This is the first instalment of a regular column from our children's book division manager, Kim Gruschow, who will be sharing her thoughts each month about all things children's literature.
You can read the June Readings Monthly online now, or pick up a copy in our shops. Keep an eye on our blog for more updates and recommended new releases throughout the month!
On 14 April, Jon Klassen won the 2026 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. The award is considered one of the highest accolades in children’s publishing and recognises significant contributions to children’s literature. Klassen is best known for his clever and funny picture books that always invite readers to consider what is happening on the page, rather than explaining it to them. I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t love I Want My Hat Back.
Since Maurice Sendak and Christine Nöstlinger were announced as the inaugural winners in 2003, Australia has been remarkably well represented with three wins: Sonya Hartnett won in 2008, Shaun Tan in 2011, and the incredible work of the Indigenous Literary Foundation was celebrated when it won the award in 2024. I mention this in case you harbour any shred of doubt that what happens here is world class. Children’s publishing in Australia is extremely strong and utterly unique.
This week I’ve been reading Wangka Wakanutja: The Story of the Papunya Literature Production Centre, a book that has been produced and published simultaneously with an exhibition that is currently on display at the National Library of Australia. Between 1979 and 1990, more than 300 Pintupi-Luritja bilingual books were created as literacy tools for children in Papunya. Wonderfully illustrated and covering a broad array of topics, they stand as an extraordinary example of community sustaining and recording culture through books.
In our shops this month we are celebrating Australian fiction and you’ll find a wonderful selection of Australian children’s novels from the past few decades. If you or a young person you know is looking for a great read, the range highlights excellent award winners and perennial staff favourites for all tastes, and includes books suitable for junior readers through to young adults.
