CBCA Notable Books for 2018 announced

The Children’s Book Council of Australian (CBCA) has released its list of Notable Books for 2018. They are as follows:

Older readers

• Mallee Boys (Charlie Archbold, Wakefield Press)
• The Fall (Tristan Bancks, PRH)
• In the Dark Spaces (Cally Black, HGE)
• Night Swimming (Steph Bowe, Text)
• The Things we Promise (J C Burke, A&U)
• The Dream Walker (Victoria Carless, Hachette)
• Beautiful Mess (Claire Christian, Text)
• My Lovely Frankie (Judith Clarke, A&U)
• The Tides Between (Elizabeth Jane Corbett, Odyssey Books)
• Take Three Girls (Cath Crowley, Fiona Wood & Simmone Howell, Pan Macmillan)
• The Ones that Disappeared (Zana Fraillon, Hachette)
• Third Witch (Jackie French, HarperCollins)
• Sparrow (Scot Gardner, A&U)
• Because of You (Pip Harry, UQP)
• A Shadow’s Breath (Nicole Hayes, PRH)
• The Secret Science of Magic (Melissa Keil, HGE)
• Mr Romanov’s Garden in the Sky (Robert Newton, PRH)
• Frogkisser! (Garth Nix, A&U)
• Gap Year in Ghost Town (Michael Pryor, A&U)
• Wilder Country (Mark Smith, Text)
• A Semi-Definitive List of World Nightmares (Krystal Sutherland, PRH)
• Remind Me How This Ends (Gabrielle Tozer, HarperCollins)
• Ballad For a Mad Girl (Vikki Wakefield, Text)
• The Undercurrent (Paula Weston, Text)
• My Life as a Hashtag (Gabrielle Williams, A&U)

Younger readers

• Too Many Friends (Kathryn Apel, UQP)
• May Tang (Katrina Beikoff, Omnibus)
• The Elephant (Peter Carnavas, UQP)
• Shaozhen (Wai Chim & Lyn White, A&U)
• The Blue Cat (Ursula Dubosarsky, A&U)
• 1917 (Kelly Gardiner, Scholastic)
• The Cursed First Term of Zelda Stitch (Nikki Greenberg, A&U)
• Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables (Tim Harris, illus by James Hart, PRH)
• Jehan and the Quest of the Lost Dog (Rosanne Hawke, UQP)
• Hotaka (John Heffernan, A&U)
• Blossom (Tamsin Janu, Omnibus)
• Figgy Takes the City (Tamsin Janu, Omnibus)
• Pip and Houdini (J C Jones, A&U)
• A Dog’s Tale (Barry Jonsberg, Omnibus)
• The Sorry Tale of Fox and Bear (Margrete Lamond, illus by Heather Vallance, Dirt Lane Press)
• How to Bee (Bren MacDibble, A&U)
• The Skeleton Coast (Mardi McConnochie, A&U)
• Whimsy and Woe (Rebecca McRitchie, illus by Sonia Kretschmar, HarperCollins)
• The Fighting Stingrays (Simon Mitchell, PRH)
• The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone (Jaclyn Moriarty, A&U)
• Lintang and the Pirate Queen (Tamara Moss, PRH)
• Looking Up (Sally Murphy, Fremantle Press)
• Marsh and Me (Martine Murray, Text)
• Henrietta and the Perfect Night (Martine Murray, A&U)
• The Girl, the Dog and the Writer in Rome (Katrina Nannestad, HarperCollins)
• Dr Boogaloo and the Girl who Lost her Laughter (Lisa Nicol, PRH)
• The Wayward Witch and the Feelings Monster (Sally Rippin, HGE)
• The Shop at Hoopers Bend (Emily Rodda, HarperCollins)
• A Garden of Lilies: Improving Tales for Young Minds (Judith Rossell, HarperCollins)
• The Exile (Jo Sandhu, PRH)
• The Grand Genius Summer of Henry Hoobler (Lisa Shanahan, A&U)
• Accidental Heroes (Lian Tanner, A&U)
• Captain Jimmy Cook Discovers X Marks the Spot (Jol & Kate Temple, illus by John Foye, A&U)
• Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Jessica Townsend, Hachette)
• A Cardboard Palace (Allayne L Webster, MidnightSun)
• The Secrets We Share (Nova Weetman, UQP)
• Trouble and the New Kid (Cate Whittle, illus by Stephen Michael King, Omnibus)

