Children's Book Council of Australia Awards 2025

A Wreck of Seabirds

by Karleah Olson

When Briony first meets Ren, he is standing in the freezing sea at the edge of their tiny town. Ren hasn' t been home for a decade but has returned to be with his dying father. Briony won' t leave, hoping that Sarah, her missing sister, will one day reappear. But Sarah and her friend Aria have been stranded on a desolate island far off the coast. The longer they' re trapped there, the less alone they seem. How many secrets in this town have been swallowed by the brooding sea?

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Birdy

by Sharon Kernot

Maddy is mute. Since the Incident she has barely spoken. And now she and her mother and brother are staying in a farmhouse on an old apricot orchard not far from town. It’s a chance to rest and recuperate – or a way to hide further away from the world.

Alice is waiting. Since Birdy, her darling daughter, disappeared forty-five years ago, she has sat in her house waiting for her to come home. Alice says Maddy reminds her of Birdy, and Maddy feels a strange connection to the long-lost girl. In the quiet not-speaking and waiting, amid the clutter of the old woman’s house, Maddy and Alice slowly become friends. Until Maddy takes something that’s not hers.

Birdy is a tender warm-hearted verse novel about the pain of loss and shame, the beauty of words, and the healing power of small acts of kindness.

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Comes the Night

by Isobelle Carmody

A superb YA fantasy set in the near future, full of secrets, high stakes, peril, deceptions and dreamwalkers, from the internationally acclaimed and bestselling author of the Obernewtyn Chronicles and The Gathering.

Will slipped on the left glove and twitched a finger to establish a link to the kite tronics. A shiver of electric energy ran through his hands as they synched to his nerves through the gloves.

Will lives with his father in a future domed Canberra where citizens are safe from extreme weather events, dangerous solar radiation and civil unrest. He does not question his carefully controlled existence until the recurrence of an old nightmare propels him on a dangerous quest.

Gradually Will discovers his dreams hold cryptic clues that lead him into a shadowy alternate dimension. Here he must grapple with dark forces that operate in both worlds, with the help of his best friend Ender, her brilliant but difficult twin sister Magda, and a mysterious gift from his uncle.

Comes the Nightis a thrilling new novel from the internationally bestselling author of the Obernewtyn Chronicles.

'The queen of YA fantasy has done it again. Delicious twists and deceptions fill this high stakes tale where dreams will entice you. You won't be able to sleep until you hit the last page.' - C.S. Pacat, New York Times bestselling author of DARK RISE

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I'm Not Really Here

by Gary Lonesborough

A wonderful coming-of-age queer romance from the multi award-winning author of The Boy from the Mish. Jonah is the new kid in a country town. When he joins the local footy team to be closer to his crush, Harley, it feels like a fresh start – but he still has to navigate new friendships, an unresolved past, and the same body image issues he's always had.

Footsteps approach behind me. I turn and see an Aboriginal boy arriving at the doorway. He's tall, taller than me. He's got curly hair. His body is fit. His chest is chiselled and bare and he's wearing only football shorts.

When 17-year-old Jonah arrives in a new town – Patience – with his dad and younger brothers, it feels like a foreign place. A new town means he needs to make new friends - which isn't always easy. Especially when he's wrestling with his body image, and his memories of his mother.

When he joins the local footy team so he can spend more time with his new crush, Harley, he feels like he's moving closer to something good. But even though he knows what he wants, it doesn't mean he's ready.

Emotionally compelling, honest and featuring warm and authentically vulnerable characters, I'm Not Really Here is a beautiful novel from an internationally acclaimed bestselling Indigenous author about navigating family and friendships, and finding a way through grief towards love.

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Into the Mouth of the Wolf

by Erin Gough

Part thriller, part queer romance, Into the Mouth of the Wolf is the stunning, long-awaited new YA novel from the award-winning author of Amelia Westlake.

Dear Iris,

If all goes well I will be in touch by this evening. If you hear nothing, contact Glassy Bay International Travellers’ Hostel and ask after me. Use our real names.

Your Mama xxx

Iris lives on the run with her mother, Rohan. They’re travelling to escape the earthquakes, though of course that’s impossible. And they’re being followed. One day, Rohan insists Iris repeat the phrase in bocca al lupo: into the mouth of the wolf. The next day, Rohan's vanished, leaving no clues about where she’s gone besides a contact in an unknown town. Entirely alone and fearing the worst, Iris reaches out to a stranger for help.

