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The Children's Book Council of Australia have announced the shortlists for the Book of the Year Awards 2026.

Older Readers

Of Flame and Fury, Mikayla Bridge (Macmillan Australia) 
Darkest Night, Brightest Star, Barry Jonsberg (Allen & Unwin) 
This Stays Between Us, Margot McGovern (Penguin Random House Australia) 
We Saw What You Started, Carla Salmon (Pan Australia) 
Golden, Jade Timms (Text Publishing) 
Unhallowed Halls, Lili Wilkinson (Allen & Unwin) 

Younger Readers

Run, Sarah Armstrong (Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing) 
Something Terrible: Tim Tie-Your-Shoelaces, Sally Barton, illustrated by Christopher Nielsen (Walker Books Australia)  
Little Bones, Sandy Bigna (University of Queensland Press) 
Spirit of the Crocodile, Aaron Fa’aoso & Michelle Scott Tucker with Lyn White (Allen & Unwin)  
The Paperbark Tree Committee, Karys McEwen (Text Publishing) 
Inked, Karen Wasson, illustrated by Jake A Minton (Figment Books) 

Early Childhood

The Thing About Christmas, Jo Dabrowski, illustrated by Briony Stewart (Little Book Press)  
Derek, Anne Donaldson, illustrated by Matt Shanks (Little Hare) 
Frogs Are Our Friends, Toni D’Alia, Madeline White (Bright Light) 
My Nonno Loves, Adelle Frittitta, illustrated by Claudia Frittitta (Little Hare) 
The Colours of Home, Sally Soweol Han (Thames and Hudson Australia) 
The Emperor’s Egg, Rae Tan (Lothian Children’s Books) 

Picture Book of the Year

Bob and Dob, Sean E Avery (Walker Books Australia) 
Tiwi in Paris, Glen Farmer Illortaminni (Thames and Hudson Australia) 
Dear Broccoli, Cate James, text by Jo Dabrowski (Affirm Press)  
Dawn, Marc Martin (Walker Books Australia)  
The Frog’s First Song, Jason Phu, text by Jazz Money (University of Queensland Press) 
Once I was a Giant, Zeno Sworder (Thames and Hudson Australia) 

Eve Pownall Award

There’s a Prawn in Parliament House: The Kids’ Guide to Australia’s Amazing Democracy, Annabel Crabb, illustrated by First Dog on the Moon (Allen & Unwin) 
A Loo of One’s Own, Eleri Harris (Allen & Unwin) 
Peculiar Parents, Stephanie Owen Reeder, illustrated by Ingrid Bartkowiak (NLA Publishing) 
The Thylacine and the Time Machine, Renée Treml (Allen & Unwin) 
Caution! This Book Contains Deadly Reptiles, Corey Tutt, Ben Williams (Allen & Unwin) 
Ningaloo, Tim Winton, illustrated by Cindy Lane (Fremantle Press)

New Illustrator

Save the Gum Trees, Bees and Big Blue Seas, Luke John Matthew Arnold (Scholastic Press) 
Beyond the Shore, Mark Chester Harding, text by Kirli Saunders (Scholastic Press) 
A Loo of One’s Own, Eleri Harris (Allen & Unwin) 
Prayer for a River, Uncle Glenn Loughrey, text by Andrew Kelly & Uncle Glenn Loughrey (Wild Dog Books) 
A Farm by the Sea, Jillian Packer (Berbay Publishing) 
Being Indy, Estee Sarsfield, text by Zoe Gaetjens (WestWords Children’s)

The Winners for the Indie Book Awards 2026 are:

CHILDREN’S
Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend (Lothian Children's Books)

YOUNG ADULT
Eleanor Jones is Playing with Fire by Amy Doak (Penguin Australia)

BOOK OF THE YEAR
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (Penguin Australia)

FICTION
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (Penguin Australia)

NON-FICTION
Always Home, Always Homesick by Hannah Kent (Picador Australia)

DEBUT FICTION
When Sleeping Women Wake by Emma Pei Yin (Hachette Australia)

ILLUSTRATED NON-FICTION
Wild by Design by Tim Pilgrim (Murdoch Books)

The Children's Book Council of Australia have announced their 2026 Notables lists.

