CBCA 2019 Book of the Year Awards Winners

Today in Canberra we celebrated the 2019 CBCA Book of the Year Award at the National Library of Australia. 

What I love about this event is the opportunity to celebrate children's literature and to catch up with my tribe. 

Before the announcement of the winners, the audience was entertained by two talented group of students. 

Students from St Bede's Primary School, Braidwood, performed a voice and action montage showing how Reading is Our Secret Power. The students had the powers of strength, flexibility, speed but most importantly reading. With the secret power of reading they said, 'We can do anything with the power of reading.'  

The second performance was by students from Canberra Girls Grammar School, who retold the story of Noni The Pony Rescues a Joey by Alison Lester, using a great set of face masks.

CBCA 13th National Conference

Each year there are a wide range of conferences and events that authors and illustrators have to choose from and 2019 is a bumper year of them. This year some of the big ones on Australian East Coast have included; SCBWI Sydney, Creative Kids Tales Writers' Festival Gymea NSW, KidLitVic Melbourne, CYA Brisbane (6-7 July) and CBCA Canberra.

It is sometimes a difficult decision to pick which ones to attend. Frankly, if the hip pocket was really deep, I would attend every single event on the calendar. However, as the CBCA one was going to be held in Canberra and just a 2 minute walk from my apartment in the city, it was a easy decision to attend.

CBCA 2019 Shortlist Announced

The 2019 CBCA Children's Book of The Year Award Shortlist has been announced, see here.

Earlier in the week the Kids' Book Review Team made their predictions for this year shortlist and chose their Superpower. See here how the team went with their predictions - many of us were spot on.

I'm thrilled to see three of the books that I reviewed for Kids' Book Review in 2018 have made it onto the shortlist, see below.

CBCA ACT Event for the CBCA 2018 Book of The Year Awards

Congratulations to all of the winners of the CBCA 2018 Book of The Year Awards.

The CBCA ACT Branch hosted a wonderful event at the National Library of Australia.

The audience was entertained by two schools. St Bede's Primary School from Braidwood gave a performance that expressed this year's theme 'Find Your Treasure' so eloquently. They preformed  what they treasured from the traditional idea of pirate's treasure to animals, plants, friends and family.

The second school, Canberra Girls Grammar School, preformed the story The Very Noisy Baby by Alison Lester. This story was named as Honour Book for the  Early Childhood category.

After the exciting announcements everyone had the chance to chat to Canberra Authors and have their book signed.

Canberra Authors who were at the event were: Emma Allen, Pauline Deeves, Tracey Hawkins, Harry Laing, Kerry Malone, Tania McCartney, Gina Newton, Stephanie Owen Reeder , Maura Pierlot, Devon Sillett, Cate Whittle and Shelly Unwin

Photo Gallery of the Event:

Romancing the Stars

CBCA ACT Branch hosted a wonderful night of Romancing the Stars - Jacqueline de Rose-Ahern, Craig Cormick, Jack Heath, Kerry Malone, Pauline Deeves and Maura Pierlot. 

What wonderful range of books that these authors have written: picture books, junior fiction, stories based on non-fiction, YA to adult books. 

They have all taken different journeys to publishing: traditional publishers, partnership publishing and indie. They are an inspiring group, for writers and readers of all ages.

Book Launches:
Jacqeline de Rose-Ahern  
Charlie’s Adventures in South Africa
Date: 25 August 2018, 11am – 12pm
Where: National Museum of Australia

Kerry Malone
Sophie Makes New Friends
Date: 27 October 2018
Where: Harry Hartog, Woden

CBCA Notables Books Wrap Up

In Canberra on Tuesday night (27 February) CBCA ACT Branch and Harry Hartog hosted the CBCA Book of The Year Awards Notables List Announcement. See the complete list here.

It was a glorious night catching up with authors, illustrators, teacher librarians and other book lovers.

We were delighted that two of our local authors' books were long listed.

Tania McCartney's book Merry Everything, illustrated by Jess Racklyeft, was long listed for the Picture Book of the Year Award.

Cate Whittle's book Trouble and the New Kid, illustrated by Michael Stephen King, was long listed for the category of Younger Readers.

There were so many wonderful books chosen this year and as per usual some books that you hoped would make the list but didn't.

I was fortunate enough to have reviewed the following Notable Books for Kids' Book Review.

Storytellers Galore

What stories are being created by local children's writers? 

If you were one of the crowd at the 2017 Celebrate Story Creators Night hosted by The ACT Branch of the Children's Book Council of Australia then you are now up-to-date. 

For those of you who missed out here is an overview of the night.

Emma Allen, Carlie Walker, Anthony Hill, Robyn Siers, Tony Flowers and Stephanie Owen Reeder
Cate Whittle, Gina Newton and Tracey Hawkins