NSW CBCA Lady Cutler Award winner 2026 Deborah Abela

Last night I attended the ceremony for the Lady Cutler Award presented by the CBCA (NSW Branch). These events are always happy occasions. 

You can read the official citation for Deborah Abela. 

Here is a list of a few of her awards and achievements (see more here)

The Kindness Project

2025 Notables Children's Book Council of Australia Awards

2025 Shortlisted REAL Awards

2025 Shortlisted Children's Peace Literature Award

The Book of Wondrous possibilities

2025 Shortlisted REAL Awards

2024 Sakura Medal, Japan 

2024 Shortlisted REAL Awards (Kid's Choice Victoria, NT, NSW, ACT)

2023 Notables Children's Book Council of Australia Awards

2023 Shortlisted REAL Awards (Kid's Choice Victoria, NT, NSW, ACT)

2023 Speech Pathology Book of the Year Awards

2023 Shortlisted Davitt Awards 

Bear in Space (picture book)

2021 Notables Children's Book Council of Australia Awards

2021 Best Book in Translation, Malta National Book Prize

The Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee

2020 Best Book in Translation, Malta National Book Prize

2019 Shortlisted REAL Awards (Kid's Choice Victoria, NT, NSW, ACT)

2017 Australian Family Therapists Awards

Grimsdon

2018 Shortlisted REAL Awards (Kid's Choice Victoria, NT, NSW, ACT)

2017 Shortlisted REAL Awards (Kid's Choice Victoria, NT, NSW, ACT)

2012 Shortlisted REAL Awards (Kid's Choice Victoria, NT, NSW, ACT)

2011 Speech Pathology Book of the Year Awards

2011 Most Enthralling Junior Fiction Award, Kids Book Review

2011 Shortlisted Aurealis Awards

2011 Shortlisted REAL Awards (Kids Choice Victoria, NT, NSW, ACT)

Ghost Club

2013 Sisters in Crime Davitt Awards

2015 Shortlisted REAL Awards (Kid's choice Vic, NSW, ACT, NT)

The Remarkable Secret of Aurelie Bonhoffen

2012 Shortlisted USBBY Outstanding International Book (USA)

2010 Children's Book Council Notable Book

2010 Shortlisted Aurealis Awards for Best Children's Book​

Max Remy Superspy

2005, 2007, 2010 KOALA Awards shortlisted Best Series

2007, 2010 YABBA Awards shortlisted Best Series

2008 Angus & Robertson's Top 50 Kids' Books

2007 Shortlisted CBC Children's Choice Awards (USA)

2007 WAYRBA (Western Australia Children's Choice Awards)

2007 CROC Awards

2006 Annual Ellie Awards, (Madison Alabama, USA - Honor Book)

2005 Winner Gold Oppenheim Award, New York: Max Remy Part 1

2004 Australia Council Literary Grant New Work/Developing Writer

2003 Shortlisted Aurealia Awards: Max Remy The Hollywood Mission

2002, 2003 Winner of Read and Write Award by Vocaleyes Narrator of Audio Books

• 2017 Koala Legend
• Regional adviser SCBWI
• Ambassador for the NSW Premiers Spelling Bee
• Room to Read Ambassador
• 2013 Maurice Saxby Award for services to Children's Literature

One point that was shared during her citation that really resonated with me with me - every school library in Australia will have books on their shelves by Deborah Abela - I am absolutely certain this is true.

In her speech Deborah talked about the campaign to save our school TEACHER LIBRARIAN. Unfortunately, her poster, which will be shared widely on social media, only used the word librarian. Here is a better image you could share:

Read more about this vital campaign here.

Here are books by Deborah Abela that I have loved and talked (see all her books here)

This is my favourite!

