Children's Book Council of Australia Awards 2022

Girls in boys' cars

by Felicity Castagna

Honours - Book of the Year: Older Readers

Rosa was never really trying to hurt anyone, no matter what they said in court. But she's ended up in juvenile jail anyway, living her life through books and wondering why her best mate Asheeka disappeared. A page-turning novel about a complicated friendship; a road trip through NSW in a stolen car; the stories that define us; and two funny, sharp, adventurous young women who refuse to be held back any longer.

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How to repaint a life

by Steven Herrick

Honours - Book of the Year: Older Readers

Isaac is running from his old life when he steps off the bus in a small town. He doesn't plan on sticking around and has nowhere to stay, but a local cafe owner's kindness offers him a chance to change his story. Then Isaac meets Sophie and learns he's not the only one wanting to repaint his life.

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Tiger daughter

by Rebecca Lim

Winner - Book of the Year: Older Readers

Wen Zhou is the daughter and only child of Chinese immigrants whose move to the lucky country has proven to be not so lucky. Wen and her friend, Henry Xiao -- whose mum and dad are also poor immigrants -- both dream of escape from their unhappy circumstances, and they form a plan to sit an entrance exam to a selective high school far from home. But when tragedy strikes, it will take all of Wen's resilience and resourcefulness to get herself and Henry through the storm that follows. Tiger Daughter is a novel that will grab hold of you and not let go.

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The boy from the Mish

by Gary Lonesborough

It's a hot summer, and life's going all right for Jackson and his family on the Mish. It's almost Christmas, school's out, and he's hanging with his mates, teasing the visiting tourists, avoiding the racist boys in town. Just like every year, Jackson's Aunty and annoying little cousins visit from the city -- but this time a mysterious boy with a troubled past comes with them ... As their friendship evolves, Jackson must confront the changing shapes of his relationships with his friends, family and community. And he must face his darkest secret -- a secret he thought he'd locked away for good. Compelling, honest and beautifully written, The Boy from the Mish is about first love, identity, and the superpower of self-belief.

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Terciel and Elinor

by Garth Nix

In the Old Kingdom, a land of ancient and often terrible magics, eighteen-year-old orphan Terciel learns the art of necromancy from his great-aunt Tizanael. But not to raise the Dead, rather to lay them to rest. He is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, and Tizanael is the Abhorsen, the latest in a long line of people whose task it is to make sure the Dead do not return to Life.Across the Wall in Ancelstierre, a steam-age country where magic usually does not work, nineteen-year-old Elinor lives a secluded life, her only friends an old governess and an even older groom who was once a famous circus performer. Her mother is a tyrant, who is feared by all despite her sickness and impending death . . . but perhaps there is even more to fear from that.Elinor does not know she is deeply connected to the Old Kingdom, nor that magic can sometimes come across the Wall, until a plot by an ancient enemy of the Abhorsens brings Terciel and Tizanael to Ancelstierre. In a single day of fire and death and loss, Elinor finds herself set on a path which will take her into the Old Kingdom, into Terciel's life, and will embroil her in the struggle of the Abhorsens against the Dead who will not stay dead.

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Sugar town queens

by Malla Nunn

When Amandla wakes up on her fifteenth birthday she knows it's going to be one of her mother's difficult days. Her mother has had another vision. If Amandla wears a blue sheet her mother has loosely stitched as a dress and styles her normally braided hair in a halo around her head, Amandla's father will come home. Amandla's mother, Annalisa, always speaks of her father as if he was the prince of a fairytale, but in truth he's been gone since before Amandla was born and even Annalisa's memory of him is hazy. In fact many of Annalisa's memories from before Amandla was born are hazy. It's just one of the many reasons people in Sugar Town give Annalisa and Amandla strange looks--that and the fact her mother is white and Amandla is brown. But when Amandla finds a mysterious address in the bottom of her mother's handbag along with a large amount of cash, she decides it's finally time to get answers about her mother's life. But what she discovers will change the shape and size of her family forever.

