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Speech pathology book awards 2024 winners announced

Thursday, 31 October 2024   Books+Publishing
@booksandpublishing

The winners of the 2024 Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards have been announced.

The winning titles in each category are:

Birth–3 years age category: 

  • Let’s Play (Karen Tyrrell, illus by Maddi Gray, Play Matters)

3–5 years age category:   

  • Almost a Fish (Julianne Negri, illus by Evie Barrow, Little Book Press)

5–8 years age category: 

  • Harriet Hound (Kate Foster, illus by Sophie Beer, Walker Books)

8–10 years age category: 

  • Being Jimmy Baxter (Fiona Lloyd, Puffin)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Book Award:

  • Our Flag, Our Story: The Torres Strait Islander Flag (Thomas Mayo & Bernard Namok Jnr, illus by Tori-Jay Mordey, Magabala)

Decodable book series:

  • Fox Kid (Adrian Beck, Learning Logic).

The Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards aim to ‘promote quality Australian children’s literature, across various age groups, decodable book series, and works written and illustrated by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors’. The award-winning books are intended to be used as a source to help parents, carers, and speech pathologists ‘encourage the love of reading and support early language and literacy skills development’.

Speech Pathology Australia president Kathryn McKinley said: ‘Speech pathologists play an important role in demonstrating and promoting book sharing as a means to enhance early language and literacy skills. Speech pathologists use their knowledge and skills regarding the link between language, speech, and literacy, to support parents, caregivers and educators.’

McKinley added: ‘Early communication skills are known to predict later social, emotional, academic achievement and support in the development of later reading and writing skills. Over the years we’ve curated a wonderful collection of books to share with children to help them discover the joy of stories. I’m thrilled that we will be adding new books to the fold today.’

More information about the awards is available on the Speech Pathology Australia website.

 

Category: Awards Local news