CBCA Short lists 2026 announced today - my predictions

If you are reading this before 12 noon on 31st March, then you might like to see if my predictions match yours and IF you are reading this after 12 noon on 31st March you might be saying ha ha I was right or ha ha you were so wrong!

Picture Book of the Year - my top six. Of the twenty-five notables I was able to read 17. I read a good report about Jo and the No but I wasn't able to find this book over the last month. 

Once I was a giant

Dawn

One Day

Bob and Dob

Gone

The Thing about Christmas

Younger Readers Book of the Year - my top six (I have ten on my list). Of the twenty-five notables I was able to read or skim through 15. 

Song of a Thousand Seas

Run

The Keeper of the Octopus

The Silken Thread

Promises and other lies

Into the Bewilderness

My other three choices are The Year we Escaped; How to sail to Somewhere; and The Making of Martha Mayfield. I am currently reading The Surface Trials and it might be another possible title on the short list. The other title from the Younger Readers that I wanted to read but didn't find was The Paperbark Tree Committee. 

The Ones that Disappeared by Zana Fraillon

By turns harrowing, heart-wrenching, and magical, this is an incredibly powerful - 

and incredibly important - novel. Love Reading4Kids

The power of this story is in Fraillion’s characters, the emotion in her words weaves the simplest of stories – escape and hope. Her writing is tender, fragile almost, as Esra, Isa and Miran strive to stay alive in captivity to escape and find their way home. Reading Time

"My name is Esra Merkes. I am eleven years old. The tattoo on my arm says I belong to Him, Orlando Perel. It says Snakeskins are my family for life. It says I am owned."

Three young kids have been captured and are living as slaves under a house where they tend to a drug crop. Their families were promised the new country would provide education and light duties but all these were lies. 

There are four voices who tell this story. Esra, Miran and young Isa and later Esra and Isa meet Skeet. The kids do escape from captivity, but Miran is 'captured'. In fact, he is actually taken to hospital. Esra and Isa are on the run because their captor has told dreadful stories of the way the gang hunts kids down. Esra is determined to find Miran so all three can try to make their way back home. You might think Miran is safe because he is in the hospital but in several chilling scenes, we read that someone disguised as a nurse is poisoning him. Esra and Isa find a cave where they shelter, and this is where Skeet finds them. He offers to help with their quest to find Miran, but this involves moving along tunnels under the city. These scenes are so powerful I felt desperately claustrophobic as the kids crawl through the never-ending labyrinth of dangerous tunnels and then it rains and water fills the spaces. These kids are in an incredibly dangerous situation and a race against time. 

It did take me a few days to read The Ones that Disappeared because I kept having to emerge from the horrific scenes and take a break 'back in the real world'. 

Here are a couple of text quotes:

"We drank the puddles from the floor and scooped what we could into the water bottles to ration. And when that ran dry, we sucked up water from the toilet. But the toilet must be connected to the sprinklers because it won't fill back up. It's almost empty, and now Miran and I won't drink at all. Just a sip when the thirst gets this bad. ... We heard the truck arrive. Heard the footsteps in the hallway, the scratch of metal in the lock. And when the door opened at the top of the stairs ... he looked at us, his eyes turning hard and his hands shaking anger and fear ... and we saw our fate written there in his eyes."

"It's time for your medicine,' she tells him, taking four large pills from a container in her pocket. She get him a glass of water and waits while he swallows the pills. She doesn't write on his chart or feel for his pulse like the other nurse does. ... Miran is already asleep when the nurse scratches at her wrist, pushing her cardigan high enough to hint at the tattoo inked black on her arm. A tattoo which matches Miran's own, of a snake, curled around the letters OP."

I have said this in a previous post - we are SO lucky to have a writer like Zana Fraillon here in Australia.