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Dragon skin

by Karen Foxlee

Honours - Book of the Year: Young Readers

How to save a dragon: 1) Assemble equipment. Water, Weet-Bix, sugar, syringe, sticky tape, scissors. 2) Believe in everything. Pip never wants to go home. She likes to sit at the waterhole at dusk and remember Mika, her best friend. At home her mother's not the same since her boyfriend moved in. They don't laugh anymore and Pip has to go to bed early, turn off her light and pretend she doesn't exist. When she finds a half-dead creature at the waterhole, everything changes. She knows she has to save this small dragon and return it to where it comes from. But how?

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The detective's guide to ocean travel

by Nicki Greenberg

The first middle-grade novel from award-winning author Nicki Greenberg, this book is a classic whodunnit mystery set aboard a grand ocean liner in the 1920s. With first-class glitz and glamour and a deliciously plotted intrigue featuring an uppity stage star, a missing diamond, a leopard and a loveable cast of child sleuths, The Detective's Guide to Ocean Travel is an exciting romp on the high seas, perfect for fans of Murder Most Unladylike and The Good Thieves.

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Huda and me

by H. Hayek

Huda's sitting in the airport lounge, fiddling with our tickets. I can tell she's excited because she has a little smile on her face and she keeps glancing at her pink digital watch. I can't believe we're doing this. I can't believe we're running away from home. Well, we're not really running away. We'll come back. We're running to our parents. On the other side of the world. When their parents have to travel to Beirut unexpectedly, twelve-year-old Akeal and his six siblings are horrified to be left behind in Melbourne with the dreaded Aunt Amel as their babysitter. Things do not go well, and Akeal's naughty little sister, Huda, hatches a bold plan to escape. After stealing Aunt Amel's credit card to buy plane tickets to Lebanon, Huda persuades her reluctant favourite brother to come with her. So begins Huda and Akeal's hair-raising and action-packed journey to reunite with their parents half a world away, in a city they've grown up dreaming about but have never seen. A fresh and funny story of sibling love, adventure and courage, Huda and Me is one of a kind.

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A glasshouse of stars

by Shirley Marr

Winner - Book of the Year: Young Readers

Heart-twisting and hopeful, bursting with big feelings and gentle magic. This is a special book from a powerful, compassionate new voice in children's literature, destined to be read and loved for generations and held close in many hearts. Meixing Lim and her family have arrived at the New House in the New Land, inherited from First Uncle who died tragically and unexpectedly while picking oranges in the backyard. Everything is vast and unknown to Meixing and not in a good way, including the house she has dubbed Big Scary. She is embarrassed by the second-hand shoes given to her by the kind neighbours, has trouble understanding the language at school, and with fitting in and making new friends. Her solace is a glasshouse in the garden that inexplicably holds the sun and the moon and all the secrets of her memory and imagination. Her fragile universe is rocked when tragedy strikes and Ma Ma refuses to face the world outside. Meixing finds herself trapped within the shrinking walls of Big Scary. Her parents said this would be a better life for them all, but it feels like the worst and most heart-breaking experience of Meixing's entire existence. Surviving will take all the resilience and inner belief of this brave girl to turn their world around.

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Through the gift shop

by Maryam Master

Anahita Rosalind Ghorban-Galaszczuk (yes, that really is her name but you can call her Ana) is discovering that life is absurd. As if dying of cancer at the age of 12.5 isn't bad enough, she still has to endure daily insults from her nemesis, Alyssa (Queen Mean) Anderson. Ana's on a wild roller-coaster of life and death, kindness and cruelty, ordinary and extraordinary. And she's got a few things to do before she exits...

