CBCA 2026 Notable Books announced

The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced its list of Notable Books for 2026. The list acts as the longlist for the CBCA Book of the Year Awards.

The books in each category are:

Book of the year: Older readers (13–18 years)

• Catch (Sarah Brill, A&U Children’s)
• Cruel Is the Light (Sophie Clark, Penguin)
• Darkest Night, Brightest Star (Barry Jonsberg, A&U)
• Drift (Pip Harry, Lothian Children’s)
• The Edge of Everything (Miranda Luby, Text)
• Eleanor Jones Is Playing with Fire (Amy Doak, Penguin)
• The Foal in the Wire (Robbie Coburn, Lothian Children’s)
• Golden (Jade Timms, Text)
• How to Be Normal (Ange Crawford, Walker Books)
• The Locked Room (Adam Cece, Penguin)
• A Murder Is Going Down (Kate Emery, A&U Children’s)
• Never Thought I’d End Up Here (Ann Liang, Penguin)
• Ngurra Home (Carl Merrison & Hakea Hustler, Magabala)
• Of Flame and Fury (Mikayla Bridge, Macmillan)
• The Pull of the Moon (Pip Smith, UWA Publishing)
• The Set-Up Girl (Sasha Vey, A&U Children’s)
• Tenderly, I Am Devoured (Lyndall Clipstone, Penguin)
• This Season’s Draft (Jason Gent, A&U Children’s)
• This Stays Between Us (Margot McGovern, Penguin)
• Unhallowed Halls (Lili Wilkinson, A&U Children’s)
• We Saw What You Started (Carla Salmon, Pan)
• The Worst Perfect Moment (Shivaun Plozza, Walker Books)

Book of the Year: Younger Readers (7–12 years)

• Chickenpox (Remy Lai, A&U Children’s)
• Creature Clinic (Gavin Aung Than, HG Children’s)
• Frances Bloom (Katrina Nannestad, illus by Marina Zlatanova, ABC Books)
• Ghost Guitar (TJ DOOM, illus by Nahum Ziersch, Penguin)
• The Hits and Misses of Melody Moss (Helen Dallimore, Penguin)
• How to Sail to Somewhere (Ashleigh Barton, Lothian)
• Inked (Karen Wasson, illus by Jake A Minton, HG Children’s)
• Into the Bewilderness (Gus Gordon, HG Children’s)
• Jungle Escape (Nathan Luff, Walker Books)
• The Keeper of the Octopus (Neridah McMullin, Walker Books)
• Little Bones (Sandy Bigna, illus by Tamlyn Teow, UQP)
• The Making of Martha Mayfield (Jo Dabrowski, Affirm Kids)
• Moonboy (Anna Ciddor, A&U Children’s)
• The Paperbark Tree Committee (Karys McEwen, Text)
• Promises and Other Lies (Sue Whiting, Walker Books)
• Run (Sarah Armstrong, HG Children’s)
• Seriously Soccer (Matt Stanton, ABC Books)
• The Serpent Rider (Yxavel Magno Diño, Bloomsbury Children’s)
• The Silken Thread (Gabrielle Wang, Penguin)
• Something Terrible: Tim Tie-Your-Shoelaces (Sally Barton, illus by Christopher Nielsen, Walker Books)
• Song of a Thousand Seas (Zana Fraillon, illus by Aviva Reed, UQP)
• Spirit of the Crocodile (Aaron Fa’Aoso & Michelle Scott Tucker with Lyn White, A&U)
• The Surface Trials (HM Waugh, A&U)
• Too Big to Be a Fairy (Kiah Thomas, illus by Bec Kitson, HG Children’s)
• The Year We Escaped (Suzanne Leal, HarperCollins)

Book of the Year: Early Childhood (0–6 years)