Bookseller blurb: Around the world, millions of people - including many children - are victims of human trafficking. These modern-day slaves often go unseen even in our own cities and towns, their voices silent and their stories untold. In this incredible book, Zana Fraillon imagines the story of three such children, Esra, Miran and Isa. The result is powerful, heartbreaking and unforgettable. Esra, Miran and Isa work for the Snakeskin gang, tending to plants in the dark and airless basement of a house they are not allowed to leave. They've been told that they belong to the Snakeskins, but Esra knows that she belongs to no one - and she is determined to find freedom. 

AWARDS

• NSW Premiers Literary Awards winner
• CBCA Notable 2018
• Carnegie Medal Nominee
• Prime Minister's Literary Award shortlist
• UK CrimeFest award Shortlist

This is a book that gives a powerful voice to those who have no power in a world that should care far, far more than it does about those forced to work as slaves in our towns, our cities and in the countryside. They are all around us, unnoticed, uncared for and voiceless. Zana Fraillon has given them a voice. Now those with the power to effect change need to listen. Crime Review UK

The Ones that Disappeared chilled me to the bone because it was so real, but it opened up a world I needed to see. Although I saw between the quiet spaces where the hope offered in this story might not exist for many, I needed that light touch to see the narrative through to the end. My hope is that tens of thousands read The Ones that Disappeared and in doing so, a ground swell of action builds to fight for the millions lost to this very frightening, very real world. Kids' Book Review

The Ones That Disappeared is an unhurried but endlessly gripping tale, told with heart and affection, encompassing both light and shade. Skeet’s kindness helps Esra to regain her humanity and redirect her on a happier path, while the spectre of human trafficking, both in the novel and in the real world, is haunting throughout. Wisely, Fraillon avoids becoming too specific about the nation her story takes place in and this ambiguity gives the impression the story is meant to represent all child slaves in all corners of the world. Right Now Human Rights in Australia

The Ones that Disappeared is most certainly a Young Adult book. It should be put into the hands of readers who are ready for some extremely confronting issues such as modern slavery and also mature readers who can cope with strong descriptions of violence against children - but please do not let that stop you reading this book. The way the plot unfolds in tiny fragments makes for such a compelling read - you just keep turning the pages desperately hoping these kids will be rescued. 

Book Trust said: Fraillon’s style is powerful and the subject matter important, but the misery and brutality, especially in the first third of the book, makes this a harrowing read. It is best suited to older readers, unafraid to tackle difficult subjects.

Lamont books said: Zana Fraillon weaves a heart-breaking and powerful tale of the strength of the human spirit, despite all attempts to crush it. The children have unique personalities and their friendships with each other, and with the people they meet as they flee for their lives, are unforgettable. The story has a mystical element throughout, but ultimately it is a story of hope, friendship, resilience, and freedom.

There is a mysterious man in this story called The Riverman. Reviewers related this character to Skellig by David Almond.

Companion books:

Stitched Up

Flying through water

Song of a Thousand Seas by Zana Fraillon

Days are for watching listening playing planning but

nights are for adventure

Houdini the octopus is a girl but in the world of this book, which we see through her eyes, she refers to herself as we (due to the fact octopuses have nine brains).

Not Welcome

Our nine Octopus brains have a lot we'd like

to say to the Waves of People who

come every day to stare and gawk to

squeak and squawk to squeal to bang on our glass

we'd have a lot to say if only they

knew how to listen

The first thing we'd say is

GO AWAY!

Houdini lives in an aquarium. It is not large and I find that so awful:

We want to say that in the day we

do not hunt at all. The Sea is so very

big so very full but our tank is so

very small so

very empty.

Far too empty

for too small for

hunting.

Like being safe is all

that matters. Like a tank two arms long in

all directions is

any kind of Home. Like

the bubbles from the pump

are enough of an ebb and flow to make us happy

when we know

to be happy is to be free.

Her keeper (is that the right term) is named Paul. In fact I dislike that title keeper - and I am not a fan at all of animals in captivity so I come to this story with a high level of empathy and also quite a bit of rage. Have you twigged about the name Houdini - yes she is an escape artist and who can blame her. Octopuses are not meant to languish in an aquarium for our (human) viewing pleasure. She needs to get back into the ocean - think about the title - her heart needs to hear the song of a thousand seas. 