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Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief

by Katrina Nannestad

Honours - Book of the Year: Young Readers

Award-winning writer Katrina Nannestad transports us to Russia and the Great Patriotic War and into the life of Sasha, a soldier at only six years old ... Wood splinters and Mama screams and the nearest soldier seizes her roughly by the arms. My sister pokes her bruised face out from beneath the table and shouts, 'Run, Sasha! Run!' So I run. I run like a rabbit.It's spring, 1942. The sky is blue, the air is warm and sweet with the scent of flowers.And then everything is gone. The flowers, the proud geese, the pretty wooden houses, the friendly neighbours. Only Sasha remains. But one small boy, alone in war-torn Russia, cannot survive. One small boy without a family cannot survive.One small boy without his home cannot survive.What that small boy needs is an army. From the award-winning author of We Are Wolves comes the story of a young boy who becomes a soldier at six, fighting in the only way he can — with love. But is love ever enough when the world is at war?

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When the waterhole dries up

by Kaye Baillie and Max Hamilton

It's bath time in the outback, and a dusty boy is waiting, but so are some very dusty and very cheeky animals. Will this boy ever get clean? A rollicking tale about togetherness and fun that builds on itself in a "The house that Jack built" style as each animal gets into the bath.

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What do you call your grandma?

by Ashleigh Barton and Martina Heiduczek

An inclusive picture book for grandparents everywhere. In every country around the world are grandmas short and tall. Though they go by different names, we love them one and all. What Do You Call Your Grandma? is a love letter to grandmothers and families from every corner of the globe.

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Walk of the whales

by Nick Bland

Honours - Book of the Year: Early childhood

When all of the whales in the ocean leave their home to walk around on land, people don't quite know what to think. But soon shopkeepers go out of business, farms are flooded with water and salt, and people shout horrible, anti-whale words. That is, until, a smart little girl decides to ask the whales what everyone can do to help.

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Amira's suitcase

by Vikki Conley and Nicky Johnston

Honours - Book of the Year: Early childhood

It begins with a tiny seed growing inside a suitcase. With Amira's care, the tiny seed starts to sprout. Find out what happens when kindness flourishes ... Amira's Suitcase is a gentle, thought-provoking tale about friendship and hope.

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Jetty jumping

by Andrea Rowe and Hannah Sommerville

Winner - Book of the Year: Early childhood

While Milla's friends take big, brave jumps off the jetty, Milla stays on the blistering wood, scared of what lurks below. But when Milla accidentally falls off the edge, she discovers the beauty of the deep, dark sea - and her summer changes forever. Andrea Rowe and Hannah Sommerville perfectly capture the challenges of childhood - and the joy of letting go - in this homage to summer.

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Winston and the indoor cat

by Leila Rudge

A story about seeing what life is like on the other side of the window. Two very different cats: Winston, a free-spirited explorer; and The Indoor Cat, lover of leisure; form a friendship and show each other how different their lives could be. Can The Indoor Cat be enticed by outdoor adventure? Will Winston be tempted by a life of indoor luxury?

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The boy and the elephant

by Freya Blackwood

The boy lives in a city, where everything is fast and loud. But amidst the bustle and the noise, the boy has a secret ... In the overgrown lot next to his apartment building, deep within the green, he has a friend. But one day progress arrives, bringing with it plans for something new, and the boy must find a way to save his friend before it's too late.

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Blue flower

by Sonya Hartnett and Gabriel Evans

A gentle exploration of a child's realisation that it is her individual differences and creativity that make her special, with stunning illustrations by the talented Gabriel Evans that delicately and sensitively convey the child's emotional journey. A young child describes her qualms about going to school and how hard she finds asking the teacher for help, how she feels shy about making friends, not being funny or a fast runner. But through her love of art, a conversation with her mother and her observations about nature she comes to see that being different might not be a bad thing after all.

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Stellarphant

by James Foley

Honours - Picture Book of the Year

Stella wants to be an astronaut. There is only one problem: Stella is an elephant. Every time she applies to Space Command, they come up with a new reason she can't join. But where there's a will, there's a way and Stella is determined to reach for the stars.