The Remarkable Secret of Aurelie Bonhoffen

The Book of Wondrous Possibilities

The Kindness Project

The Stupendously Spectacular Spelling bee

The wonderful and hugely enthusiastic Rachel Robson made some bunting to celebrate the evening and to decorate her book stand:

The Maurice Saxby keynote address last night was given by Tristan Bancks - unfortunately (sorry that's the second time I have used that word here) I was unable to stay for his speech even though I am a huge fan of all of his books:

Scar Town

Cop and Robber

Detention

Two Wolves

Raised by wolves

The Lady Cutler Award is a biennial award, administered by the CBCA NSW Branch, for Distinguished Service to Children’s Literature. It commemorates the contribution to the Children’s Book Council NSW Branch by Lady Helen Cutler, its first patron, accepting the appointment in 1966, when her husband Sir Roden Cutler became Governor of New South Wales. Lady Cutler continued as Patron of the CBCA NSW Branch until her death in 1990. Lady Cutler saw her role as one of service to the community. She recognised the needs of children and encouraged CBCA NSW Branch members to advance the cause of children’s literature throughout the state.

(See the full list of previous winners here). Past author/illustrator recipients of the Lady Cutler Award:

Bronwyn Bancroft

Libby Gleeson

Libby Hathorn

Margaret Wild

Christopher Cheng

Robin Morrow

Donna Rawlins

Mark Macleod

Jean Chapman

Di Bates

Margaret Hamilton

Maurice Saxby

Patricia Wrightston

Lydia Pender

The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

 

Here are a selection of covers. My copy is the one on the right. 

The cover illustration is by Sophie Blackall and this is the edition that is still available

Gilly has put up so many barriers in her life. She is sure her mum must love her, but she has not seen her since she was three years old and the only communication comes from brief very occasional postcards. Gilly is determined to dislike everyone especially since she finds herself in yet another foster home. She is holding onto so much hurt after several of the previous foster parents rejected her. This house could be the worst yet - a crazy older lady called Mrs Trotter, an almost mute boy named William Ernest and a blind next-door neighbour Mr Randolph.  Gilly also has to navigate school and yet another new teacher. But Gilly has a plan. She just needs enough money for a bus fare to California. But will running away solve anything and what about that letter she wrote to her mother describing this new 'crazy' home?

Publisher blurb: Eleven-year-old Gilly has been stuck in more foster families than she can remember, and she's hated them all. She has a reputation for being brash, brilliant, and completely unmanageable, and that's the way she likes it. So when she's sent to live with the Trotters—by far the strangest family yet—she knows it's only a temporary problem. Gilly decides to put her sharp mind to work and get out of there fast. She's determined to no longer be a foster kid. Before long she's devised an elaborate scheme to get her real mother to come rescue her. Unfortunately, the plan doesn't work out quite as she hoped it would...

Awards:

• National Book Award 1979
• Newbery Honor Award 1979
• Honor Book, Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards 1979
• Christopher Award, 1979
• American Library Association Notable Children’s Books 1978
• School Library Journal Best book of 1978

Click these review extracts to read more plot details:

To protect herself Gilly creates a persona for herself, a tough, gum chewing, boy fighting, smart aleck persona who keeps everyone at a distance and who tries very hard not to like anyone.This beautifully written, touching and thought-provoking story explores the idea that families come in many forms and that families should never be taken for granted.  Looking Glass Reviews

I had read this book many years ago but when I saw it at a recent charity book sale (AUS$2) I thought it was time to revisit this classic. I did remember a few of the plot points but I had forgotten the harrowing journey of this story and luckily I had also forgotten the ending. Katherine Paterson does not resolve this story in the usual 'they all lived happily ever after' pattern. As a reader you will have hope that Gilly will be okay but in my heart I really wanted her to return to live with Trotter and William Ernest. 

The Kirkus review is from 1978: Without a hint of the prevailing maudlin realism, Paterson takes up a common "problem" situation and makes it genuinely moving, frequently funny, and sparkling with memorable encounters.

The notes at the back of my copy explain: Katherine Paterson was inspired to write "The Great Gilly Hopkins" by her own brief and emotionally challenging experience as a foster parent. This personal encounter with the complexities of the foster care system allowed Paterson to explore the raw, defensive psychology of displaced children through the unforgettable character of Galadriel "Gilly" Hopkins. 

I guess there were middle grade books about foster kids prior to this book from 1978 and, this might be a big call, but I do think The Great Gilly Hopkins surely influenced so many other books about this complex topic such as these:

One for the Murphys

The Tenth Mistake of Henry Hooperman

Pictures of Hollis Woods

I have this on my to re- read list

Young Adult title 13+ Orbiting Jupiter

Here is a list with more titles to explore. 

