The Children's Book Council of Australia has just announced its 2009 Awards Shortlist.
Picture Book of the Year (some may be for mature readers):
Sunday Chutney by Aaron Blabey;
Collecting Colour by Kylie Dunstan;
Home and Away by Matt Ottley, text by John Marsden;
Nobody Owns the Moon by Tohby Riddle;
Captain Congo and the Crocodile King by Greg Holfeld and text by Ruth Starke;
The Big Little Book of Happy Sadness by Colin Thompson.
Book of the Year: Younger Readers:
The Wish Pony by Catherine Bateson;
Polar Boy by Sandy Fussell;
Then by Morris Gleitzman;
Audrey of the Outback by Christine Harris and illustration by Ann James;
Perry Angel's Suitcase by Glenda Millard and illustration by Stephen Michael King; and
The Wizard of Rondo by Emily Rodda.
Book of the Year: Older Readers (these are for mature readers):
Monster Blood Tattoo Book Two: Lamplighter by D.M Cornish;
Into White Silence by Anthony Eaton;
A Rose for the Anzac Boys by Jackie French;
Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta;
Kill the Possum by James Moloney;
Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan.
For the Early Childhood and Eve Pownall Award for Information Books shortlist and more details about the awards go to the Children's Book Council of Australia website: http://cbca.org.au/shortlist.htm Winners will be announced on 21 August. Children's Book Week will be held from 22 28 August and the theme is Book Safari (which sounds familiar does the Tamworth conference ring a bell anyone?)