CBCA Book of the Year Awards - 2021
Congratulations to all the Winners... Authors, Illustrators and Publishers!
Download the 2021 Winners in PDF
Watch the special 2021 Book of the Year announcement on YouTube
The 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.
Winner
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The End of the World is Bigger than Love
Davina Bell
Text Publishing
ISBN: 9781922268822
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Honours
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Metal Fish, Falling Snow
Cath Moore
Text Publishing
ISBN: 9781922330079
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Honours
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Where We Begin
Christie Nieman
Pan Macmillan Australia
ISBN: 9781743535660
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The 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. Ages 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.
Winner
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Aster's Good, Right Things
Kate Gordon
Riveted Press
ISBN: 9780648492573
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Honours
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The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst
Jaclyn Moriarty
ill. Kelly Canby Allen & Unwin
ISBN: 9781760875060
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Honours
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Worse Things
Sally Murphy
ill. Sarah Davis Walker Books Australia
ISBN: 9781760651657
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The 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
Winner
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No! Never!
Libby Hathorn & Lisa Hathorn-Jarman
ill. Mel Pearce Hachette Australia
ISBN: 9780734418906
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Honours
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Anemone is not the Enemy
Anna McGregor
Scribble Kids' Books
ISBN: 9781922310118
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Honours
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We Love You, Magoo
Briony Stewart
Penguin Random House Australia
ISBN: 9781760896904
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The 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 (NB. Some of these books may be for mature readers).
Note: Picture Books are listed by the illustrator, followed by the author
Winner
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How to Make a Bird
Matt Ottley
text. Meg McKinlay Walker Books Australia
ISBN: 9781925381894
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Honours
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Not cute.
Philip Bunting
Scholastic Australia
ISBN: 9781760972387
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Honours
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Your Birthday Was the Best!
Felicita Sala
text. Maggie Hutchings Affirm Press
ISBN: 9781925972535
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The 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
Winner
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Dry to Dry: The Seasons of Kakadu
Pamela Freeman
ill. Liz Anelli Walker Books Australia
ISBN: 9781760650285
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Honours
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The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Dangerous Animals
Sami Bayly
Hachette Australia
ISBN: 9780734420015
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Honours
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Strangers on Country
David Hartley & Kirsty Murray
ill. Dub Leffler National Library of Australia
ISBN: 9780642279552
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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.
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This Small Blue Dot
Zeno Sworder
Thames & Hudson Australia
ISBN: 9781760761110
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