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The inheritance

by Armin Greder

All this will soon be yours, respect what I have built and make it prosper. 'These are the last words of the old industrialist before dying. While the three brothers discuss how to fulfil their father's wishes, the sister lists for them the disastrous consequences that would follow: disease; marine pollution; deforestation; the destruction of the landscape; pollution of skies and rivers... The Inheritance tells of the greed of those who hold economic power, and reminds us that silence and inaction amount to complicity. With minimal text, this powerful story is told primarily through Armin Greder's distinctive illustrations that challenge the reader to question the status quo and fight for the future. Powerful storytelling from the internationally acclaimed, award-winning creator of The Island and The Mediterranean and Diamonds.

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Just one bee

by Margrete Lamond, Anthony Bertini and Christopher Nielsen

Honours - Picture Book of the Year

Just One Bee is a story of hope, determination and never giving up: the story of One-bee and her dream to revert desolate wastes back to fields of flowers. But to change a desert to meadowland she needs to go it alone because when she comes across another bee, she discovers not only is he hoarding a single precious flower and a queen bee, but he refuses to believe positive change is possible. Other-bee does all he can to quash One-bee's dream. But One-bee's persistence, patience and optimism eventually prove Other-bee wrong, and she shows him how dreams can come true.

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Iceberg

by Claire Saxby

Winner - Picture Book of the Year

In the final freeze of an Antarctic winter, green tails wave across a star-full sky, as if to farewell endless nights. If this world looks empty, look closer ... Penguins trek across the ice to their winter homes. As the temperature warms, birds fly above on their long migrations. And with the advent of summer, beneath an iceberg, the sea is teeming with life. Ocean, sky, snow and ice - minute greens and giant blues - dance a delicate dance in this evocative portrayal of the life cycle of an iceberg.

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Still alive: notes from Australia's immigration detention system

by Safdar Ahmed

Winner - Eve Pownall Award

Still alive documents the conditions, experiences and deprivations of Australia's system of mandatory and indefinite detention for asylum seekers and refugees. Drawing from Safdar Ahmed's experiences as a volunteer in Sydney's Villawood detention centre, it contains the testimony of refugees and workers in a system that is often decried by human rights organisations for its cruelty. This is a work of observation and collaboration, collating Ahmed's experiences as an art workshop facilitator with the testimony and artwork of refugees who are held in immigration detention. Still Alive eschews stereotypical representations of the refugee as either a threat to Australia's system of 'border protection', or as a victim who lacks initiative and agency. What emerges is a deeply impacting account of the refugee journey and the profound consequences of indefinite incarceration that asylum seekers experience upon reaching Australia.

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The illustrated encyclopaedia of peculiar pairs in nature

by Sami Bayly

Honours - Eve Pownall Award

Discover 60 of the most peculiar pairs in nature and learn how plant and animal species rely on each other for their survival. Whether it be a rare tick living in the fur of a pygmy possum, a stick insect feasting and hiding out amongst the Melaleuca or a handfish laying its eggs on a sea squirt, incredible natural relationships deserve to be explored and celebrated. Investigating all types of relationships, from symbiotic to parasitic, this is an eye-opening guide to the natural world. Many species steer clear of those who are different, but the animals and plants in this book have evolved to form relationships with some of the most unlikely partners, and they couldn't live without them. This gorgeous hardcover book is illustrated in exquisite detail by award-winning author and illustrator, Sami Bayly. The perfect companion to The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ugly Animals and The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Dangerous Animals.

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Book of curious birds

by Jennifer Cossins

Birds are curious creatures. From their unusual appearance to their unique behaviour, they really are one of the most fascinating species in the animal kingdom. In this book you'll find colourful feathers alongside peculiar beaks, beady eyes and funny-coloured feet. You'll read of dangerous birds, clever birds, fast birds, awkward birds, silly birds, massive birds and tiny birds. You'll laugh at their odd hairdos, marvel at their remarkable hunting skills and admire their wild mating dances. Most of all, you'll learn that birds are awesome and deserve our love, care and respect.