When Lena gets Iris's message, she's busy panic-studying for year 12 and helping run her family’s hostel. She’s intrigued by Iris, and can’t deny there’s a spark between them – but she’s also worried. A dead body has just washed up at the beach in Glassy Bay. And Lena’s old best friend – who's just returned after an unexplained absence – seems to know something about it.

Missing people. Mysterious deaths. A growing attraction between two girls caught up in the search for the truth. Somehow, they’re all connected. But in order to find out how – and in order to even meet each other – Iris and Lena will have to go into the mouth of the wolf …

With shades of We Were Liars and Station Eleven, this extraordinary new YA novel explores love and grief in an uncertain climate from one of Australia's most talented writers.

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The Skin I'm In

by Steph Tisdell

A feisty, funny and poignant novel - about being 17; being Indigenous and navigating high school, cultural and personal expectations and responsibility - by proud Ydinji woman Steph Tisdell, writer, actor and one of the brightest stars of Australian comedy.

Layla is in her final year of school. It's the last year to make sure that the next major phase of her life begins correctly because she's got big plans.

All Layla wants to do is fit in and be a normal teenager but when her troubled cousin Marley comes to stay, he unwittingly challenges everything she thought she was. Plus her best friend Amy has a new best friend, she's trying to work out what it means to be Indigenous, and she's falling in love.

Steph Tisdell's words sparkle with humour, depth and authenticity in this extraordinary debut novel which explores cultural and personal expectations, and responsibilities.

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Aggie Flea Steals the Show

by Tania Ingram

Aggie Flea is a girl with a BIG imagination – one that lands her in even BIGGER trouble! The school play is almost here and Aggie wants the role of Web Legs, a superhero spider from Mars! But Aggie’s stage time has always been a disaster!

Will she break a leg or break the set?

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Fluff: Mess Up!

by Matt Stanton

The hilarious and unmissable new series about Gilbert, a boy whose best friend is an imaginary giant fluffy bunny called Fluff, from the creator who brought us The Odds, Funny Kid and Bored.


Gilbert and Fluff have got themselves into an enormous mess!

They have to clean up, but Gilbert would rather not got his hands dirty. What he needs is ... a bunny with a wild idea!

A hilarious story full of heart and packed with food fights, jumbo jets, banana smoothies and world domination!

From the creator of Funny Kid and The Odds comes the best friend you could ever imagine ... Fluff!

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Laughter is the Best Ending

by Maryam Master, Illustrated by Astred Hicks

Zee is a loner. She likes to read Oscar Wilde and watch documentaries all day which, according to her parents, is not normal for 13 year olds. So they decide to send her on a five-day holiday camp, hoping she'll make 'at least one friend'.

But Zee would rather take a bath in Tabasco sauce than attend a camp called Youth Fusion. Especially when the fearsome camp leader, Madam Augustus, declares a bonding game called 'Murder in the Dark'.

With influencer Tiffanee and super-nerds Jonah and Moses, Zee soon finds herself in the middle of a hair-raising mystery, hurling her into some fierce detective work and bringing her face to face with the notorious Old Bat Viv.

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Saskia Spark-Lee: Fundraiser Fail

by Rebecka Sharpe Shelberg, illustrated by Sofiya Karmazina

Saskia Spark-Lee is back! This time she’s on a mission to save the animals.

Saskia Spark-Lee loves animals – she’s almost adopted a whole zoo-worth! But when Da and Dee say they can’t add another to the collection, she must come up with a new plan to continue supporting her furry friends. With some help from Nanna, and the amazing fundraising skills of her friends, Saskia may find where there's a will there's a way!

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Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger

by Jackie French

The year is 1859 and the goldfields are filled with diggers -- and danger!


Orphaned twelve-year-old Tigg is the Bandicoot Bushranger, the youngest bushranger on the Ballarat goldfields in 1859.

When a robbery goes wrong, Tigg must flee in disguise as one of the tens of thousands of Chinese men and boys braving heat, thirst, starvation and murderous attacks on the long road from Robe in South Australia to the goldfields in Victoria.

But even further danger threatens. Who has offered a large sum of money for Tigg's capture? And is the mysterious Henry Lau a friend or enemy?

To be safe, Tigg must solve the greatest mystery of all.