Luckily Houdini is very clever and yes she can escape but she also knows she has to be very careful of Paul because he is sure to 'fortify' her tank even more and then escape might be impossible. Then we discover Houdini has two human friends, Joe the cleaner and Juno, Paul's daughter, and they do have enough emotional intelligence and also enough understanding of the plight of animals in captivity to know Houdini needs her freedom. I think this is because Joe and Juno also have experienced pain. 

Every night Houdini tries to find her way to the pipes in the bathroom because they lead to the sea but she doesn't quite make it before she needs to be back in the water and so Joe carefully carries her back to her tank. As a reader I was holding my breath hoping that she would make it and be free again. 

Zana Fraillon is one of Australia’s most interesting writers for young children, experimenting with form and voice and offering layered and intelligent narratives. ‘Song of a Thousand Seas’ is a lyrical verse novel of homecoming and friendship focusing on Houdini the octopus who lives in an aquarium, but she misses her home in the wild sea. This is a thought provoking and compelling story ideal for readers aged 8-12, and a great read aloud for teachers. Paul Macdonald 

Here are some very detailed teachers notes.

Do you ever think about author names? I think the name Zana Fraillon is a perfect one for an author. It sounds exotic and mysterious to me. Also I am giving this cover by Aviva Reed top marks - it is fantastic. Australia is a relatively small country and yes I agree we do have some really good authors who write for children but there are a few that are way beyond just good - authors whose work can stand up with the very best in the world - one of those authors is Zana Fraillon. Make sure you pop this book onto your library shelves - the readers in our lives and libraries deserve to read the very best books and this is one of them.

You can see Zana Fraillon talking about her book on this video. Houdini was a real octopus - you must share this with the readers in your library. Thank you to University of Queensland Press (UQP) for sending an advance copy of Song of a Thousand Seas (due for publication 2nd September 2025)

LAUNCH - Song Of a Thousand Seas will be officially launched! Come join the wonderful @kmildenhall and me in conversation @readingskids in Carlton on Saturday the 6th of September from 2pm. There will be sea stones to decorate, awesome octopus tattoos, cupcakes and an octopus quiz with octopus prizes so be sure to brush up on all those octopus facts! All books signed will include the one of a kind ‘signature’ by the real Houdini. Tickets are free, but registrations are necessary.

I have talked about lots of verse novels here on this blog - click that search term on my sidebar.

Companion books:

My Friend the Octopus

Odder

The One and Only Ivan (look for the sequels too)

In 2018 Zana Fraillon's book The Bone Sparrow was our IBBY Australia Honour book title. This means her book goes into a very important international book catalogue and also becomes part of a travelling exhibition. 

Zana Fraillon is an internationally acclaimed, multi-award-winning author of books for children and young adults. Zana's books have won the Amnesty CILIP Honour Award, the ABIA Book of the Year for Older Children, the Readings YA Prize, NSW Premier's Literary Awards and the CBCA Honour Book Award. The Bone Sparrow was chosen as the biennial book to represent Australia for the International Board on Books for Young People. Zana was born and lives in Naarm (Melbourne) but spent her early childhood in San Francisco. She has degrees in history and teaching and is undertaking a PhD in Creative Writing at La Trobe University.

Other books I have talked about by Zana Fraillon:

The Way of Dog

A small collection of Happiness

This should be the CBCA Younger Readers Book of the Year 

but alas it didn't even make the notables list - I am still in shock about that.

The Raven's Song

Very young readers might also look for another book by Zana Fraillon called Etta and the Octopus illustrated by Andrew Joyner. 

A Small Collection of Happiness by Zana Fraillon illustrated by Stephen Michael King

"Hattie's father had told her then that full-moon wishes were the most powerful wishes of all ... Ever since that night, whenever there was a full moon, Hettie would push open the window. She would look at the moon and imagine she was back there on that hill with her father. And then she would whisper her strongest, most fiercest, 

most important wish to the moon."

