Book of the Year Awards

2024 shortlist

 

Congratulations to the shortlisted publishers, authors and illustrators of the 2024 Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards.

The Book of the Year Awards are judged by a panel of Certified Practising Speech Pathologists with specific knowledge and skill in children's language and literacy development. 

Each nominated book is judged on its appeal to children, interactive quality and ability to assist speech pathologists and parents in facilitating the development of communication and literacy in children.

Here is our 2024 shortlist.

    Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Book

    Shortlisted titles

    Sky Country
    Written by Aunty Patsy Cameron
    Illustrated by Lisa Kennedy
    Published by Magabala Books

    Walk With Us: Welcome to Our Country
    Written by Adam Goodes and Ellie Laing
    Illustrated by David Hardy
    Published by Allen & Unwin

    Nedingar: Ancestors
    Written by Isobel Bevis
    Illustrated by Leanne Zilm
    Published by Fremantle Press

    The Heartbeat of the Land
    Written by Cathy Freeman and Coral Vass
    Illustrated by Tannya Harricks
    Published by Larrikin House

    Super Snake
    Written and illustrated by Gregg Dreise
    Published by Magabala Books

    Our Flag, Our Story: The Torres Strait Islander Flag
    Written by Thomas Mayo and Bernard Namok Jnr
    Illustrated by Tori-Jay Mordey
    Published by Magabala Books

    My Body! What I Say Goes!
    Written by Jayneen Sanders
    Illustrated by Jasmine Seymour
    Published by Educate2Empower Publishing

    The Bunyip and the Stars
    Written by Adam Duncan
    Illustrated by Paul Lalo
    Published by National Museum of Australia Press

    Age-related award categories

    Birth to three years

    Shortlisted titles

    Love Little One
    Written by Jayneen Sanders
    Illustrated by Summer Macon
    Published by Educate2empower Publishing

    Little Angler
    Written by Zoe Gaetjens
    Illustrated by Heidi McKinnon
    Published by Little Book Press

    Let's Play
    Written by Karen Tyrrell
    Illustrated by Maddi Gray
    Published by Play Matters Australia

    Guess Who: At the Zoo
    Written by Jeannette Rowe
    Published by Hachette Australia

    Say Hooray
    Written by Renae Hayward
    Illustrated by Rebecca Mills
    Published by Fremantle Press

    Let's Go! On a Bicycle
    Written by Rosalyn Albert
    Illustrated by Natalia Moore
    Published by New Frontier Publishing

    I'm a Tiger
    Written by Alex Field
    Illustrated by Liv Wan
    Published by New Frontier Publishing

    Parcel for Penguin
    Written and illustrated by Shelley Knoll-Miller
    Published by Penguin Random House Australia

    Three to five years

      

    Shortlisted titles

    Beach Song
    Written by Ros Moriarty
    Illustrated by Samantha  Campbell
    Published by Allen & Unwin 

    Dancing with Dragons
    Written by Amy Dunjey
    Illustrated by Jesus Lopez
    Published by Larrikin House

    Two Rabbits   
    Written by Larissa Ferenchuk
    Illustrated by Prue Pittock
    Published by EK Books
     
    Almost a Fish
    Written by Julianne Negri
    Illustrated by Evie Barrow          
    Published by Little Book Press

    Odd Sock Sid 
    Written and illustrated by Heidi Cooper Smith
    Published by Little Pink Dog Books

    How to Be a Friend
    Written by Sarah Ayoub
    Illustrated by Mimi Purnell
    Published by Harpercollins Publishers

    Ruby’s Repair Cafe     
    Written by Michelle Worthington
    Illustrated by Zoe Bennett
    Published by New Frontier Publishing

    One Little Duck           
    Written by Katrina Germein
    Illustrated by Danny Snell
    Published by Harpercollins Publishers

    Five to eight years

    Shortlisted titles

    My Giant Seashell
    Written by Amanda Lieber
    Illustrated by Kathy Creamer
    Published by Little Pink Dog Books

    A Friend for Ruby
    Written by Sofie Laguna
    Illustrated by Marc McBride
    Published by Allen & Unwin 

    Mama's Chickens
    Written by Michelle Worthington
    Illustrated by Nicky Johnston
    Published by Exisle Publishing

    Leo and Ralph
    Written by Peter Carnavas
    Published by University of Queensland Press

    The Useless Tune
    Written by Chris Uhlmann
    Illustrated by Paul Uhlmann
    Published by Walker Books Australia

    Grace and Mr Milligan
    Written by Caz Goodwin
    Illustrated by Pip Kruger
    Published by Marshall Cavendish Children

    Tayta's Secret Ingredient
    Written by Amal Abdou-Eid
    Illustrated by Cara King
    Published by Midnightsun Publishing

    The Very Best Doughnut
    Written by Randa Abdel-Fattah
    Illustrated by Amani Haydar
    Published by Pan Macmillan Australia

    Harriet Hound
    Written by Kate Foster  
    Illustrated by Sophie Beer
    Published by Walker Books Australia

    The Gargoyle
    Written by Zana Fraillon
    Illustrated by Ross Morgan
    Published by Hachette Australia

    Eight to 10 years

    Shortlisted titles

    Silver Linings
    Written by Katrina Nannestad
    Published by Harpercollins Publishers

    Being Jimmy Baxter
    Written by Fiona Lloyd
    Published by Penguin Random House Australia

    Time Out
    Written by Eddie Woo and Jess Black
    Illustrated by Mitch Vane
    Published by Pan Macmillan Australia

    Treehouse Tales: Too SILLY to be told… UNTIL NOW!
    Written by Andy Griffiths
    Illustrated by Terry Denton
    Published by Pan Macmillan Australia

    The Rebels of Mount Buffalo
    Written by Helen Edwards
    Published by Riveted Press

    August & Jones
    Written by Pip Harry
    Published by Hachette Australia

    Ruby and the Pen
    Written by David Lawrence
    Illustrated by Cherie Dignam
    Published by Exisle Publishing

    Riz Chester- The Fingerprint Code
    Written by R. A. Stephens
    Illustrated by Em Hammond
    Published by Wombat Books

    Decodable book series

    Nominated titles

    The following titles were nominated for the Book of the Year Awards. The winner will be announced during the online ceremony at the end of October.

    Fox Kid
    Written and illustrated by Adrian Beck
    Published by Little Learners Love Literacy

    Sound Waves Decodable Readers
    Foundation and Year 1 (Support Set, Core Set and Extended Set)
    Written by Nicole Forrest and Mary Serenc
    Published by Firefly Education

    InitiaLit Readers
    Levels 1-9 (Series 2)
    Written by Melissa Day, Colette Read, Nicola, Bell, Barbara Healy, and Alison Folland, Trudi Burnell and Renelle Pittman
    Illustrated by Maryjane Boaretto Pureza, Janet, Tiitinen, Wendy Schuster, Rozzy  Hibbard, Mat Faint
    Published by Multilit Pty Ltd

     

    Judging is now underway and we'll be announcing the 2024 winners at the end of October.

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