I am not keen to see the movie of The Great Gilly Hopkins but here is an interview from 2016 where Bianca Schulze talks to Katherine Paterson about the film. Harper Collins also have a discussion guide for The Great Gilly Hopkins. 

I am a huge fan of Katherine Paterson (pop her name in my search bar). You can see her books here. 

City of Clouds by Kiah Thomas

"This might be the year. ... 

This might be the year Darius is finally dethroned.

This might be the year we finally see sunlight."

"Today officially marked a hundred years since Darius had travelled to Monshaw Island, the sacred volcanic glacier that was the source of all magic in Asteria, to be anointed as king. The island was invisible to most, but like all kings and queens before him, Darius had been blessed by its Guardian, a mystical figure responsible for the care and protection of the glacier. Darius had received his anointing ... and then he'd ripped out a shard of the sacred glacier ... Being king hadn't been enough for Darius; he'd wanted pure and permanent power."

This quote is a perfect way to introduce you (and your library group perhaps) to the issues, dangers and quest you will find in this story. Darius, the king, is hidden behind the castle door. Once a year according to the prophecy, there might a chance to open this door if the 'right' person, the one who will be the next ruler, knocks on the door and is recognised. Jack plans to try his luck and so does Thea Rowland. Once their town of Edgemere was a fine place but now it is shrouded in clouds and despair. It is also impossible to leave Edgemeer because people who try become covered in a deep cloud and after a short time away this drains away their life. 

Darius has the shard. Jack decides to make a dangerous bargain with an imp. Imps are tricksters. 

"I thought I was being careful with the wording. ... I know making bargains with imps is a bad idea. I told him I wanted 'to open the castle and to take away the clouds' ... but he said that I didn't specify how long I wanted the castle open. He said I didn't ask him to make the clouds disappear, I'd just asked to take them away, and that he helped me to take them away from the sky - and put them onto my skin."

Jack is not the rightful heir to the throne but who is? Thea wonders if it is a boy (she later learns his name is Alexander) from Navi which is a city that is supposed to be filled with riches and fabulous inventions. But putting that aside Jack is now in the castle, Thea finds a way to get in too and so now she must find that shard and work out how to get to Navi to the library where the maps of the outer regions are kept. With a map and with Jack holding all those dreadful clouds maybe there is a way she can return the shard to Monshaw Island which is said to be found off the coast of Twill.

"She knew roughly the direction Twill was in, but the only path she was confident of was the one that went through Navi. The library in Navi was famous. She'd find a map of Twill and as much information as she could about Monshaw Island."

I loved reading the description of the library and the helpful librarian:

"A librarian stood, looking quizzically at a screen. ... Librarians live to be asked questions. ... her voice when she spoke was soft and sweet. 'Can I help you?' she asked. 'I'm looking for maps of Asteria,' said Thea carefully. 'They're in the geography section about halfway up, silver tubes ... They're filed by region. If you reach the history books you've gone too far."

Another way to introduce this book might be to talk about this statement:

power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely

Listen to a sample of the audio book read by Louise Giavas. 

Blurb: Ever since the king, greedy for magic, stole a piece of an ancient volcanic glacier, Edgemere has been cursed. The castle doors are locked, the skies are constantly dark and the people of Edgemere are trapped living under heavy clouds. When Thea's friend Jack disappears into the castle and becomes imprisoned there, Thea realises that the only way to save him and break the curse is to leave Edgemere and return the piece of glacier to its rightful place. But in order to leave, she will need to rely on help from others – help that lies far beyond the city walls. As the clouds descend, how will Thea know who she can trust?

This is an enthralling adventure with terrific characters and a pacy storyline that is sure to keep readers entertained for the entire journey. With curse breaking, saving the kingdom, bravery, persistence, the importance of both family and friendship, this book has so many wonderful aspects that it is sure to be a hit for years to come. Lamont

Harper Collins has a Teacher's Hub - you can listen to Kiah Thomas talking about her book and find some discussion questions. Better Reading list three reasons to read City of Clouds. If you need more plot details take a look at this review from The Book Muse and this one from Just so Stories. 

