REAL Awards 2020 shortlists announced

The shortlists for the 2020 Reading & Enjoying Australian Literature (REAL) Awards—which act as shortlists for children’s choice book awards in New South Wales (KOALAs), Northern Territory (KROC Awards) and Victoria (YABBAs)—have been announced.

The shortlisted titles in each category are:

Picture story books

• Coming Home to Country (Bronwyn Bancroft, Hardie Grant Egmont)
• Definitely Do Not Open This Book (Andy Lee, illus by Heath McKenzie, Lake Press)
• I’m Australian Too (Mem Fox, illus by Ronojoy Ghosh, Scholastic)
• Koalas Eat Gum Leaves (Laura Bunting & Philip Bunting, Scholastic)
• Pig the Grub (Aaron Blabey, Scholastic)
• Sorry Day (Coral Vass, illus by Dub Leffler, NLA Publishing)
• Thelma the Unicorn (Aaron Blabey, Scholastic)
• This is a Ball (Beck & Matt Stanton ABC Books
• Too Many Cheeky Dogs (Johanna Bell & Dion Beasley, A&U)
• The Unscary Book (Nick Bland, Scholastic)

Fiction for younger readers

• The Bad Guys: The Big Bad Wolf (Aaron Blabey, Scholastic)
• Ella and Olivia: Sports Carnival (Yvette Poshoglian, illus by Danielle McDonald, Scholastic)
• Ella Diaries: Friendship SOS (Meredith Costain, illus by Danielle McDonald, Scholastic)
• Hot Dog 3: Circus Time! (Anh Do, illus by Dan McGuinness, Scholastic)
• Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables Fight Back (Tim Harris, illus by James Hart, Random House Australia)
• Polly and Buster 1 (Sally Rippin, Hardie Grant Egmont)
• Sporty Kids: Soccer (Felice Arena, Puffin)
• Tiny Timmy: Soccer Superstar! (Tim Cahill, illus by Heath McKenzie, Scholastic)
• Truly Tan: Trapped! (Jen Storer, illus by Claire Robertson, HarperCollins)
• WeirDo 12: Hopping Weird! (Anh Do, Scholastic)

Fiction for older readers

• The 117-Storey Treehouse (Andy Griffiths, illus by Terry Denton, Pan)
• Exploding Endings: Painted Dogs and Doom Cakes (Tim Harris, Puffin)
• The Forgotten Pearl (Belinda Murrell, Random House Australia)
• Funny Kid: Prank Wars (Matt Stanton, HarperCollins)
• A Great Escape (Felice Arena, Puffin)
• Kensy and Max: Breaking News (Jacqueline Harvey, Random House Australia)
• A Most Magical Girl (Karen Foxlee, Piccadilly Books)
• New City (Deborah Abela, Puffin)
• So Wrong 2: Inappropriate (Michael Wagner, illus by Wayne Bryant, Billy Goat Books)
• Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow (Jessica Townsend, Lothian)

Fiction for years 7–9

• Akarnae (Lynette Noni, Pantera Press)
• As Happy as Here (Jane Godwin, Lothian)
• Detention (Tristan Bancks, Puffin)
• Dragonfly Song (Wendy Orr, A&U)
• Illuminae (Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman, A&U)
• Lenny’s Book of Everything (Karen Foxlee, A&U)
• Liars: No Survivors (Jack Heath, Scholastic)
• Punchlines (Oliver Phommavanh, Puffin)
• Raelia (Lynette Noni, Pantera Press)
• A Song Only I Can Hear (Barry Jonsberg, A&U).

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