Most people who vote for the top one hundred list will either select from the predetermined adult book choices or they can add adult books that they loved. Of course, my list is of children's books. That is a category, but the predetermined titles is just a very short list and there seems to be no real rhyme of reason for the selected middle grade novels and picture books so I mostly added my own. Seven of my titles were my own choices - this is probably a waste of time because no one will have heard of them. Twenty-five years of published books could make for a huge list. Since I have already voted I am unable to share titles complied by the ABC. One that I do remember was The Duck and the Darklings by Glenda Millard illustrated by Stephen Michael King - so I put an alternate book by this wonderful author.
What is missing from my list? You can only nominate ten books so I have missed out on adding a verse novel, an indigenous title or two and a wordless book.
Which authors are missing? I wish I could have included Margaret Wild; Shaun Tan; Jeannie Baker; Freya Blackwood; Marc Martin; Gus Gordon; Andrew McLean; Matt Ottley; Tohby Riddle; Craig Smith; Bruce Whatley; Alison Lester; Tristan Bancks; Gabrielle Wang; Jackie French and so many more. If I could add one more book it would be The Midwatch by Judith Rossell.
What resources could the Radio National producers have used to compile their list (of children's titles). The CBCA past winners 2001-2025; the IBBY Honour titles; books by IBBY Hans Christian Andersen nominees; bookseller top picks lists; Australian children's books with Kirkus Star reviews; lists from our National Centre for Australian Children's Literature such as their Picture Books for Older readers database; and other lists like this one from PETAA. (I can see that I should have included Fox by Margaret Wild illustrated by Ron Brooks but it was published in 2000).
It seems a little strange to me that the book choices can be from anywhere in the world but that allowed me to put Shelter (Canadian), Wishtree (USA), The Wolf Wilder (UK) and A Swallow in Winter which was translated from French.
Winner of the CBCA Picture Book of the Year in 2023 - this book is a masterpiece. Zeno Sworder has a new book released just a couple of weeks ago - Once I was a Giant.
CBCA Book of the Year for Younger Readers in 2023. The sequel is about to be released and there is also a movie adaption. Runt is a perfect book to read aloud in a family.
Wishtree is a book for all ages and so there is even an adult edition (same book different cover).
Katherine Applegate's books are readily available in Australia and many children will have read The One and Only Ivan (and sequels) and Dogtown. Thinking of books that children encounter in Primary School I could also have listed
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown (USA).
I will admit that this choice is obscure, but I constantly recommend this book. Kirkus said: Claire and Leng have created a beautiful tale that reads like a fable to teach giving and kindness, with artwork that warms up as its characters do. The fact that the publisher released a 5th Anniversary edition in 2024 I think shows this is an important book and one that should reach a wide audience.
This book was published in 2003. The subsequent books from the series were illustrated by the talented
Stephen Michael King. I should have listed one of his picture books such as Where does Thursday go (2001). There are sentences in the naming of Tishkin Silk that are expressed with such poetic beauty:
“(The Silk Road) meandered between the paddocks, a generous ribbon of gravel with a mean smear of bitumen up the middle and dribbling off the edges. Clumps of blowfly grass and scaly grey lichens trespassed undisturbed on the road’s ragged borders.”
Zana Fraillon is the author of the verse novel
The Way of Dog which was shortlisted by the CBCA for the 2023 award. I could very easily have included The Way of Dog or her latest book
Song of a Thousand Seas but instead I put this gentle story about a special relationship which is another of those books that transcends ages - it is sure to be enjoyed by readers aged 9 right up to 99.
I think it is important to include a book by Katherine Rundell on this list. I have loved all of her
books but The Wolf Wilder is the one that I enjoyed the most.
This book is a novella (I don't think there were any novellas on the children's book list for the ABC top one hundred. Please read my blog post. I know I have already said this but A Swallow in Winter is a truly remarkable book.
Children's books encompass so many forms - easy novels, verse novels, middle grade books, Young Adult titles and of course Picture Books. It seems completely impossible to select one picture book so I have three on my top ten list - Shelter and My Strange Shrinking Parents and also this one Dimity Dumpty. I just had to include a book from the national treasure
Bob Graham. I adore so many of his books but this is the one that really touched my heart. His newest book is
A Hatful of Dreams released last month.
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