• The Bin Monster (Annabelle Hale, illus by Annabelle Hale, Affirm Kids)
• Castle Crashing (Andrea Rowe, illus by Hannah Sommerville, HG Children’s)
• The Colours of Home (Sally Soweol Han, illus by Sally Soweol Han, T&H)
• Counting Crocodiles (students from Bulla Camp School, illus by students from Bulla Camp School, ILF)
• Derek (Anne Donaldson, illus by Matt Shanks, HG Children’s)
• Dropbear (Philip Bunting, illus by Philip Bunting, Walker Books)
• Earthspeak (Sean McCann, illus by Jade Goodwin, A&U)
• The Emperor’s Egg (Rae Tan, illus by Rae Tan, Lothian Children’s)
• Fly, Mama, Fly! (Anna McGregor, illus by Anna McGregor, Scribble)
• Frogs Are Our Friends (Toni D’Alia, illus by Madeline White, HG Children’s)
• Going Fishing with Nana (Frances Haji-Ali & Lindsay Haji-Ali, illus by Karen Briggs, Magabala)
• How to Help When You Really Want to Help (Davina Bell, illus by Hilary Jean Tapper, Lothian Children’s)
• Laugh in the Bath (Rory H Mather, illus by Brent Wilson, Little Book Press)
• Look, See, Find Me (Sandra Severgnini, illus by Sandra Severgnini, CSIRO Publishing)
• My Father’s Arms (Toni D’Alia, illus by Mimi Purnell, HG Children’s)
• My Nonno Loves (Adelle Frittitta, illus by Claudia Frittitta, HG Children’s)
• Now You Are a Chicken (Andrew McDonald, illus by Ben Wood, HG Children’s)
• Our Beautiful World (Sarah Speedie, illus by Margeaux Davis, New Frontier)
• Potion Commotion (Rebecca Grant, illus by Niña Nill, Affirm Kids)
• Say Goodnight (Renae Hayward, illus by Rebecca Mills, Fremantle)
• Sidney of Sydney (Sue Whiting, illus by Liz Anelli, Walker Books)
• The Thing About Christmas (Jo Dabrowski, illus by Briony Stewart, Little Book Press)
• The Train at the End of My Street (Tom Jellett, illus by Tom Jellett, Affirm Kids)
• What Is a Dot (Johanna Bell, illus by Amelia Luscombe, T&H)
• Where the River Runs Free (Vikki Conley, illus by Jedda Robaard, Windy Hollow Books)

Picture Book of the Year (0–18 years)

• A Is for … A Rabbit’s Tale (Lucinda Gifford, written by Jackie Hosking, Walker Books)
• Being Indy (Estee Sarsfield, written by Zoe Gaetjens, WestWords Children’s)
• Between (Anna Walker, written by Anna Walker, Scribble)
• Bigfoot vs Yeti (James Foley, written by James Foley, Fremantle)
• Bob and Dob (Sean E Avery, written by Sean E Avery, Walker Books)
• Bored (Felicita Sala, written by Felicita Sala, HG Children’s)
• Dawn (Marc Martin, written by Marc Martin, Walker Books)
• Dear Broccoli (Cate James, written by Jo Dabrowski, Affirm Kids)
• Dropbear (Philip Bunting, written by Philip Bunting, Walker Books)
• The Frog’s First Song (Jason Phu, written by Jazz Money, UQP)
• Going for Pippies (Tori-Jay Mordey, written by Wilaaran Laurie, Magabala)
• Gone (Michel Streich, illus by Michel Streich, Thames & Hudson)
• Hello Cocky (Antonia Pesenti, written by Hilary Bell, Scribble)
• Here Come the Cousins (Sarah Zweck, written by Maggie Hutchings, Thames & Hudson)
• How My Family Says I Love You (Aurore McLeod, written by Yvonne Sewankambo, Walker Books)
• Jo and the No (Judy Watson, written by Kyle Mewburn, Dirt Lane Press)
• My Mum Is a Bird (Evie Barrow, written by Angie Cui, UQP)
• Neville’s Great Escape (Sean E Avery, written by Sean E Avery, Walker Books)
• Once I Was a Giant (Zeno Sworder, written by Zeno Sworder, T&H)
• One Day (Michael Speechley, written by Shirley Marr, Walker Books)
• One Word and a Bird (Stephen Michael King, Scholastic)
• Rain on the Rock (Valerie Brumby, written by Jodi Toering, Bright Light)
• Some Days You’ll Have Days Like These (Stephen Michael King, written by Josh Pyke, Scholastic)
• The Thing About Christmas (Briony Stewart, written by Jo Dabrowski, Little Book Press)
• Tiwi in Paris (Glen Farmer Illortaminni, written by Glen Farmer Illortaminni, T&H)

