Speech Pathology Australia is thrilled to unveil the shortlisted books for its highly anticipated 20th annual Book of the Year Awards. For two decades, this prestigious event has guided generations of children and families towards captivating and educational literature that promotes language and literacy development.
A dedicated panel of experienced speech pathologists reviewed each of the more than 300 entries received for this year’s awards and came up with this exemplary collection that are "must reads" for young Australians.
This year's shortlisted books represent a diverse range of storytelling, and importantly were chosen to be language appropriate for the category, encourages the exploration of new ideas and concepts and encourages imagination and curiosity. The awards also showcase the important role that speech pathologists play in Australian children's language and literacy development. According to Speech Pathology Australia National President, Kathryn McKinley, "The Book of the Year Awards are a celebration of the power of literature to enrich children's lives and support their language and literacy skills.
"We know that reading quality books in the early years has important impacts for a child in later life. Speech pathologists play a huge part in helping children to develop their language and literacy in the early years. In our 20th year, we are excited to honour these authors, illustrators, and publishers who have made a significant impact on the lives of young Australian readers."
As Speech Pathology Australia continues to advocate for language and literacy development for all Australian children these awards serve as a beacon of excellence, providing families and educators with invaluable recommendations for enhancing language and literacy experiences for young readers.”
Discover the shortlisted books
Date - 14 June 2023
Media contact: Communications and Marketing Manager, Rebecca Faltyn, [email protected]
Speech Pathology Australia is the national peak body representing more than 14,000 speech pathologists. The Association supports and regulates the ethical, clinical and professional standards of its members, as well as lobbying and advocating for access to services that benefit people with communication and swallowing difficulties.