Library News 

CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2026

This year's theme was Symphony of Stories. The winning book for Older Readers was Darkest Night, Brightest Star by Barry Jonsberg. And Inked by Karen Wasson won the Younger Readers award.

Older Readers

Of Flame and Fury 

Mikayla Bridge (Macmillan Australia)

Darkest Night, Brightest Star

Barry Jonsberg (Allen & Unwin)

This Stays Between Us 

Margot McGovern (Penguin Random House 

Australia)

We Saw What You Started 

Carla Salmon (Pan Australia)

Golden 

Jade Timms (Text Publishing)

Unhallowed Halls

Lili Wilkinson (Allen & Unwin)

Younger Readers

Run, Sarah Armstrong (Hardie Grant Children's Publishing)

Something Terrible: Tim Tie-Your-Shoelaces 

Sally Barton, illustrated by Christopher Nielsen (Walker Books Australia)

Little Bones

Sandy Bigna (University of Queensland Press)

Spirit of the Crocodile

Aaron Fa'aoso & Michelle Scott Tucker with Lyn White (Allen & Unwin)

The Paperbark Tree Committee

Karys McEwen (Text Publishing)

Inked

Karen Wasson, illustrated by Jake A Minton (Figment Books)