Early childhood

• The Thank You Dish (Trace Balla, A&U)
• Shapes of Australia (Bronwyn Bancroft, Little Hare)
• Rodney Loses It (Michael Gerard Bauer, illus by Chrissie Krebs, Omnibus)
• Busting (Aaron Blabey, Scholastic)
• Guff (Aaron Blabey, PRH)
• Pig the Star (Aaron Blabey, Scholastic)
• The Very Sleepy Bear (Nick Bland, Scholastic)
• You Can’t Catch Me (Nicola Bolton, Nicola Bolton)
• Busy Little Creatures (Fiona Bowden, Little Book Press)
• At the Zoo I See (Joshua Button, illus by Robyn Wells, Magabala)
• Heads and Tails (John Canty, Berbay)
• Our Last Trip to the Market (Lorin Clarke, illus by Mitch Vane, A&U)
• The Cat Wants Cuddles (P Crumble, illus by Lucinda Gifford, Scholastic)
• Boy (Phil Cummings, illus by Shane DeVries, Scholastic)
• Wilbur, Grace and Joe (Phil Cummings, illus by Amanda Graham, Little Book Press)
• Jump and Shout (Mike Dumbleton, illus by Peter Carnavas, Little Book Press)
• I’m Australian Too (Mem Fox, illus by Ronojoy Ghosh, Omnibus)
• Stitches and Stuffing (Carrie Gallasch, illus by Sara Acton, Little Hare)
• Great Goal! Marvellous Mark! (Katrina Germein, illus by Janine Dawson, Ford Street)
• Clare’s Goodbye (Libby Gleeson, illus by Anna Pignataro, Little Hare)
• Meerkat Choir (Nikki Greenberg, A&U)
• The Second Sky (Patrick Guest, illus by Jonathan Bentley, Little Hare)
• On the Way to Nana’s (Frances & Lindsay Haji-Ali, illus by David Hardy, Magabala)
• Nomax! (Shannon Horsfall, HarperCollins)
• 1,2, Pirate Stew (Kylie Howarth, The Five Mile Press)
• Me and You (Deborah Kelly, illus by Karen Blair, PRH)
• The Very Noisy Baby (Alison Lester, illus by Alison Lester, Affirm)
• Ready, Steady, Hatch! (Ben Long, illus by David Cornish, Ford Street)
• Olivia’s Voice (Mike Lucas, illus by Jennifer Harrison, MidnightSun)
• What’s Up Top? (Marc Martin, PRH)
• Two Rainbows (Sophie Masson, illus by Michael McMahon, Little Hare)
• Hello to You, Moon (Sally Morgan & Biddy Maroney, illus by Sonny Day, Little Hare)
• The Rabbit-hole Golf Course (Ella Mulvey, illus by Karen Briggs, A&U)
• My Dog Socks (Robyn Osborne, illus by Sadami Konchi, Ford Street)
• Road Trip (Danny Parker, illus by Nathaniel Eckstrom, Little Hare)
• Lucy’s Book (Natalie Jane Prior, illus by Cheryl Orsini, Hachette)
• Hark, It’s Me, Ruby Lee! (Lisa Shanahan, illus by Binny, Hachette)
• Eric the Postie (Matt Shanks, Scholastic)
• Molly the Pirate (Lorraine Teece, illus by Paul Seden, Magabala)
• The Scared Book (Debra Tidball, illus by Kim Siew, Hachette)
• Why Can’t I Be a Dinosaur? (Kylie Westaway, illus by Tom Jellett, A&U)
• One Keen Koala (Margaret Wild, illus by Bruce Whatley, Scholastic)
• That Christmas Feeling (Lili Wilkinson, illus by Amanda Francey, A&U)
• Can You Find Me? (Gordon Winch, illus by Patrick Shirvington, New Frontier Publishing)
• Nanna’s Button Tin (Dianne Wolfer, illus by Heather Potter, Walker Books)

