In a previous post I made my predictions of titles I hoped to see in the 2021 Notables. I was right with some, wrong with others, and as usual disappointed some treasures didn't make the cut. I did especially "badly" with the Early Childhood selection. None of the Early Childhood titles (apart from The Small Blue Dot) have appeared on this blog, so in this post I will focus on Younger Readers and Picture Book of the Year.
Younger Readers (20 titles)
- Danielle Bink The Year the Maps Changed
I read this earlier in the year but it did not really appeal to me. The family situation is so complex and I wondered if children in 2021 would understand or relate to the refugee situation in Albania from 1999. Other reviewers loved this book.
- Kate Constable The January Stars
I read this earlier in the year too. This is heart felt story but again it didn't really appeal to me perhaps because the way realism (the plight of the grandfather) is blended with the time slip. I may re-read this one over the coming weeks.
- Kate Gordon Aster’s Good, Right Things
I gave this a four star review.
- Kate Gordon The Heartsong of Wonder Quinn
I gave this a four star review but I am still very unsure about the appeal of the cover?
- Steven Herrick Zoe, Max and the Bicycle Bus
Five star review - how wonderful to see a Verse Novel on this list.
- Bren MacDibble Across the Risen Sea
Five star review - the scenes near the start of this story where the children climb into a high rise tower building continue to linger with me. I was excited to see this on the CILIP Carnegie Medal Long List for 2021.
- Amelia Mellor The Grandest Bookshop in the World
I read this earlier in the year but the construct and repetition of tasks which Pearl has to complete did not hold my interest. The history of the Coles family is interesting but this is a very long book which takes quite a bit of reading stamina. When I read this book I actually skipped quite a few chapters and jumped to the end which is something I very rarely do.
- Jessica Miller The Republic of Birds
Five star review - this is a book I adored from start to finish. The names, the word choices and complex vocabulary, and the world building made this book a very satisfying one.
- Jaclyn Moriarty Kelly Canby The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst
In 2017 I read the first instalment of this series by Jaclyn Moriatry - The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone. The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst is the third book in this series. I did have a copy on my to-read pile but it didn't quite make it to the top before I had to return it.
- Sally Murphy Sarah Davis Worse Things
Here is my review of Worse Things. This is a splendid verse novel (there are three books in this format in the Younger Readers Notables) but oddly I just don't like the cover.
- Katrina Nannestad We Are Wolves
Five star review. Surely this will be short listed and hopefully be among the final winners. The hardcover edition is scrumptious.
- Julianne Negri The Secret Library of Hummingbird House
Here is my review. I thoroughly enjoyed the rich vocabulary used in this book and the themes of political activism.
- Allison Rushby When This Bell Rings
I have added this to my "to read" list. We have a copy at the Westmead Children's Hospital Book Bunker where I volunteer so I can pick it up next week.
- Pamela Rushby The Mummy Smugglers of Crumblin Castle
- Kirli Saunders Dub Leffler Bindi
Here is my review and YES this is another verse novel!
- Claire Saxby Haywire
I have added this to my own shopping list. Oddly I have not seen this book in any of the bookshops I visit each week. Here is a review from Reading Time. Here is my five star review.
- A.L. Tait The Fire Star
I'm keen to read this because some reviewers say it is a book for 12+, others say 11+ and a few say 10+ so I wonder should this book be in the Older Readers category? (I have now read The Fire Star - here is my five star review).
- Dee White Beyond Belief
This is now the first book I have added to my shopping list - I plan to read it over the weekend - the cover looks very promising. (note I have now read Beyond Belief - it is an amazing book)
- Sue Whiting The Book of Chance
- Sean Williams Her Perilous Mansion
Picture Book of the Year
(20 titles)
Tamsin Ainslie Edwina Wyatt Sometimes Cake
Liz Anelli Sue Lawson The Biscuit Maker
Evie Barrow Maggie Hutchings I Saw Pete and Pete Saw Me
Freya Blackwood The Unwilling Twin
Nick Bland Wolfred Philip Bunting Give Me Some Space
Philip Bunting Not Cute
Philip Bunting Who Am I?
Philip Bunting Wombat
Kelly Canby Littlelight
Gabriel Evans Norton and the Bear
Bob Graham Ellie’s Dragon
Armin Greder Diamonds
Alison Lester Jane Godwin Sing Me the Summer
Chris McKimmie Colin Cockroach Goes to Caloundra
Christopher Nielsen Nicole Godwin Jelly-Boy
Matt Ottley Meg McKinlay How to Make a Bird
Felicita Sala Maggie Hutchings Your Birthday Was the Best!
Danny Snell Jackie French The Fire Wombat
Hannah Sommerville Mike Dumbleton Anisa’s Alphabet
Scott Stuart My Shadow is Pink
Jane Tanner Margaret Wild Girl from the Sea
Anna Walker Hello Jimmy!
Annie White Sue Whiting Good Question: A Tale Told Backwards
Anna Zobel Bernadette Green Who’s Your Real Mum?
MISSING MISSING MISSING
These are the books that were overlooked that I really think should be Notables for 2021. Please try to find these and if you work in a school library I recommend you add them to your collection and also I recommend you read all of these to your students.
Scary Bird by Michel Streich - I am certain this will WIN other awards. I really thought this would be the 2021 Picture Book of the Year winner. Message to the publisher (Scholastic) - please send this book far and wide. Perhaps it might win a future Kate Greenaway Medal as Bob Graham did in 2002 for Jethro Bird Fairy Child or a Caldecott prize as we saw with Hello Lighthouse in 2019. Nop (Caroline Magerl) is on the 2021 Greenaway Medal Long List. I adore Scary Bird so much I plan to add a copy to my own picture book collection.
Finding Francois by Gus Gordon - I was sure this would be a 2021 Honour book. In my review I said: "How lucky are our Australian children to see, touch and hear such a beautiful book which has clearly been crafted with love and care."
A Boy and a Ball by Phil Cummings illustrated by Phil Lesnie. Again I was certain we would see this book on the Picture Book of the Year short list. In my post about this and Anisa's Alphabet I said: "The topic of refugees is a complex but very important one and these books are perfect to use with senior primary school students and high school students. It makes me so sad to say Australia has a terrible record on the treatment of refugees but I celebrate the power of these books by Australian authors and illustrators."
Extraordinary by Penny Harrison illustrated by Katie Wilson - I wish this was on the Notable list - do make sure you add this to your library. In my blog post I said: "I think Extraordinary could be a contender for the CBCA list. Penny Harrison's rhyming words work really well. This is not always the case when authors choose to write their text using rhyme. Little children are sure to be attracted to the sparkles on the cover too."
Duck Apple Egg by Glenda Millard illustrated by Martina Heidczek - this is a perfect preschool level book which I expected to see on the Notables (Early Childhood). In my blog post I said: "It is so important for a picture book to employ equal partners - the author pens a brilliant text and the illustrator creates images both worthy of the words but also images that take young readers beyond the words into another realm of imagination."
Here are the Younger Readers titles I expected to also see on the Notables lists. I do hope you have these in your library:
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