The winners of the CBCA Book of the Year Awards 2023
The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced their Book of the Year Awards winners for 2023. These Awards celebrate the best Australian books for readers in early childhood up to young adult readers.
Here are the winners for each category:
Older Readers (Ages 13-18 years)
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.
Neverlanders by Tom Taylor and Jon Sommariva (illus.)
Bee and her fellow runaways are their own found family. So when a stranger named Paco saves her life, Bee invites him to join their crew, thinking he’s another lost teen. The truth is Paco’s not just a lost teen, he’s a Lost Boy from Neverland. And he needs Bee and the others to come back with him.
When the group is then spirited away by a foul-mouthed Tinker Bell, they discover that Neverland is not some fun-filled hideaway. It’s a war zone under siege by a horde of pirates with a merciless new leader who will stop at nothing to steal the land’s magic. Tink leads a fairy army that barely holds them at bay. Peter Pan is gone. And rest of the Lost Boys have been killed. Paco is all that remains … but he hopes that this group of teens will become the new Lost Ones.
Honour books
- Completely Normal (and Other Lies) by Biffy James
- The Other Side of Tomorrow by Hayley Lawrence
Younger Readers (Ages 7-12 years)
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.
Runt by Craig Silvey & Sara Acton (illus.)
Annie Shearer lives in a country town with her best friend, an adopted stray dog called Runt. The two share a very special bond. After years evading capture, Runt is remarkably fast and agile, perfect for herding runaway sheep. But when a greedy local landowner puts her family’s home at risk, Annie directs Runt’s extraordinary talents towards a different pursuit - winning the Agility Course Grand Championship at the lucrative Krumpets Dog Show in London.
But Runt will only obey Annie’s commands if nobody else is watching. With all eyes on them, Annie and Runt must beat the odds and the fastest dogs in the world to save her farm. Runt is a heart-warming and hilarious tale of kindness, friendship, hurdles, hoops, tunnels, see-saws, being yourself and bringing out the best in others.
Honour books
- Evie and Rhino by Neridah McMullin & Astred Hicks (illus.)
- The Raven's Song by Zana Fraillon & Bren MacDibble (illus.)
Early Childhood (Ages 0-6 years)
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.
Where the Lyrebird Lives by Vikki Conley & Max Hamilton (illus)
High in the mountains through the sleepy clouds.
Deep in the forest past the chiming birds.
Will we see the lyrebird? I don’t know. Tip-toe, tip-toe.
The beauty of the Australian rainforest and the magic of family-time come together in this lyrical and delightful story of intergenerational connection, habitat and adventure.
Honour books
- Bev and Kev by Katrina Germein & Mandy Foot (illus.)
- Snap by Anna Walker
Picture Book of the Year (Ages 0-18 years)
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).
My Strange Shrinking Parents by Zeno Sworder
One boy’s parents travel from far-off lands to improve their son’s life. But what happens next is unexpected.
In this heart-warming story, Zeno Sworder reflects on his own migrant parents’ sacrifices to create a universal story about what it means to give to those you love. Drawing from the sacrifices his Chinese mother made to raise her young family in a small country town, Sworder’s drawings are full of beautiful detail and fairytale settings that explore his own journey from child to parent.
With humour and pathos, Sworder reflects on the strange nature of giving and receiving love and celebrates those parents who embrace a hard life for themselves in the hope of a better life from their children. Full of depth and generosity as well as insight and candour, Sworder brings this gorgeous fable to life.
Honour books
- Dirt by Sea by Michael Wagner & Tom Jellett (illus.)
- Paradise Sands: A Story of Enchantment by Levi Pinfold
Eve Pownall Award for Information Books (Ages 0–18 years)
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.
Deep: Dive Into Hidden Worlds by Jess McGeachin
What hidden worlds lie beneath your feet? Or in the deepest parts of the ocean, where not even sunlight can reach? Come on a journey to meet glowing deep-sea creatures, zombie-making fungi and the trillions of tiny workers that live inside your own body. But be warned, things can get a little strange in the deep…
Deep is an illustrated non-fiction book that explores the places hardest to reach, from the molten depths of our planet to the frigid depths of outer space. Linking seemingly diverse subject matter, it invites the reader to explore worlds hidden from view.
Honour books
- Come Together: Things Every Aussie Kid Should Know about the First Peoples by Isaiah Firebrace, Jaelyn Biumaiwai (illus), Keisha Leon (design)
- Wild Australian Life by Leonard Cronin & Chris Nixon (illus.)
Award for New Illustrator (Ages 0–18 years)
This award aims to recognise and encourage new talent in the field of Australian children's book illustration. Ages 0-18 years.
Tiny Wonders by Sally Soweol Han
Bursting with colour, Tiny Wonders is the story of a small child trying to bring wonder back to her town through the language of flowers, from talented Korean-Australian artist Sally Soweol Han.
April thinks if her town was a colour, it would be grey. Everyone is too busy to stop and look around. How can she help them slow down?
When she remembers the happiness that dandelions brought her grandmother, April comes up with a plan…
Bursting with colour, this is a sweet story about flowers, family and the wonders children wish for.