CBCA Book of the Year Winners 2012

On Friday, 17th August 2012,  I attended the Children's Book Council Australia, Book of the Year 2012 Awards announcement at the National Library of Australia.

The CBCA Book of the Year awards recognise and award the outstanding literary talent from Australian authors in Children's literature. Australian Olympic Gold Medallist Petria Thomas, Andrew Leigh MP and members from the CBCA ACT branch waited with bated breath to hear the awards announced. 

Book of the Year: Older Readers

WINNER: The Dead I Know Scot Gardner

HONOUR: A Straight Line to My Heart Bill Condon

HONOUR: When We Were Two Robert Newton

Book of the Year : Younger Readers

WINNER: Crow Country Kate Constable

HONOUR: Nanberry: Black Brother White Jackie French

HONOUR: The Truth About Verity Sparks Susan Green

Book of the Year: Early Childhood

WINNER : The Runaway Hug Nick Bland, Ill. Freya Blackwood

HONOUR: Come Down, Cat! Sonya Hartnett, Ill. Lucia Masicullo

HONOUR: That's not a daffodil! Elizabeth Honey

Picture Book of the Year

WINNER: A Bus Called Heaven Bob Graham

HONOUR: Flood Bruce Whatley, Text: Jackie French

HONOUR: The Dream of the Thylacine Ron Brooks, Text: Margaret Wild

Eva Pownall Award for Information Books

WINNER: One Small Island: The Story of Macquarie Island Alison Lester & Coral Tulloch

HONOUR: The Little Refugee Anh & Suzanne Do, Ill. Bruce Whatley

 HONOUR: Surrealism for Kids Queensland Art Gallery



Andrew Leigh, Petria Thomas and Mollie Bialkowski with the shortlisted books.




Book of the Year winner Early Childhood- The Runaway Hug, and Honour Book-That's not a Daffodil



Girls from Canberra Girls Grammar School performing That's not a Daffodil.



Storyteller Mollie Bialkowski reading Come Down Cat



After the Awards announcement  Tania McCartney, Pauline Deeves, Katie Taylor, Stephanie Owen Reeder and myself were invited to sign our books outside the National Library bookshop.



Book signing is always a pleasure.



My picture book Max Meets a Monster on display inside the bookshop.



After signing lots of books, we seized the opportunity to have coffee and a chat which was a rare treat as we don't meet very often. Then we braved  the wild wind and snow as we headed home.



The National Library




View across Lake Burley Griffin with storm clouds building




The lake and foreshore




Flags on display along the foreshore.





Captain Cook Memorial Jet