The Young Australians Best Book Awards (YABBA) were established in 1985 by a group of Victorians keen to see children engage in reading Australian books. Their goal is to have children recommend, read, rate and reward their favourite Australian books.

During Term 1 each year, Victorian children are asked to recommend their favourite Australian books by nominating four Australian titles. All nominations are collated and the 10 books with the most nominations in each of the award categories are the shortlisted books for that year.

Here are the shortlisted books for 2019…

Picture Story Books

• Crabbing With Dad by Paul Seddon
• Go Go and the Silver Shoes by Jane Godwin & Anna Walker
• Leonard the Lyrebird by Jodie McLeod
• Mopoke by Philip Bunting
• Pig the Star by Aaron Blabey
• Rodney Loses It! by Michael Gerard Bauer & Chrissie Krebs
• Seriously, Do Not Open This Book! by Andy Lee & Heath McKenzie
• The Fabulous Friend Machine by Nick Bland
• Too Many Cheeky Dogs by Johanna Bell & Dion Beasley
• When I Grow Up by Andrew Daddo & Jonathan Bentley

Fiction for Younger Readers

• Alice Miranda In Scotland by Jacqueline Harvey
• The Bad Guys Episode 7: Do-you-think-he-saurus?! by Aaron Blabey
• Billie B Brown: The Bully Buster by Sally Rippin
• Ella And Olivia Book 22: Popstar Sisters by Yvette Pogloshian & Danielle McDonald
• Ella Diaries Book 1: Double Dare You by Meredith Costain & Danielle McDonald
• Hotdog! Book 5: Camping Time by Anh Do & Dan McGuiness
• Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables Fight Back by Tim Harris & James Hart
• Sporty Kids: Little Athletics by Felice Arena & Tom Jellett
• WeirDo Book 11: Splashy Weird! by Anh Do & Jules Faber
• The Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee by Deborah Abela

Fiction for Older Readers

• 52 Mondays by Anna Ciddor
• Fearless Frederic by Felice Arena
• Finding Serendipity by Angelica Banks
• Funny Kid For President by Matt Stanton
• Help Around The House by Morris Gleitzman
• Nevermoor :The Trials Of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
• So Wrong: Uncensored by Michael Wagner & Wayne Bryant
• The 104-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton
• The Forgotten Pearl by Belinda Murrell
• You Choose: Alien Invaders From Beyond The Stars by Geoff Ivanoff

Fiction for Years 7-9

• A Song Only I Can Hear by Barry Jonsberg
• Akarnae by Lynette Noni
• Everything I’ve Never Said by Samantha Wheeler
• In The Dark Spaces by Cally Black
• Maybe by Morris Gleitzman
• Take Three Girls by Cath Crowley, Simmone Howell & Fiona Wood
• The Build-Up Season by Megan Jacobson
• The Endsister by Penni Russon
• The Girl from Snowy River by Jackie French
• The Sky So Heavy by Claire Zorn

Students are encouraged to read as many of these books across Term 2 and Term 3 that they can, and the winner will be determined by a public vote in Term 4.

You can find out more about YABBA, including how to participate here. The winners are revealed on October 30 or October 31, 2019.