A fervent supporter of quality Australian children’s literature, Jo is committed to celebrating and promoting the best works in the field. Currently, Jo dedicates their time to working with boys, helping them rediscover the joy of reading and fostering a lifelong love for books.