CBCA shortlists 2014

The Children's Book Council shortlists for 2014 were announced last week.

I haven't read many of the titles so far this year, but will hopefully add a few more links before August.

The shortlisted titles in each of the categories are:

Older Readers:

• The Incredible Here and Now (Felicity Castagna)
• Life in Outer Space (Melissa Keil)
• The First Third (Will Kostakis)
• Fairytales for Wilde Girls (Allyse Near) 
• Wildlife (Fiona Wood)
• The Sky so Heavy (Claire Zorn)

Younger Readers:

• Violet Mackerel's Possible Friend (Anna Branford, illus by Sarah Davis)
• Song for a Scarlet Runner (Julie Hunt)
• A Very Unusual Pursuit (Catherine Jinks)
• My Life as an Alphabet (Barry Jonsberg)
• Light Horse Boy (Dianne Wolfer, illus by Brian Simmonds)

Early Childhood:

• I'm a Dirty Dinosaur (Janeen Brian, illus by Ann James)
• Baby Bedtime (Mem Fox, illus by Emma Quay)
• Banjo and Ruby Red (Libby Gleeson, illus by Freya Blackwood)
• Kissed by the Moon (Alison Lester)
• The Swap (Jan Ormerod, illus by Andrew Joyner)
• Granny Grommet and Me (Dianne Wolfer, illus by Karen Blair)

Picture Book of the Year:

• The Treasure Box (Margaret Wild, illus by Freya Blackwood)
• King Pig (Nick Bland)
• Silver Buttons (Bob Graham)
• Parachute (Danny Parker, illus by Matt Ottley)
• The Windy Farm (Doug MacLeod, illus by Craig Smith)
• Rules of Summer (Shaun Tan)

Eve Pownall Award for Information Books:

• Jeremy (Christopher Faille, illus by Danny Snell)
• Ice, Wind, Rock (Peter Gouldthorpe)
• Jandamarra (Mark Greenwood, illus by Terry Denton)
• Yoko’s Diary: The Life of a Young Girl in Hiroshima (ed by Paul Ham)
• Meet... Captain Cook (Rae Murdie, illus by Chris Nixon)
• Welcome to My Country (Laklak Burarrwanga and family)

Crichton Award for New Illustrators:

• Big Red Kangaroo (Graham Byrne, text by Claire Saxby)
• The Bloodhound Boys Book 1: The Great Blood Bank Robbery(Andrew Cranna)
• I’ve An Uncle Ivan (Ben Sanders)
• The Nerdy Birdy (David Snowdon, text by Danielle Wheeldon).

The winners will be announced on Friday 15 August during Children’s Book Week on 16-22 August. 

The theme for this year’s Book Week is ‘Connect to Reading’.

My Life As An Alphabet has already won the Victorian Premier's Young Adult award this year. It is also shortlisted for the NSW Premier's Award, as is The Incredible Here & Now, A Very Unusual Pursuit, Wildlife & Jandamarra.

Alison Lester (our current Australian Children's Laureate, has already won the Children's Indie Booksellers Award for Kissed By the Moon.

Do you have any favourites this year? 

I have yet to read any of the teen or junior fiction titles (mentally slaps self on wrist!) but of the others my preferences go to Kissed By the Moon, Rules of Summer, Big Red Kangaroo & Jeremy.
(I will add links as I read them though :-)