Companion book:

The lost Stone of Skycity

City of Clouds is a new book from 2026 and I am sure we will see it listed as a 2027 Younger Readers notable. I read and loved every book from this previous series by Kiah Thomas:

The Callers; The Hidden Forest

Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme by Betsy Bird illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi

I often quote Betsy Bird here on this blog and I have previously read, and loved, her books such as Long Road to the Circus and Wild Things. Reading that Betsy Bird loved mixing up or adding crazy lines to familiar nursery rhymes when she read them with her own children, for the hundredth time, absolutely resonated with me. I used to love doing this with fairy tales with my youngest library visitors changing and having fun with familiar stories like Goldilocks and the Three Bears or Little Red Riding Hood. 

Betsy says: As a new mother, I decided I was going to be a good mom and do right by my children. That meant reading them all kinds of literature, including nursery rhymes. So I went out and got all the big compendiums. The large collections by Arnold Lobel and Tomie dePaola, sure, but also smaller ones as well. As I read through the rhymes, I realized the sheer variety of them out there. I also realized that they get a bit… samey after a while. I mean, you might get a little variation between one rhyme or another, but generally speaking you’re saying the same words over and over again. Repetition is great for growing brains but it also is a great way to drive a parent a little wonky. As such, I started to get a bit punch drunk. I’d be reading a rhyme normally… and then I’d suddenly end it with, “Pop, goes the weasel!” It never failed to get a laugh. Toddler comedy gold! And so it occurred to me… maybe there was a book in this.

Here is an interview Besty gave to the School Library Journal talking to the illustrator and editor of her book.

Today is the final day of 9th - 13th November World Nursery Rhyme Week. Check out the video I made with a colleague for IBBY Australia where we talk about the importance of sharing nursery rhymes with young children.

I've been trying to find this book Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme here in Australia since it was first published over a year ago in 2025. I actually cheered (quietly because I was in a library) when I saw this book on the shelves of a public library a couple of weeks ago. In Australia this book does cost over AUS$32 but if you have the budget for your school or preschool, I do highly recommend Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme (writing this post I did find a cheaper copy) BUT only read this book once your group are fully familiar with the actual rhymes shared from various sources - fabulous anthologies or single versions. 

Kirkus says: While the physical comedy will make for an intensely funny read-aloud, the book will be best appreciated by children who have absorbed the original rhymes and are in on the changes.

Publisher blurb: In this laugh-out-loud spin on a classic nursery rhyme collection, a feisty weasel continuously interrupts the narrator s carefully prepared recitation adding exuberant mischief to the timeless rhymes we all know and love. The sensible Secretary Bird wants nothing more than to get on with their job of properly narrating a classic nursery rhyme book. But something is afoot in the orderly land of nursery rhymes . . . a zippy little Weasel has entered the scene! As the Secretary Bird tries to get through the rhymes from Little Miss Muffet to Jack and Jill the Weasel bursts in, throwing everything into a comical tailspin. Can the Secretary Bird put an end to the chaos? In POP! Goes the Nursery Rhyme, influential children s librarian Betsy Bird and acclaimed illustrator Andrea Tsurumi remix beloved nursery rhymes, serving up a classic-in-the-making packed with hilarious surprises that will have little listeners riveted.

Check out this review too.

“My new favorite nursery rhyme book. Find a kid. Read this out loud to them. And it will be your favorite too. Kid comedy gold!” —Jon Scieszka, Best-selling author of The True Story of The Three Little Pigs and The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales

You might like to take a look at the imprint page for Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme. I was surprised to read this book uses seven different fonts and keep your eye out for the twin 'icy poles'. Just in case you need to know the rhymes are: Mulberry Bush, Mary had a little lamb, Jack and Jill, Roses are red, Little Miss Muffet, Patty cake Patty cake, Twinkle Twinkle, and One two buckle my shoe. 

This is a book that is sure to be one you read 'on repeat'. 

Here are a few other books illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi:

Up High by Matt Hunt

"It's busy in town today. I don't like it. So I ask to go up high."