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Walking in Gagudju country: exploring the monsoon forest

by Diane Lucas, Ben Tyler and Emma Long

Walk with us through one of the Top End's magnificent monsoon forests, in Kakadu National Park, learning about the plants, animals and Kundjeyhmi culture along the way. When we go walking, we never know how long we will be, what we will hear and what we will see. We pack our bags with food and water, a billy and some matches to light a fire. We head off into the shady monsoon forest on the edge of the billabong.

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The first scientists

by Corey Tutt and Blak Douglas

Have you ever wondered what the stars can tell us? Did you know the seasons can be predicted just by looking at subtle changes in nature? Maybe you have wondered about the origins of glue or if forensic science is possible without a crime scene investigation. Australia's First peoples have the longest continuing culture on Earth and their innovation will amaze you as you leaf through the pages of this book, learning fascinating facts and discovering the answers to life's questions. In consultation with communities, Corey tells us of many deadly feats, from bush medicine to bush trackers, that are today considered 'science', and introduces us to many amazing scientists, both past and present. The breadth of 'sciences' is incredible with six main chapters covering astronomy, engineering, forensic science, chemistry, land management and ecology. The first scientists passed on the lessons of the land, sea and sky to the future scientists of today through stories, song and dance, and many of these lessons are now shared in this book.

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by Karen Wyld and Jaelyn Biumaiwai

Honours - Eve Pownall Award

Be inspired and amazed by these incredible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander icons! With colourful artwork and evocative writing, this book tells stories every Australian should know. Powerful and exciting: here are seven inspiring stories about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from history. Each colourful spread in this illustrated book tells a compelling story.

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A trip to the hospital

by Freda Chiu

Going to hospital might seem scary or worrying - you might be hurt, you might feel sick or maybe you just have to visit a friend. But don't be worried! Hospitals are amazing places filled with clever people all doing incredible things, including making you feel better. Follow Momo, Rani and Henry on three very different adventures inside a busy children's hospital. A picture book that shows children all the interesting things that happen inside a hospital, helping them feel safe and secure, and ready for their first visit.

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Everyday wonders

by Natala Graetz

Isla sails the high seas. Vivienne takes care of bees. Izzy is good at fixing cars. Farah loves gazing at the stars... . A collection of short stories about kind, brave, clever and curious everyday wonders like you!

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Great white shark

by Claire Saxby and Cindy Lane

In Great White Shark we follow a female shark on her way to warmer waters to give her pups the best chance of survival.

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Walking in Gagudju country: exploring the monsoon forest

by Diane Lucas, Ben Tyler and Emma Long

Walk with us through one of the Top End's magnificent monsoon forests, in Kakadu National Park, learning about the plants, animals and Kundjeyhmi culture along the way. When we go walking, we never know how long we will be, what we will hear and what we will see. We pack our bags with food and water, a billy and some matches to light a fire. We head off into the shady monsoon forest on the edge of the billabong.

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For love

by Cristina Neri

Early each morning, Carina's father wakes her with a kiss on her forehead. Together they climb the sleeping volcano to tend to their garden filled with caper bushes, peaches, and prickly pears. Discovering all the wonders the garden contains, Carina asks her father why each of them exists. 'For love' is his only reply.

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The boy who tried to shrink his name

by Sandhya Parappukkaran and Michelle Pereira

Winner - CBCA Award for new illustrator

When Zimdalamashkermishkada starts a new school, he knows he's got to do something about his long name. When no amount of shrinking, folding or crumpling works, he simply settles for Zim but deep down, it doesn't feel right. It's not until a new friend sees him for who he truly is that Zimdalamashkermishkada finds the confidence to step boldly into his long name. A warm and uplifting story that encourages young readers to celebrate their individuality, and shows how no-one should ever have to shrink themselves down to fit in.

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