Who is Tigg?

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To and Fro

by Anton Clifford-Motopi

Sam tries to understand what it means to be black in this funny Australian story about identity, family and friendship.

Most kids meet their parents when they're born. All they need to do to impress them is poop, sleep and make goo-goo ga-ga sounds. But I'm twelve. None of that is going to impress my father.

Sam thinks he's a weird-looking white kid with an afro. He lives with his white mum (annoying but not smelly) and brown dog Trevor (smelly but not annoying). He's never met his father. He just knows that his father is black.

But a surprise visit has Sam questioning who he really is. Is he a white kid with a black dad? Or a black kid with white skin? Or half-black and half-white?

Not only does Sam want to know these answers, he has to know them to finish his annoying homework and perform in the school concert. But how can he make his outside match his insides if he doesn't know who he is?

A delightfully funny story about family and identity, and what it means to be truly Sam.

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Don't Worry, Felix

by Yohann Devezy & Katherine Alice, illustrated by Zoe Bennett

Felix has a problem. It's a big, red, round problem. A worry balloon that follows him everywhere he goes... As his heart thumps, stomach twists and toes wiggle, it grows and grows and stops him from doing what he wants to do. But when Felix learns a special trick, things start to change...

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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Tooth Fairy (And Some Things You Didn't)

by Briony Stewart

Every single minute, of every single day, a child somewhere loses a baby tooth.

But what happens to all those teeth?

They are collected by the tooth fairy, of course! Or the toothfairies- because there is more than just one tooth fairy. In fact, there are millions! Like us, they are all different.

And now there is an informative and fully illustrated guide that's jam-packed with answers to every child's tooth fairy questions, What do tooth fairies eat? Where do they live? How do they collect your tooth - and what on earth do they do with it?

Find out everything there is to know about the magical (and sometimes just a little bit gross) world of the tooth fairy!

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How to Move a Zoo

by Kate Simpson, illustrated by Heather Potter & Mark Jackson

The true story of how at the beginning of the 20th century Jessie the elephant walked from Moore Park Zoo to her spacious new home in the Taronga Zoological Park.

It was still dark when Mr Miller opened the gates of the old zoo, but he wasn't scared because he wasn't alone. He was with Jessie the elephant and together they were going to walk from Moore Park, through the city streets, to the ferry at Fort Macquarie. Jessie was moving to her spacious new home in the soon-to-be-opened Taronga Zoological Park.

Jessie's surprising journey was unlike any other and it brought a little warmth to the city on that brisk September morning in 1916.

The incredible true story of Jessie the elephant from the bestselling author of Anzac The War Diaries of Alice Ross-King and the highly acclaimed illustrator of Anzac Biscuits.

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One Little Dung Beetle

by Rhian Williams, illustrated by Heather Potter & Mark Jackson

Follow along as One Little Dung Beetle counts all kinds of fascinating creepies and crawlies. How many can you see?

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Spiro

by Anna McGregor

Spiro's formula for spidery success- 11% hunger to succeed (or actual hunger) 34% trying again and again ... and again! 53% giving it another shot and 2% spider silk. A hilarious tale of one spider's determined search for a decent meal from award winning author and illustrator Anna McGregor.

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The Wobbly Bike

by Darren McCallum, illustrated by Craig Smith

How do you fix a wobbly bike? Could it be the tyres, the terrain, or maybe it might be a new rider? A joyful, multi-layered story, celebrating the unique culture of Australia's urban top end, the precious roles of grandparents in families, the fact that kindness and encouragement, combined with practice, are the key to success, bound together with gentle humour ... because laughter is always the best medicine.

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Afloat

by Freya Blackwood & Kirli Saunders

Roam the water with me. We are here to learn.
Here to spin wisdom, to grow …

From award-winning Gunai author Kirli Saunders and seven-time CBCA-winner Freya Blackwood comes Afloat, a story told in a time of climate crisis. Against a backdrop of a changed environment, an Elder leads a child along the waterways, sharing her People's knowledge and gathering community along the way.

Afloat is an uplifting and inspiring picture book that uses the practice of weaving as a powerful metaphor for the honouring and teaching of First Nations wisdom, and the coming together of all people to survive, thrive and create a more hopeful future.