This story is told in twenty-five parts or fragments. I cannot call them chapters as each one almost stands alone and yet of course they are interconnected and do need to be read from first to last.

The Characters:

1. Hattie

Hattie is a young girl who lives in a tall, run down, apartment building in an urban city. Hattie is a lonely girl with a lively imagination. She is in need of a friend and also an adventure. We only very briefly glimpse her mum on page 170 and we are never really told explicitly about Hattie's dad but there are fragments in this story which will tell you dad is no longer there and perhaps he has died. Hattie holds memories of their times together close to her heart. 

2. Ada

Ada is an older lady who has recently lost her partner - a woman who she loved so deeply named Bessie. Ada arrives late one night and moves into the empty apartment next door to Hattie. In her pocket she has an envelope which contains a mysterious letter. 

"No one saw Ada arrive. Not even Hettie. No one saw her drip and squelch and puddle her way through the gates and down the path. No one saw her wait and wait and wait for the elevator that had been broken for a year already and wasn't about to start working now .... No one saw her slowly drag her suitcase up the metal stairs - thump, thump, thump - to the fourth floor."

Ada seems gruff and set in her ways but over time she and Hattie somehow forge a close relationship. Ada is writing a very curious book entitled How to Live. It is filled with quirky advice (I loved this part of the story) such as:

"Spend at least a week walking in someone else's footprints."
"Go to the top of a hill and whistle your favourite song into a bottle. Leave the bottle on someone's doorstep so that when they open it, they too can enjoy the song."

3. Salim

Is a boy who is a little younger than Hattie. He has seen the footprints of the elusive panther that people think is prowling their neighborhood. His mum makes delicious soup which Hattie would love to eat. It is very clear right from the beginning that Hattie and Salim are destined to become friends even though Hattie herself would deny this. 

After Ada's arrival on the stormy night Hattie heads next door to visit her new mysterious neighbour. Over time we watch as Hattie and Ada share tiny moments of joy such as watching baby spiderlings unfurl their tiny threads and float away on the breeze; listening to the world very early in the morning before the sunrise; and collecting special objects to add to their bag - their small collection of happiness. And they both enjoy cups of tea and the Friendship Biscuits Hattie bakes - I do wish the recipe was included at the back of the book. We also watch the evolving friendship of these two, very different characters.

I am not sure I can relate too much of the plot of this book without spoiling your own reading journey. This story is told in fragments (I have used that word a few times here) and reading it felt like I was trying to catch a butterfly. You can see this beautiful creature, but it is always just out of reach and perhaps just out of focus - an exquisite tiny piece of the natural world. This book is also an exquisite piece of expertly crafted storytelling with a gentle conclusion.

Here is a text quote:

"Hettie slumped onto the couch. She ran her fingers over Ada’s patchwork quilt and wished that she had something like this, something passed down through her family. Her family was all so scattered and lost and forgotten that she hardly knew anything about them. Sometimes she felt like she didn’t really belong anywhere. She wondered what it would be like to be surrounded by a great, big, huge family. To know there was always someone to talk to, someone to go to if you needed help. Someone who had stories to pass on and secrets to share. Someone who would give her a quilt one day and who would know that she would pass it on herself."

Do not rush your reading of this story - slow down, take your time, enjoy the way each fragment (that word again) quietly reveals more about Hettie and Ada. There are page breaks between the 'chapters' and I think these are designed to help you slow down your reading.  I do hope the CBCA judges add this book to their 2025 Younger Readers Notables list.

I am not a big fan of endorsements on book covers but it is very special to see UK author David Almond says: "I enjoyed this strange, inventive and moving tale." 

Oh and I do LOVE the cover. Give it a shake when you find the book so you can also see the way the designer has included spot vanish as an added layer of sparkle. 

I can also see why the publisher thought to ask Stephen Michael King to illustrate this book - he was the perfect choice and I imagine he loved contributing to this book. You can see inside this book and read the opening pages here. And you should explore these teachers notes by Dr Robyn Sheahan-Bright. 