Eve Pownall Award

• All About Antarctica (Marc Martin, illus by Marc Martin, Penguin)
• The Bee Squad: Boosting Biodiversity in Your Neighbourhood (Judy Friedlander, illus by Judy Friedlander, NewSouth)
• Caring for Country: First Knowledges for Younger Readers (Bruce Pascoe, Bill Gammage & Jasmin McGaughey, illus by Savi Ross, T&H)
• Caution! This Book Contains Deadly Reptiles (Corey Tutt, illus by Ben Williams, A&U)
• Diary of a Marine Biologist (Anita Thomas, illus by Sarah Wilkins, Walker Books)
• Filling in the Map (Carole Wilkinson, illus by Carole Wilkinson, Wild Dog)
• Flute: A Dolphin’s Wild Journey Home (Kasey Whitelaw, illus by Jenni Goodman, Wombat Books)
• The Great Shark Egg Case Hunt (Kasey Whitelaw, illus by Sylvia Morris, CSIRO Publishing)
• Hello Cocky (Hilary Bell, illus by Antonia Pesenti, Scribble)
• The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Fast and Slow Animals (Sami Bayly, illus by Sami Bayly, Lothian Children’s)
• A Loo of One’s Own (Eleri Harris, illus by Eleri Harris, A&U Children’s)
• Mind-controlling Bugs (Aidan Doyle, illus by Astred Hicks, HG Explore)
• Ningaloo (Tim Winton, illus by Cindy Lane, Fremantle)
• Old Days Imanka nurna laakinha nitjaarta (Marjorie ‘Nunga’ Williams, illus by Marjorie ‘Nunga’ Williams, Magabala)
• Peculiar Parents (Stephanie Owen Reeder, illus by Ingrid Bartkowiak, NLA)
• Platypus Bend (Diane Jackson Hill, illus by Craig Smith, Museums Victoria)
• Quarks, Sparks and Quantum Mysteries (Lisa Harvey-Smith, illus by Aidan Ryan, Thames & Hudson)
• There’s a Prawn in Parliament House: The Kids’ Guide to Australia’s Amazing Democracy (Annabel Crabb, illus by First Dog on the Moon, A&U)
• This Bird: Noticing Our Urban Birds (Astred Hicks & Holly Parsons, illus by Astred Hicks, CSIRO Publishing)
• The Thylacine and the Time Machine (Renée Treml, illus by Renée Treml, A&U Children’s)
• Tubowgule (Melissa-Jane Fogarty, illus by Dylan Finney, Lothian Children’s)
• Volcano (Claire Saxby, illus by Jess Racklyeft, A&U Children’s)
• Weaving Country (Christine Joy & Aunty Kim Wandin, illus by Ashleigh Pugh, Walker Books)
• Weirdosaurus (Philip Bunting, illus by Philip Bunting, HG Children’s)
• World of Colour (Jess Racklyeft, illus by Jess Racklyeft, Affirm).

The shortlists for the 2026 CBCA Book of the Year Awards will be announced on 31 March. The winners will be announced on 21 August. The Shadow Judging Book of the Year, for which groups of young people across Australia vote for one winner per category from the 2026 shortlist, will also be announced on 21 August.

Children’s Book Week will run on 22 to 28 August.

CBCA previously announced that next year’s Book of the Year Awards will include a middle readers category for ages 10 to 13.

More information about the CBCA Awards and this year’s Notables list is available on the CBCA website.

Category: Local news