The 2025 Aurealis Awards winners for speculative fiction have been announced. Of special interest:

BEST CHILDREN’S FICTION

Winner
Little Bones, Sandy Bigna (UQP)

Finalists
Villain, Adrian Beck (Scholastic Australia)
Moonboy, Anna Ciddor (Allen & Unwin)
Escape from Firestone Fortress, Rachel Jackson (Riveted Press)
The Last Seed Keeper, Paul Russell (EK Books)
When the Mountain Wakes, Matt Shanks (Affirm Press)

BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL

Winner
The Serpent Called Mercy, Roanne Lau (New Dawn)

Finalists

Blood Moon Bride, Demet Divaroren (Allen & Unwin)
Lady’s Knight, Amie Kaufman & Megan Spooner (Allen & Unwin)
Dark Sun Rising, A A Kinsela (Plainspeak Publishing)
This Stays Between Us, Margot McGovern (Penguin Random House Australia)
Unhallowed Halls, Lili Wilkinson (Allen & Unwin)

The American Library Association 2026 Youth Media Award winners and honor books have been announced.

The 2026 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards shortlist 2026 has been announced. Of special interest:

Prize for Children’s Literature
Once I Was a Giant by Zeno Sworder (Thames and Hudson Australia) 
Caution! This Book Contains Deadly Reptiles by Corey Tutt and Ben Williams (Allen & Unwin) 
Creature Clinic by Gavin Aung Than (Hardie Grant Children's Publishing) 
The Wondrous Tale of Lavender Wolfe by Karen Foxlee (Allen & Unwin)

Highly commended
My Mum is a Bird by Angie Cui (University of Queensland Press) 
Spirit of the Crocodile by Aaron Fa'aoso, Lyn White and Michelle Scott Tucker (Allen & Unwin)

John Marsden Prize for Writing for Young Adults
This Stays Between Us by Margo McGovern (Penguin Random House Australia) 
Moonlight & Dust by Jasmin McGaughey (Allen & Unwin) 
How to Be Normal by Ange Crawford (Walker Books Australia)

Highly commended
Weaving Us Together by Lay Maloney (Hachette Australia) 
Strange Bedfellows by Ariel Ries (HarperCollins)

Prize for Indigenous Writing

A Savage Turn by Luke Patterson (Magabala)
Old Days Imanka nurna laakinha nitjaarta by Marjorie ‘Nunga’ Williams (Magabala)
Weaving Country by Aunty Kim Wandin and Christine Joy (Walker Books)

"Australian independent booksellers have nominated their favourite Australian books of 2025 and are thrilled to announce their SHORTLIST for the Indie Book Awards 2026!" Of particular interest:

CHILDREN’S SHORTLIST
There's a Prawn in Parliament House: The Kids' Guide to Australia's Amazing Democracy by Annabel Crabb, illustrated by First Dog on the Moon (Allen & Unwin Children's)
Harry and Gran Bake a Cake by Fiona McIntosh, illustrated by Sara Acton (Puffin)
Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend (Lothian Children's Books)

YOUNG ADULT SHORTLIST
The Foal in the Wire by Robbie Coburn (Lothian Children's Books)
Eleanor Jones is Playing with Fire by Amy Doak (Penguin Australia)
Drift by Pip Harry (Lothian Children's Books)
Wandering Wild by Lynette Noni (Penguin Australia)

The Excelsior Award is the only fully independent UK nationwide book award for graphic novels where kids aged 9-18 decide the winner (via four age-appropriate categories) by rating each book as they read it! The 2025 winners and shortlisted books are available here. 

"The Carnegies are the UK’s longest running and best-loved children’s book awards, recognising outstanding reading experiences created through writing and illustration in books for children and young people." Nominations for 2026 are here.