Robyn Sheahan-Bright says: This whimsical tale has the stamp of a classic story. It is a multilayered tale about happiness, wishes, reality and imagination, family and friendship, urban renewal, urban myths, and individual and community memory. Peopled with two memorable characters, Hettie and Ada, it powerfully reinforces the notion that both imagination and human connection can enrich and sustain a life in a myriad of ways.

This unique and quiet story reminds us that we should look for what matters in the small, everyday moments, as this can mean more to people than the big moments. The Book Muse

This is such a unique, whimsical story with elements of magical realism and captivating, often abstract ... Facebook Reading Opens Doors with Elise Ellerman

With its themes of friendship, hope and happiness, it will definitely find a place in the hearts of many young readers who enjoy a story with a difference. Kids Book Review

Companion books:

Hazel Green 

(Read the comment below from Zana Fraillon)

View from the 32nd Floor

This one is long out of print, but I constantly recommend it- hope you can find it.

The Silk family series

The Raven's Song by Zana Fraillon and Bren MacDibble

There are three linked stories in this book written by two authors. Novels by two authors fascinate me. Perhaps the two voices  in this novel were penned one by each author - Bren MacDibble might have constructed the story of Shelby who lives in the future and Zana Fraillon perhaps tells the story of Phoenix who sees visions of the Raven girl. Phoenix lives with his Gran and aunt and his four siblings and there are hints that he is living in our present world especially when he uses his mobile phone. 

Here are some text quotes to give you a flavour of this writing and also some plot fragments:

Shelby:

In this future place only 350 people can live in each community. And each are allocated exactly seven hundred hectares. "Three hundred and fifty kind, ethical, truthful people on seven hundred hectares ... "

"The next township is beyond that fence line, 'bout two hundred and sixty kilometres south of us. ... (that) is a long way to walk, even if we were allowed out there. And the doctor has the only phone on our seven hundred, just for emergencies and government business ... "

"I'm co-owner of an egg farm with three hundred and eighty hens and twelve roosters. I'll never get a sibling coz of my da not wanting another partner even if one was allowed to come here, no matter how many times I tell him to ask, so one day this township will rely on me for all its eggs."

"there's only twelve school-age kids in this whole township ... No babies have been approved to be born for five years straight ... "

"people in the old days lived in giant mega-cities smothered in dirty clouds and had lots of technology and lived unsustainably and used fossil fuels and drowned the world in plastics and pollution and parts of the honoured world died ... and new diseases told hold and killed most of their children and now we have to stay in our township and keep our hair short and our hands clean ... "

"Lunch is the main meal of the day, all our township operating on solar ovens or solar-powered electric ones, coz even woodfire smoke is pollution and we're proud of our near-zero pollution. Although it's been a long time since the government drone's delivered us extra supplies as a prize for our efforts ... The drones used to arrive at least twice a month, bringing chocolate, fabrics, medicines and seeds ... "

When Shelby and her friend Davy are sent out to check on the fence they discover it has been cut and they see curious flower posies tied to objects along the path. They are forbidden from leaving their community but Shelby is curious and then they spy an old man. He is placing those posies along the path but where is he from and where is he going? The children follow him and they make an amazing discovery. He has led them to a ruined city. They watch as he heads into a building and inside they discover something shocking:

"There's shapes of things in there like rows of giant eggs. ... There's people in the egg things. How? Why? But little faces. Children! There's kids in them. Kids waiting to hatch?"

Meanwhile Phoenix keeps having visions of the raven-haired girl and a bog. He and his siblings know the bog is dangerous and they know to keep away but the youngest boy - Walter falls in. Phoenix does manage, after a dreadful nail biting struggle, to rescue his precious little brother but when the children come home something is wrong. Walter is unwell and so is Phoenix. The children are taken away and put into isolation in a medical facility. This strange new virus is dangerous and highly contagious. 

