The CBCA 2020 Notables are coming part three Eve Pownall Award

Image source Chinese International School Manilla

I did not plan to talk about the Eve Pownall award for Non Fiction but earlier today some posted a question on a teacher-librarian forum about children and promoting non fiction in a school library. In one week the notable titles will be announced.  Looking at the list of books (over 65 titles) submitted by the publishers for this award I have to say Non Fiction is more than just alive and well it's thriving. This award began in 1988 and became part of the CBCA awards in 1993. If you take a look at previous winners you are sure to see some wonderful titles presented in a variety of formats.

I especially like these from the past:

• Sorry Day 2019
• Do not lick this book 2018
• A to Z of convicts 2015
• Jeremy 2014
• Tom the outback mailman 2013
• The return of the word spy 2011
• The Rabbits 1999
• V is for Vanishing 1994
• My Place by Nadia Wheatley 1988

I remember talking once with a past Eve Pownall Judge and she explained this is one of the most complex sections to judge because there are so many different formats, intended audiences and of course expectations. If a book is Non Fiction is it essential to have an index, contents, glossary? What about a list of sources and ideas for further reading?

Here is the official criteria:

"Entries in this category should be books with the prime purpose of documenting factual material. Consideration should be given to imaginative presentation, interpretation and variation of style. This includes works of non-fiction, autobiographies and biographies. This does not include activity books, text books or procedural texts. The age range for this category is 0 to 18 years."

Looking at the list of books that were submitted there are many I have read but I regret I have not talked about them here. I can see I need to include more non fiction titles in this blog.  Here are the books I like:

The day we built the bridge by Samantha Tidy illustrated by Fiona Burrows
A cat called Trim by Corinne Fenton illustrated by Craig Smith

Argh! There's a skeleton inside you by Idan Ben-Barak illustrated by Julian Frost
Grandma's treasured shoes by Coral Vass illustrated by Christina Huynh
Lunch at 10 Pomegranate street by Felicita Sala
The massive book of maps by Lorna Hendry
Culture by Charles Hope

Searching for Cicadas by Lesley Gibbes illustrated by Judy Watson
The Ultimate Animal Counting book by Jennifer Cossins
The book of Stone by Mark Greenwood illustrated by Coral Tulloch
Windcatcher by Diane Jackson Hill illustrated by Craig Smith
Fauna by Tania McCartney
The illustrated Encyclopedia of Ugly Animals by Sami Bayly
Australian Backyard Earth Scientist by Peter Macinnis

Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe
Cooee Mittigar: A story on Darug Songlines by Jasmine Seymour illustrated by Leanne Mulgo
Wilam: A Birrarung story by Aunty Joy, Lisa Kennedy and Andrew Kelly

In 1952 The Australia Book by Eve Pownall won the CBC Children's Book of the Year award.

I was interested to see two books submitted for the Eve Pownall which I think might better suit an adult audience. I have talked about both of these in previous posts.