Image used with thanks from Telarah Public School Library
I have already talked about the picture book notables (PB and EC). Now I will turn my attention to the Younger Readers Notables.
8.2 Judging criteria for CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers
Entries in this category are books published for children in the age range from 7 to 12 years (lower to
upper primary school level). Books in the category may be fiction, drama, graphic novels, illustrated text or poetry.
As with my previous post here are the books that did not 'make the cut'. I am so disappointed about all of these - in fact several I am sharing here I had predicted (click this link to find my posts about all of these) would be short listed.
I was hoping to see all of these as Notable and even on the short list for Younger Readers. I especially hoped to see the two junior novels - Bravepaw (the sequel has just been released) and Leo and Ralph. In my view A small collection of Happiness had a good chance of being an honour book. I am still shaking my head that these seven truly special books were all overlooked. And of course I am sure everyone was very surprised that All the Beautiful things was not included.
Take a look at the main judging criteria:
The Judges assess entries primarily for:
1. Literary merit – i.e. aesthetic qualities of language, language appropriate to the style of the work, plausible character development (where appropriate), etc.
2. Content and cohesiveness – plot, language, theme, style, etc.
3. Appeal to the implied readership
4. Quality – illustrations, format, production, editing
5. Craft and originality in the treatment of literary elements
Think about this CBCA definition from their awards document glossary:
LITERARY MERIT A term that describes the literary value in relation to the quality of writing
and its suitability for the age of the intended readership.
Here are the expanded criteria. When I was a judge (2021-23 PB) I put these into a table so I could 'grade' each book.
Literary elements
• Language: The aesthetic qualities of the language are appropriate and evocative of place, character and mood. The language exhibits breadth and variety of vocabulary and precision. Sentence construction is used in a natural and creative manner to reveal purpose and attitude. Where rhythm and rhyme are used it is accomplished and effective.
• Illustration: Where relevant, design, graphics or illustrations should be integrated and support and extend the narrative or topic. The medium should be appropriate to the subject and style of the work. There is a consistent quality of graphic elements that can provide a stimulating and satisfying visual experience.
• Characterisation: There are strong main and minor characters, who interact with each other convincingly. The author creates authentic and engaging characters who advance the narrative through appropriate dialogue and/or action.
• Setting: The setting effectively contributes to the storyline. The sense of place and time is very strong and maintained throughout the story. Where appropriate there is a synergy between text and visual elements in the creation of setting.
• Plot: The plot is well constructed. The main events are presented effectively and are consistent with the story. The resolution is credible.
• Theme: Ideas and messages within the narrative are skilfully presented and crafted. The reader can recognise the themes or develop a fresh perspective
• Mood: The writer and/or illustrator have created an atmosphere/mood that enhances the narrative.
• Source Material: Where applicable, if source material used, these are accurate to the
current state of knowledge and are appropriate in their use of cultural material.
Design elements: The elements of design are cohesive and add to the overall sense of quality and age appropriateness in regard to:
• Font/text
• Colour palette
• Paper stock
• Format
• Consistency of internal design
• Cover design is appealing and relevant to the story
Age appropriateness: The story is written in a way that would engage 7–12-year-olds. (or a sub-age
group within) Light introduction of mature topics might be explored and may give the readers the
opportunity to be challenged. The writing is engaging, stimulating and extends the reader’s
experience and/or imagination. It also may help the reader understand more about themselves and
the world.
Production Values:
• Editing: The editing is professional, with conventions of spelling and grammar upheld. Typography is integral and not intrusive. If included, tables, diagrams and graphs are clear.
Twenty-five books are on the Younger Readers Notable list, but this number is just the maximum according to the CBCA rules - the judges could easily have listed fewer.
The 2025 CBCA Book of the Year Awards Younger Readers Notables are…
Aggie Flea Steals the Show by Tania Ingram, illustrated by Anne Yi (Scholastic Australia)
Countdown to Yesterday by Shirley Marr (Penguin Random House Australia)
Ella and the Amazing Frog Orchestra by Cassy Polimeni, illustrated by Hykie Breeze (UWA Publishing)
Fluff: Mess Up! by Matt Stanton, illustrated by Matt Stanton (ABC Books)
Hello Twigs, Look Who’s Grumpy by Andrew McDonald, illustrated by Ben Wood (Hardie Grant)
How to Break a World Record and Survive Grade Five by Carla Fitzgerald (UQP)
Jy Goes for Gold by Carl Merrison & Hakea Hustler Samantha Campbell (HarperCollins AU)
Landovel by Emily Rodda (A&U Books for Children and Young Adults)
Ming and Ada Spark the Digital Age by Jackie French (HarperCollins AU)
Oscar vs the Grand Old Dude Named York by Ross Curnow (Walker Books Australia)
Real Pigeons Power Up by Andrew McDonald, illustrated by Ben Wood (Hardie Grant)
Saskia Spark-Lee:by Rebecka Sharpe Shelberg, illustrated by Sofya Karmazina (Walker Books Aus)
Shower Land 1: Break the Curse by Nat Amoore, illustrated by James Hart (Penguin Random House)
Small Acts by Kate Gordon & Kate Foster (Walker Books Australia)
Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger by Jackie French (HarperCollins AU)
To and Fro by Anton Clifford-Motopi (A&U Books for Children and Young Adults) My comments
Twinning BFF’s (NOT) by Alexa Moses, illustrated by Sofya Karmazina (Scholastic Australia)
Worst Week Ever Saturday by Eva Amores, illustrated by Matt Cosgrove (Scholastic Australia)
I still plan to read over the coming weeks, when I can find them in a library, Small Acts by Kate Gordon and Kate Foster and Countdown to Yesterday by Shirley Marr. I also hope to find Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger - Jackie French is very skilled with Historical fiction and I do enjoy Bushranger stories.
Taking a close look at the Younger Readers Notables I think they can be divided into several groups and I am going to argue here that one of these groups has titles that do not fit the CBCA criteria when you view this as a National Award for literary excellence. Here the titles that I call 'pop' titles and to my eye I cannot see how they are exemplars of literary merit. All of these are sure to be popular in school libraries and I would be very happy to see them being read and enjoyed but I struggle to see how they fit into our CBCA National Award. I am very happy to be proved wrong.
This page lists all the reviews in the CBCA Journal Reading Time. Here are some other reviews of titles from Younger Readers - I am going to run out of time to read these so I might have to settle with reading a review, for now anyway:
Landovel by Emily Rodda Just So Stories Also here is the review from Readings Melbourne. (944 pages - three book set)
2 comments:
I was surprised at the number of books in the younger reader notables that are sequels in a series.
Me too! The rules state that if it is a book from a series the story has to stand alone. I am not sure that is true for those Real Pigeons stories. Sure they are fun and funny but when I read book 11 last year I was confused about the characters and had to go back to book 1 to sort it all out.
Post a Comment