The third story comes through echoes of a poem or folk song - a song with a warning - which is quoted at the beginning of the book. Here is an extract:

Upon one moonlit night she came 

Down hillside steep and rocked

Into the place of inbetween

The Ravened Girl of the bog ...

Can you hear she calls for you?

Through time's great swirling fog

Listen, listen, listen ... 

Sings the Ravened Girl of the bog

Listen, listen, listen ...

Sings the Ravened Girl of the bog.

Have you ever listened the radio talking about books and just wanted to SCREAM!  On Saturday I was listening to our ABC Radio National program - The Bookshelf with Kate Evans and Cassie McCullagh. They were talking with a guest from New Zealand and as usual asked their guest about their current reading - books they have been enjoying. The guest, Claire Mabey, Founder of Verb Wellington, mentioned The Raven's Song. This is a book I have only just read. It is shortlisted for our CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) Book Awards Younger Readers category. I was a 2021-23 judge for this award in the Picture book Category. At our recent judges in Meeting in Melbourne the three Younger Readers judges talked very enthusiastically about this book and so I purchased it straight away. It was one that I had missed reading last year when it was released.  

Now back to my story. Why am I mentioning the book program and the interview? Because Claire Mabey said two things about this book - one surprising and one shocking! The Raven's Song as you can see has two authors. Claire Mabey claimed one of these authors is from New Zealand.  I needed to investigate this because we associate both with the children's literature here in Australia. Zana Fraillon is the author of the award winning book The Bone Sparrow (IBBY Australia Honour Book) and her new book (also a CBCA shortlisted title - The Way of the Dog)  and Bren MacDibble has three titles which I adored reading.

The Way of Dog

I now discover Bren MacDibble is originally from New Zealand but she lived in Melbourne for twenty years and now lives in Western Australia. 

How to Bee

Across the Risen Sea

The Dog Runner

Now for the shocking thing - Claire Mabey said she had just read The Raven's song to her own child aged 5! She does say it is a Middle Grade title but she read it to her young child who it seems followed this very complex story. In my view, The Raven's Song, will be enjoyed by mature readers aged 11+ although I should mention the publisher says 9+.  I guess Claire Mabey is very literary and so her child has probably been exposed to some wonderful fiction but I just despair that the general public listening to this broadcast will now think this is book (yes it is wonderful) is for a very young child - it is not. I hope penning the text quotes above demonstrate this.

This is a dystopian novel and that is one of my favourite genres. 

Judges comments about The Raven's Song: A stunning novel set in both the near and distant futures linked by the ancient motifs of the raven, the land and bog bodies preservation being the theme that ties everything together but never overshadows the characters' emotional journeys: Phoenix's loss and world in pieces, and Shel's discovery challenging everything she ever knew. Masterfully written and engaging, each object, action and word choice is purposeful. Pandemics, climate change and conservation, are the backdrop for this story, told in a way that never intrudes on the reader's journey and desire to explore the world. It provides parallels between our own reality and the resulting in an engaging and thought-provoking read.

In this video Bren and Zana talk about their book.

Personally I don't want to relate this book to our COVID world of the past two or three years. I didn't even think about the pandemic when I was reading this story - it was just so absorbing and intriguing and I really appreciated the way Zana Fraillon and Bren MacDibble made me work hard as a reader to follow their two very different stories. The ending was such a clever revelation and a jarring surprise. If you want to read more plot details click on these review comments:

Bren and Zana’s story is wonderful and evocative, and I loved that the uniqueness of the characters came through clearly and eloquently, allowing readers to inhabit the worlds and lives of Shelby and Phoenix. The Book Muse

The story will open up your mind, placing an emphasis on the connections that we have with people, caring for our planet and ancestry. Better Reading

One living in the future and one in the past, Shelby and Phoenix’s stories start separately and then entwine. Chapters alternate between them, revealing secrets one at a time. It’s exhilarating and addictive. Kids' Book Review

By coincidence I have just started reading another Australian middle grade novel by two authors - The Letterbox Tree by Rebecca Lim and Kate Gordon. It is due for publication in May 2023.

