2024 CBCA Book Of The Year Awards

Your 2024 Shortlisted titles have been released!

Congratulations to all CBCA Book of the Year Award Shortlist authors, illustrators and publishers for 2024. Please enjoy our short announcement video.

Play Video

The Book of the Year Awards Shortlist 2024 is a cut down version of the 2024 Notable Australian Children’s Books. Compiled from critiques submitted by our expert judges, this document can aid their discovery of good stories to read, a reported reason they give for not reading. So share it, discuss it, and let’s continue to grow our reading culture!

Happy reading!

Book of the Year Award Shortlist critiques, for all 2024 shortlisted titles.PDF icon (PDF 2.1 Mb.)

Book of the Year Award Shortlist, complete listPDF icon (PDF 838 Kb.)

Select a button and jump straight to that award category.

The CBCA is made up of state branches, that work to promote literature and literacy in their state. The branches each send a representative to the judging panel for the Book of the Year awards.

Members of the CBCA’s National Board are either nominated by their state/territory branches or sit as independent directors.

Book Of The Year: Older Readers

Entries in this category may be fiction, drama or poetry and should be appropriate in style and content for readers in their secondary years of schooling. Ages 13-18 years.

Note: Books in this category are for mature readers and some may deal with particularly challenging themes including violence and suicide. Parental guidance is recommended.

Book Of The Year: Younger Readers

Entries in this category may be fiction, drama or poetry and should be appropriate in style and content for readers from the middle to upper primary years. 7-12 years.

Note: some of the titles in this category may only be suitable for readers who are in the upper primary years as they contain mature themes, including violence. Parental guidance is recommended.

Book Of The Year: Early Childhood

Entries in this category may be fiction, drama or poetry and should be appropriate in style and content for children who are at pre-reading or early stages of reading. Ages 0-6 years.

Picture Book Of The Year

Entries in this category should be outstanding books of the Picture Book genre in which the author and illustrator achieve artistic and literary unity or, in wordless picture books, where the story, theme or concept is unified through illustrations. Ages 0-18 years.

(Note: some of these books may be for mature readers.)

Eve Pownall Award

Entries in this category should be books which have the prime intention of documenting factual material with consideration given to imaginative presentation, interpretation and variation of style. Ages 0-18 years.

(Note: books in this category are for mature readers and some may deal with particularly challenging themes including violence and suicide. Parental guidance is recommended)

Cbca Award For New Illustrator

This Award aims to recognise and encourage new talent in the field of Australian children’s book illustration. Ages 0-18 years.

2024 Book of the Year Award Shortlist quick references

Please help yourself to any of these handy Shortlist document downloads.

CategoryPDF downloadWord document download
2024 Shortlist book critiquesPDF icon (PDF 2.1 Mb.)word document icon (DOCX 2.4 Mb.)
Book of the Year Award Shortlist, complete listPDF icon (PDF 238 Kb.)Word document icon (DOC. 66 Kb.)
2024 Notable Books critiques 2024PDF icon (PDF 178 Kb.) blank
Click on a button below to return to that category.

Hold The Date

The CBCA Book of the Year Award Winners, Honours and Sun Project: Shadow Judging Book of the Year Winner announcement is Friday, 16 August 2024.

Bookmark our Winners web page (https://cbca.org.au/winners-2024) for quick access on the day.

Young Voices Are Welcome Here

The 2024 Sun Project: Shadow Judging Book of the Year Awards national reading program is an excellent opprtunity to encourage young readers to explore the CBCA Bok of the Year Award Shortlisted titles in greater depth.

Register a group/s today!

2024 Children's Book Week® Merchandise

Your official 2024 catalogue is now available. This year’s catalogue is bursting with regular favourites, dynamic display items, and a range of new surprises.

Download the PDF(PDF icon 7.7 Mb.) version now or visit our store for more product details.

Congratulations to all CBCA Book of the Year Award Notable authors, illustrators and publishers for 2024. Please enjoy our annual video presentation.
Scroll to Top