This book celebrates the special relationship between a father and his son. It also, in a non-didactic way, shows the importance of slowing down and really taking time to look at your world - especially the tiny things you might overlook. Dad is tall and his son is small but when dad scoops him up onto his shoulders the little boy feels like a giant. He also feels safe in the crowded city. The love we witness between this father and son is a truly special part of this story and the final scene will make you smile. 

See inside Up High here on the Nosy Crow publisher page. Take a look at this Instagram post from Matt Hunt. He has a young son and you can read how that inspired this book. 

Rachel Moffat: Is there anything specific you hope readers take away from reading Up High? 
Matt Hunt: Maybe to slow down a bit and enjoy the little things in life.

The illustrations, which are partly collage, really caught my eye. This book was a 2025 Carnegie illustration nomination:

Publisher blurb: Going up high on Dad's shoulders is the best way to feel BIG when everything makes you feel small. But maybe, just maybe, being down low is just as good as being up high . . .

A young boy and his dad go on a walk to the park. When the little boy starts to feel small walking through the busy streets in town, his dad puts him on his shoulders and, suddenly, it feels like he's flying! And when they reach the park with its birds that sing and leaves that rustle, the boy starts noticing things. Little things. A busy squirrel, a frog on a lily-pad, a tiny ladybird . . . and LOTS of small, amazing things that might just make him feel a little bigger inside!

This sweet and relatable book has a tall, narrow shape that reproduces Dad’s gangly frame. Loose watercolor paintings with noticeable brush strokes and bright colors perfectly suit the lazy, impromptu observations that dominate the walk. City kids will appreciate the urban street scenes, filled with familiar sights, like a hardware store window, grimy sidewalks, park benches, and even another little kid riding “up high” on her dad’s shoulders. We never actually see all of Dad’s face, mostly his eyes, or his legs, or the top of his head, which further emphasizes the father’s height.  YS Book Review

You can see more books by Matt Hunt here. I previously talked about these two:

A Whale of a Time

How to count to one

Note the paperback edition has a different cover

Kiki and Me by Leo Timmers

Before you begin to read this to your library group (Grade One or Two) just stop and ask them to predict who is Kiki and who is me? And ask the students to tell you why they think this? Now pause over the first double spread (with no words) then read the following page:

"I remember really well. First there was a long winding road. Then I heard voice. The ramp lowered ..."

Whose voice is this? Are you surprised? How will knowing the voice change your predictions about the story?

This tale will easily become a beloved classic on the shelves of horse fans. Heck, even the horse averse will cave under the sheer beauty of the illustrations. Equestrian adoration brought to life via breathtaking artwork—an unequivocal champion. Kirkus Star review

As Kirkus say 'the illustrations are breathtaking'. You can see a video promoting the book here. And yes there is a lighthouse on one page too. 

See more pages here and a video of Leo Timmers talking about his book

Here is the video link (with subtitles)

This illustration is packed with emotion - what is happening? How does Kiki feel? 

What would you like to say to Kiki and her new friend? 

Mac Barnett said: “A beautiful and bighearted new story from one of our finest picture book makers. I love it! It’s such an expert piece of picture book making—the way Leo alternates text and wordless spreads, and black-and-white images and paintings, it all creates a beautiful rhythm. Very exciting stuff.”

Now read this interview where Betsy Bird talks to Leo Timmers. 

Kiki and Me is a huge format hard cover book and so the retail price is over AUS$30 but if you shop around, I am sure you will find it for a lower price. I know it is late in the year but if you have some money in your library budget this book is a 'must add' title that I highly recommend. 

This book needs to be a huge format because the wordless double spreads are fabulous works of art - please plan to read this book slowly so you can spend time lingering over these glorious images. In the video (link above) Leo Timmers talks about horses in his life, his personal connection with this story and also the skills he needed to create this book especially the pages drawn with pen and ink.

Take a look at my previous post about books by author illustrator Leo Timmers.

Publisher blurb: First there was a long, windy road. Then I heard voices. The gate lowered . . . and there she was. Kiki. It took her a while to get used to me, but she was a fast learner. Kiki did everything for me. She watered me, kept me warm, groomed me, and fed me. Kiki loved me. And I loved her. Kiki and her horse explore the landscape together and are inseparable. But Kiki grows older and things change. One day, the horse is alone—and thinks it will be forever. Delicate black-and-white drawings alternate with rich, dramatic paintings to tell a poignant story about inseparable friends and growing up.