The Way of Dog by Zana Fraillon

"They say Cats have nine lives.

What I'd like to know as I tumble through the Sky

is how many lives do they say

a Dog has?"

Scruffity is being held in a concrete cell. He is just a pup and has been recently separated from his mother. There are nine pups in this small space. Then there are eight, seven, six and so on until Scruffity is left all alone. The owner of this ugly and dangerous place is an angry and violent man but luckily there is a boy who shows kindness to the pup. In fact he gives Scruffity his name and later, thank goodness, his freedom. But freedom comes at a price. It is dangerous in the city. The boy and his dog are now on the run. 

There is an accident and the boy is injured. Now Scruffity is on his own trying to understand and survive in the world of shoe-legs. All he has is the wisdom of the ages - the ways of dog from ancient times. 

"Dear Shoe-Legs

Are you coming? Are you? Are you?

Then shake wide awake and take my advice

throw the Burs from your fur and 

sliiiiiide on the Ice.

Come flat-foot follow and paw-pad on my way

for a I have thing

or four

to say about living this live according to

The Way of Dog."

I marvel at the way an author's brain works. The verse novel style of this book is so powerful. Every word is used so skilfully.  This is one of those special books that I would like to put into the hands of adults (and I seem to meet them regularly) who are utterly incredulous and sometimes also very negative about my passion for children's books. I am certain reading The Way of Dog would 'blow their mind' and demonstrate that the best children's books are for everyone!

This book is both a harrowing one and an uplifting one. Some pages are so hard to read but I knew I was in safe hands with this author and that she would protect Scruffity and hopefully help him find his true forever home. I highly recommend this book for readers aged 11+.

Here is some dog wisdom from this book:

"Meat is A Very Magnificent Thing. The Way of Dog is Meat."

"The Way of Dog is MyManpup"

"Run! The Way of Dog is to Run. Run. RUN!"

"To Dig is most definitely a Way of Dog too."

"The Way of Dog is to keep our shoe-legs safe."

In just one month the Children's Book Council of Australia will announce their notable titles for 2023. I am going to make a firm prediction that The Way of the Dog will be a notable title and from that list of around twenty titles, this book will go on to be short listed - one of the six top titles and in August, when the Younger Readers category winners are announced, I expect this book to be (fingers crossed) the winner!

Here is a review by a Primary school student.

What is outstanding about this engaging and emotional story is the visceral muscular poetry, crackling with energy, zooming all over the page. Fraillon captures the energy , the bounce and pounce of a young puppy, but also the loneliness and longing for family that is shared by both man and dog. ... This is the best verse novel I have read in a long time and I hope it wins every prize in the children’s literary universe. Mia Macrossan Storylinks

'Prepare to have your heart smooshed in the best possible way in Zana Fraillon’s tender and gritty The Way of Dog (UQP)...Fraillon’s unique verse novel zings with energy as she skilfully plays with language in a way that gives voice to Scruffity. His joys, losses, fears and hopes are all vividly conveyed thanks to Fraillon’s gift with words, and Sean Buckingham’s evocative illustrations. The Way of Dog has dark moments, but it’s a story that will warm readers’ hearts, not break them'  (The Sydney Morning Herald)

I think the verse novel (form) works well for something like this, because I can imagine animals might have these sorts of processes – the simple language, how they view humans as ManPups and Girlpups, what they think of what we do, wear, and the places we live – it’s their interpretation, the way they put the words they know together. It is these aspects that makes Scruffity such an engaging character – I didn’t want to leave him, because I had to know what he did next. The Book Muse

After reading The Way of Dog look for these other books with stories told from a dog's point of view:

I, Cosmo

The sequel is Everything for a Dog

For a younger reader Spunky tells all. 

For a younger reader age 6+ Choosing Crumble

Young adult novel Good Dog (contains violent scenes)

If you are not afraid of books that explore violence against dogs (for mature readers) you could also look for these:

Shiloh

The Truth as told to Mason Buttle