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The Garden of Broken Things

by Freya Blackwood

From award-winning creator Freya Blackwood comes a beautifully tender story about curiosity and the joy of listening. One day, curious Sadie follows a cat into the tangled vines behind the lonely house at Number 9, Ardent Street. Deep in the undergrowth, past all the twisted, rusted things, Sadie finds the cat sitting on the lap of a woman, bent with time and weariness. Sadie has found the Garden of Broken Things.

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A Leaf Called Greaf

by Kelly Canby

A stunning new picture book by award-winning author and illustrator Kelly Canby that gently introduces the concept of grief to children. Bear is all alone. His brothers and sisters have left him. Bear embraces his grief in the form of Greaf - the greenest, most beguiling leaf Bear has ever seen. Bear holds Greaf tight. But as the season wanes, Greaf changes, and so too does Bear. A poignant, lyrical story gently touching on the changing nature of sorrow in the aftermath of loss.

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These Long-Loved Things

by Ronojoy Ghosh & Josh Pike

Where do they go, these long-loved things? These stories told, these songs we sing? Once a memory is made, it remains. Even when it is forgotten. From the creators of Family Tree, comes this moving story of love, loss and the power of shared memories.

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The Truck Cat

by Danny Snell & Deborah Frenkel

The Truck Cat is a story about cats and humans, immigration and identity, and homes lost and found. With illustrations by multi-award-winning artist Danny Snell and words by acclaimed new writer Deborah Frenkel, The Truck Cat is the perfect book to inspire kindness and compassion in young children everywhere. Some cats are house cats. Some are apartment cats. But Tinka is a truck cat. Tinka lives everywhere. Along with his human, Yacoub, Tinka travels roads wide and narrow, near and distant. But no matter how much they travel, home feels very far away – for both of them. Yacoub drives his truck to make a living, learning the landscape of a new country along the way, and longing for connection. When Tinka and Yacoub are unexpectedly separated, they are determined to find their way back to each other – and, in doing so, might find more than they expected …

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We Live in a Bus

by Dave Petzold

We live in a bus. She's called Gracie Joy Rufus Bean (we couldn't agree on a name). Gracie Joy Rufus Bean has six wheels and a door that opens when you push a button, tic-shhh! Join one family as they enjoy life on the road - camping under the stars, listening to nature, and making new friends along the way.

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Always Was, Always Will Be

by Aunty Fay Muir & Sue Lawson

‘Each protest has been a stepping stone to the next battle...’

From the first protest of January 26th as a Day of Mourning in 1938, to the Pilbara Strike of 1946, to the struggle for the right to vote and be counted; the fight for justice for First Nations people takes many forms.

Always Was, Always Will Be takes a closer look at some of the iconic First Peoples protest movements of the last 200 years, celebrating the strength, wisdom, and bravery of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people defending their land and asserting their right to self-determination through history.

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Design & Building on Country

by Alison Page & Paul Memmott, illustrated by Blak Douglas

Happy times, sad times, boom times and gloom times!

From the First Peoples’ camp at the river crossing in the 1820s through to Carols by Candlelight at the showground in today’s world, this is a decade by decade wonderfully illustrated story of a small country community.

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Flora: Australia's Most Curious Plants

by Tania McCartney

When it comes to flora, Australia is a land of diversity. From rainforests to deserts, mountains to the seashore, 90 per cent of our plant life is unique to this ancient land. Treasures like our wattles, eucalypts, grass trees and banksias are part of our heritage and identity and they still flourish here today, on the oldest landmass on Earth.

Flora celebrates and highlights these diverse and curious plants, looking into the history, quirks and uses of our native plants, and how vital they are for our unique ecosystems. Tania McCartney brings her trademark skill and style in both writing and illustration, using her substantial experience in children’s literature to examine Australia’s botanical riches to pick out engaging, informative and surprising facts to share with young readers.

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I am a Magpie, I am a Currawong

by Bridget Farmer

From magpies to currawongs, and finches to thornbills, here are a few little details to look out for when in Australian gardens, parks, beaches or bush. With simple rhymes and stunning illustrations this book is a beautiful beginning to a bird loving journey.

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Making the Shrine: Stories From Victoria's War Memorial

by Laura J Carroll

A tender and funny graphic novel exploring the soul of a city's most treasured monument. The Shrine of Remembrance has been an everyday sight in the living memory of all Melbournians. But while everyone knows its purpose, not everyone knows the many stories that have surrounded it for a century.