The  NSW Literary Awards 2025 have been announced. Of special interest:

Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children’s Literature winner Silver Linings by Katrina Nannestad.

Ethel Turner Prize for Young People’s Literature winner Anomaly by Emma Lord.

2025 Queensland Literary Awards winners have been announced.

Young Adult Book Award

Don't Let the Forest In by CG Drews

Children’s Book Award

Little Bones by Sandy Bigna

Prime Minister's Literary Awards 2025 have been announced. Of particular interest:

Young Adult Literature 

The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland, published by Penguin Random House Australia.

Children’s Literature

Leo and Ralph by Peter Carnavas, published by University of Queensland Press.

The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced the winners for the 2025 CBCA Book of the Year Awards. The CBCA shadow judging winners – titles chosen by 400 groups of children voting on their top choices from the shortlists announced in March – were also announced simultaneously.

Book of the year: Older readers
I’m Not Really Here (Gary Lonesborough, A&U Children’s)
Honour books
Birdy (Sharon Kernot, Text)
Into the Mouth of the Wolf (Erin Gough, HGCP)
Shadow judging
Birdy (Sharon Kernot, Text)

Book of the year: Younger readers
Laughter Is the Best Ending (Maryam Master, illus by Astred Hicks, Pan)
Honour books
Aggie Flea Steals the Show! (Tania Ingram, illus by Anne Yi, Scholastic)
Fluff: Mess Up! (Matt Stanton, ABC Books)
Shadow judging
Laughter Is the Best Ending (Maryam Master, illus by Astred Hicks, Pan)

Book of the year: Early childhood
The Wobbly Bike (Darren McCallum, illus by Craig Smith, Walker)
Honour books
How to Move a Zoo (Kate Simpson, illus by Owen Swan, A&U Children’s)
One Little Dung Beetle (Rhian Williams, illus by Heather Potter & Mark Jackson, Wild Dog)
Shadow judging
Spiro (Anna McGregor, Scribble)

Picture book of the year
The Truck Cat (Deborah Frenkel, illus by Danny Snell, Bright Light)
Honour books
Afloat (Kirli Saunders, illus by Freya Blackwood, Little Hare)
These Long-Loved Things (Josh Pyke, illus by Ronojoy Ghosh, Scholastic)
Shadow judging
The Truck Cat (Deborah Frenkel, illus by Danny Snell, Bright Light)

Eve Pownall Award
Always Was, Always Will Be (Aunty Fay Muir & Sue Lawson, Magabala)
Honour books
Making the Shrine: Stories from Victoria’s War Memorial (Laura J Carroll, The Crossley Press)
South with the Seabirds (Jess McGeachin, A&U Children’s)
Shadow judging
Flora: Australia’s Most Curious Plants (Tania McCartney, NLA)
South with the Seabirds (Jess McGeachin, A&U Children’s)

CBCA Award for New Illustrator
Grow Big, Little Seed (Sarah Capon, written by Bec Nanayakkara, Bright Light).

Creative Australia has announced the titles shortlisted for the 2025 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards.

Young adult 

Anomaly (Emma Lord, Affirm)
The Anti-Racism Kit: A Guide for High School Students (Jinyoung Kim & Sabina Patawaran, HGCP)
The Invocations (Krystal Sutherland, Penguin)
My Family and Other Suspects (Kate Emery, A&U Children’s)
Thunderhead (Sophie Beer, A&U Children’s).

Children’s literature 

A Leaf Called Greaf (Kelly Canby, Fremantle)
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Tooth Fairy (And Some Things You Didn’t) (Briony Stewart, Lothian)
Leo and Ralph (Peter Carnavas, UQP)
Raymangirrbuy dhawu, When I was a little girl (Kylie Gatjawarrawuy Mununggurr, Magabala)
We Live in a Bus (Dave Petzold, T&H)

Congratulations to Katrina Nannestad whose book All the Beautiful Things has won the 2025 Book Links Award for Children's Historical Fiction.