Picture book

• Ten Pound Pom (Carole Wilkinson, illus by Liz Anelli, Walker Books)
• Aquatica (Lance Balchin, Five Mile)
• Gaolbird: the True Story of William Swallow, Convict and Pirate (Simon Barnard, Text)
• The Second Sky (Patrick Guest, illus by Jonathan Bentley, Little Hare)
• Tales From a Tall Forest (Shaun Micallef, illus by Jonathan Bentley, HGE)
• Guff (Aaron Blabey, PRH)
• The Great Rabbit Chase (Freya Blackwood, Scholastic)
• The Anzac Tree (Christina Booth, Omnibus)
• Mopoke (Philip Bunting, Omnibus)
• Heads and Tails (John Canty, Berbay)
• Andy Webb: Artist (Maree Coote, Melbournestyle Books)
• Mille Loves Ants (Jackie French, illus by Sue deGennaro, HarperCollins)
• Jerome’s Gift (Trent Denham, Condotta Press)
• The World’s Worst Pirate (Michelle Worthington, illus by Katrin Dreiling, Little Pink Dog Books)
• Drawn Onward (Meg McKinlay, illus by Andrew Frazer, Fremantle Press)
• Papa Sky (Jane Jolly, illus by Sally Heinrich, MidnightSun)
• The Man in the Panama Hat and the Windy, Windy Day (Joachim Gevert, illus by Ffranses Ingram, Little Steps)
• A Very Quacky Christmas (Frances Watts, illus by Ann James, HarperCollins)
• Grandma Forgets (Paul Russell, illus by Nicky Johnston, EK Books)
• Whatcha Building? (Andrew Daddo, illus by Stephen Michael King, HarperCollins)
• Pea Pod Lullaby (Glenda Millard, illus by Stephen Michael King, A&U)
• Danny Blue’s Really Excellent Dream (Max Landrak, Hachette)
• Feathers (Phil Cummings, illus by Phil Lesnie, Scholastic)
• The Very Noisy Baby (Alison Lester, Affirm)
• Archie and the Bear (Zanni Louise, illus by David Mackintosh, Little Hare)
• Slowly! Slowly! (Tina Clarke, illus by Helene Magisson, Wombat Books)
• What’s Up Top? (Marc Martin, PRH)
• Big Fella Rain (Beryl Webber, illus by Fern Martins, Magabala)
• Henry’s Pirate Adventure (Livinia Nixon, illus by Heath McKenzie, Lake Press)
• Sarah and the Steep Slope (Danny Parker, illus by Matt Ottley, Little Hare)
• A Walk in the Bush (Gwyn Perkins, Affirm)
• Giants, Trolls, Witches, Beasts (Craig Phillips, A&U)
• Clare’s Goodbye (Libby Gleeson, illus by Anna Pignataro, Little Hare)
• Glitch (Michelle Worthington, illus by Andrew Plant, Ford Street)
• Merry Everything (Tania McCartney, illus by Jess Racklyeft, Windy Hollow Books)
• Monsieur Chat (Jedda Robaard, Five Mile)
• Once Upon a Small Rhinoceros (Meg McKinlay, illus by Leila Rudge, Walker Books)
• Gus Dog Goes to Work (Rachel Flynn, illus by Craig Smith, HarperCollins)
• Swan Lake (Anne Spudvilas, A&U)
• Fish (Jane Stadermann, Rabbit Books)
• My Friend Tertius (Corinne Fenton, illus by Owen Swan, A&U)
• Storm Whale (Sarah Brennan, illus by Jane Tanner, A&U)
• The Sloth Who Came to Stay (Margaret Wild, illus by Vivienne To, A&U)
• The Sleeping Beauty (David McAllister, illus by Gabriela Tylesova, Little Hare)
• Florette (Anna Walker, PRH)
• Koala Bare (Jackie French, illus by Bruce Whatley, HarperCollins)
• Ruben (Bruce Whatley, Scholastic)
• Flapper VC (Mark Wilson, Hachette)

Eve Pownall Award for Information Books

• Do Not Lick This Book (Idan Ben-Barak, illus by Julian Frost, A&U)
• Tears In The Jungle: Fight For Survival (Daniel & William Clarke, Tears In The Jungle)
• Decision: Stories Of Leadership In The Services (Jennet Cole-Adams, & Judy Gauld, Department Of Veterans’ Affairs)
• Robyn Boid: Architect (Maree Coote, Melbournestyle Books)
• The Baby Animal Book (Jennifer Cossins, Hachette)
• Comradeship: Stories Of Friendship And Recreation In Wartime (Kathleen Cusack & Brett Hatherly, Department Of Veterans’ Affairs)
• M Is For Mutiny! History By Alphabet (John Dickon, illus by Bern Emmerichs, Berbay)
• Animal Eco-Warriors (Nic Gill, CSIRO Publishing)
• Exploring Soils: A Hidden World Underground (Samantha Grover, illus by Camille Heisler, CSIRO Publishing)
• Left & Right (Lorna Hendry, Wild Dog Books)
• The Big Book Of Antarctica (Charles Hope, Wild Dog Books)
• A Is For Australian Animals (Frane Lessac, Walker Books)
• The Story Of Australia (Robert Lewis, PRH)
• Amazing Australians In Their Flying Machines (Prue & Kerry Mason, illus by Tom Jellett, Walker Books)
• My Contemporary Art Book (Kate Ryan, illus by Cally Bennett, National Gallery Of Victoria)
• Van Gogh And The Seasons (Kate Ryan, illus by Cally Bennett, National Gallery Of Victoria)
• Koala (Claire Saxby, illus by Julie Vivas, Walker Books)
• The Startling Story Of Lachlan Macquarie: Founding Father Or Failure? (Michael Sedunary, illus by Bern Emmerichs, Berbay).

The Notable Books act as the longlist for the CBCA Book of the Year Awards. The shortlist will be announced on 27 March, and the winners on 17 August.

For more information about the CBCA Awards, see the CBCA website.

Category: Awards Junior Local news