The competition for its design, and the eleventh-hour campaign that forced it into existence. The community enterprise that helped to fund it. The hardship and struggle that came with its creation. Throughout it all, the constant battle to define what it represents to the people of Victoria. This graphic novel is a sequence of stories seeking to explain the meaning of the Shrine across time, both to its architects and supporters, and to the many Victorians who contributed to its creation, and to those who have visited, violated and venerated it since. Some of the stories are individual and intimate; others are public history from the archives. In Laura J. Carroll's words and pictures, the building's many lives are brought into focus in new and exciting ways.

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South With the Seabirds

by Jess McGeachin

The captivating true story of four remarkable scientists and their incredible journey to the sub-Antarctic, from CBCA award-winning author and illustrator Jess McGeachin.

In 1959, four scientists travelled to an island at the edge of the world.

They were greeted by giant seabirds, snorting seals and penguins as far as the eye could see.

Their names were Hope Black, Mary Gilham, Susan Ingham and Isobel Bennett, and they were the first female scientists to join an Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition.

Join their journey south and discover their incredible legacy.

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A Teaspoon of Light

by Nisaluk Chantanakom

A story about making and saving loving memories. Marley's dream cloth reminds her of the people she loves, and of safe and happy times. When times get tough and the cloth rips in two, those memories begin to slide away. Marley must make new loving memories before she can bring back the old ones and begin to imagine the future anew.

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Digger Digs Down

by Huni Melissa Bolliger

From award-winning author Johanna Bell and exciting new illustrator Huni Melissa Bolliger comes a playful story about what's possible when you let your curiosity run wild.

Digger digs down. Digger digs deep, deep into the ground. Join happy-go-lucky Digger as he ditches the boredom of backyard life for an underground adventure. What will he find? What won't he find? Packed with colour and hidden treasures, this is the perfect picture book for small children who love dogs, digging and disco.

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Grow Big, Little Seed

by Sarah Capon

In this tender, hopeful story, a small girl attempts to grow a seedling while her mother struggles with pregnancy loss. When Nina plants a pumpkin seed, she imagines herself and a little sister playing in the leaves of a large pumpkin plant. Nina's mum is pregnant and it seems that Nina's dreams may soon come true. But despite Nina's loving care, her seedling stops growing as her mother's pregnancy ends early. Nina is devastated and she refuses to plant another seed. When a year has gone by, Nina finds the courage to try again. This time, Nina's seed grows even bigger than she had dreamed, and her mother is pregnant again. Soon, Nina plays in a large pumpkin patch with not one little sister, but two.

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Peek-a-Boo Lottie

by Kristen Willis

Peek-a-boo is played around the world in different languages and Lottie loves playing Peek-a-boo most of all! Join Lottie as she makes friends around her neighbourhood and learn a few new words along the way.

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(Available Soon)

Raymangirrbuy dhäwu, When I was a little girl

by Kylie Gatjawarrawuy Mununggurr

‘When I stayed out bush I sat with my grandmother and watched her paint. I used to get boxes and paint on. She painted with ochres and glue. Later she showed me how to make the marawat (hair) brush to do the fine line work.’ — KGM
An artistically stunning story of Kylie Gatjawarrawuy Mununggurr’s life growing up on her grandmothers Country in Raymangirr, a remote Yolŋu homeland in North East Arnhem Land in the Top End of Australia.
Told in both Djambarrpuyŋuand and English,Raymaŋgirrbuy dhäwu, When I was a little girlis a sweet story of the author’s experiences with her grandmother and her community. From learning to grind ochre and paint, to hunting for bush honey (guku), ceremonial dances, and full-moon night fishing with a big shark, each vignette of Kylie’s life is filled with humour and nostalgia for her peaceful childhood.
Developed with the support of Gapuwiyak Culture and Arts centre and Kylie’s mother and grandmother, young readers will experience life in Raymaŋgirr country and gain important insights into cultural practices.

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The Land Recalls You

by David Cragg & Noni Cragg

Do not mourn the hands that raised you ... Do not weep for songs of land. Honouring the Stolen Generations, and all who've been taken, The Land Recalls You is a powerful story of returning, written with love and reverence by award-winning Gunai author Kirli Saunders (OAM) and illustrated by debut Bundjalung artists David and Noni Cragg.

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