Here is the perfect companion book:

Lucy and Cooper

The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd

"Beneath the stars of Blackbird Hollow

by the shadows of the ridge

Down a path no man can follow

lies a treasure someone hid ..."

In this family every girl will have a Destiny Dream. The dream is always set in a field of flowers. Emma's mother dreamed of being a musician. Emma's grandmother, Granny Blue, dreamed of being a boxing champion. Emma does have her dream, but it is such a puzzling one. She sees daisies, violets, red roses and an old key. There is a legend about her home in Blackbird Hollow involving hidden treasure and now there is an urgency to find it because it seems Granny Blue is about to sell their cafe, named the Boneyard Cafe, because it is beside the graveyard - to an unscrupulous developer. 

Time is ticking but where is the treasure? What does the dream mean? Is there a way Emma Pearl Casey along with her two friends Cody Belle Chitwood (she lives at the Sweet Peaches Trailer Park) and Earl Chance can solve this? There are obstacles of course. Earl no longer talks due to a past dreadful trauma. Emma has a childhood facial scar which means almost daily taunts from the school bully Beretta Simpson.  But Emma does have support from her grandmother and her uncle with the delightful name of Periwinkle plus her wonderful brother Topher. I love that his girlfriend is called Waverley Valentine. 

Along with a delicious mystery, terrific character names in this book and time spent in a spooky graveyard, this book is also filled with a hot chocolate drink called Boneyard Brew. It contains a secret magical ingredient. And there are lots of warm muffins served in the cafe and also toasted banana sandwiches along with joyful jamboree nights of music and dancing. You will find yourself tapping along to the beat of the song - especially the one that seems to be explaining the way to the treasure. 

Blurb from author web page: Everyone in Emma’s family is special. Her ancestors include Revolutionary War spies, brilliant scientists, and famous country music singers—every single one of which learned of their Extraordinary Destiny through a dream. For Emma, her own Destiny Dream can’t come soon enough. Right before her mother died, Emma promised that she’d do whatever it took to fulfill her Destiny, and she doesn’t want to let her mother down. But when Emma’s dream finally arrives, it points her toward an impossible task—finding a legendary treasure that’s supposedly hidden near her town’s historic cemetery. If Emma fails, she’ll let down generations of her Extraordinary ancestors . . . including her own mother. But how can she find something that’s been missing for centuries and might be protected by a mysterious singing ghost?

I almost gave this one five stars because there are so many delicious turns of phrase used by Natalie Lloyd. Here are a few:

"Boneyard Brew is like hot chocolate with a heavenly twist. ... Once you've had a taste of Boneyard Brew, you'll never stop craving it."

"My brother can read people like a story. He knows when a smile's covering sadness and which sparkly-eyed look is a sure sign of a secret. He can hear a broken heart in the sound of someone's voice. He's especially good at reading me."

"The human heart is a big thumping miracle, I decided. What else in the world could keep beating after being so broken?"

"I think about how nobody knows how long they have in the world. And how we only get a certain number of words to say and share. I'd hate for the last words that come out of my mouth to be mean ones."

"Sometimes you don't realise how special a place - or a person - really is until they're slipping away from you."

The Big Empty - "Birthdays are the worst when you've lost someone you love. Other days are that way too, of course. Tuesdays. Fridays. Sunday afternoons. Holidays and school picture days and rainy days. There's at least a few lonely minutes hiding in every day once you've said goodbye to someone you love. But Birthdays are fierce."

A bouquet of quirks, whimsy, sweetness, and magic. Kirkus

Companion books:

Eight Keys

The Dollar Kids

Three Times Lucky

The Parker Inheritance

Moon over Manifest

The Higher Power of Lucky

I saw The Key to Extraordinary at a recent charity book sale. It was published in 2016 and so the print copy is no longer available but there is an ebook version. I have put two covers above - my copy is the white one but I prefer the purple and blue. I already knew the name Natalie Lloyd because I loved her book A Snicker of Magic.