Superb stories for young people, the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) have announced their 2024 Book of the Year Notables – a long list of quality Australian children’s literature published throughout 2023.
Receiving 656 entries for their 15 expert Judges to assess, the long list showcases the outstanding work of 118 books, representing 43 publishers, 122 writers, and 72 illustrators. It is a healthy indicator of growth for the industry that the list includes 27 new creators.
The list of Notable books is perfect for anyone supporting a child or young person to discover a book that suits their needs and interests. Teachers and librarians can use the information to guide the creation of their collections.?
The CBCA is thrilled to celebrate the talent of Australian writers, storytellers, illustrators, artists, and their publishers. We thank them for making discerning choices of stories, and for skilfully shaping those stories so they will resonate with young readers. This craft is recognised today.
Every title on the Notables List demonstrates high production values, with writing that is appropriate, considered and highly evolved, and the illustrations by accomplished artists support and expand the narratives with flair and confidence. Creators include both new and experienced voices. The themes are real and raw and revolve around family, community, and friendships.
The non-fiction category was particularly strong this year with very high production values. The creators demonstrated agility with expressing and packaging information for high reader engagement with a strong focus on our unique Country.?
“The CBCA is passionate about ensuring a rich culture of storytelling thrives and our community sends strong signals to our young people that we value reading and sharing diverse stories in accessible forms,” said Wendy Rapee, CBCA National Chair.
“Reading is a social benefit and social cohesion is strong where stories are shared. There is a lot of discussion of late about falling reading standards and explicit teaching, and confusing, outrageous messages about the ‘woke’ agenda of children’s stories.”
“The key questions we focus on are;?? How do we make sure our children do not stop reading, once the skill is acquired??? How can we show them that the habit of reading for pleasure is a highly valued activity?“? said Rapee.
For more information about the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) and to view the 2024 Book of the Year Notables List, visit: www.cbca.org.au for details.