Library News
Established with the first awards in 1946, the annual CBCA Book of the Year Awards aim to:
- promote quality literature for young Australians;
- support and encourage a wide range of Australian writers and illustrators of children’s books and;
- celebrate contributions to Australian children’s literature.
Winners and Honour Books: Announced at noon AEDT on Friday, August 20
Book of the Year - Early Childhood
Entries in this category may be fiction, drama or poetry and are appropriate in style and content for children who are at pre-reading or early stages of reading (Ages 0-6 years).
Picture Book of the Year
Entries in this category are outstanding books of the Picture Book genre in which the author and illustrator achieve artistic and literary unity or, in wordless picture books, where the story, theme or concept is unified through illustrations. (Ages 0-18 years).
Book of the Year - Younger Readers
Entries in this category may be fiction, drama or poetry and are appropriate in style and content for readers from the middle to upper primary years (7-12 years).
CBCA Award for New Illustrator
This Award aims to recognise and encourage new talent in the field of Australian children's book illustration (Ages 0-18 years).
Eve Pownall Award
Entries in this category are books which have the prime intention of documenting factual material with consideration given to imaginative presentation, interpretation and variation of style (Ages 0-18 years).
The 2021 Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge is now open!
How to Meet the Challenge
| Year Level | Number of Books | Number from the Challenge book list |
| Prep – Year 2 | 30 books | 20 or more |
| Year 3 – Year 6 | 15 books | 10 or more |
Read the above number of books during the Challenge (1 Feb to 1 September)
The Challenge is open to all Victorian children from birth to Year 10 in recognition of the importance of reading for literacy development. It is not a competition; but a personal challenge for children to read a set number of books by 1 September 2021.
Children from Prep to Year 2 are encouraged to read or ‘experience’ 30 books with their parents and teachers. Children from Year 3 to Year 10 are challenged to read 15 books.
All children who meet the Challenge will receive a certificate of achievement signed by the Victorian Premier.
To read the Premier’s letter to parents, view the booklists and for more information about the Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge, visit: www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
Our library holds more than a 1,000 books from the Challenge list.
They are labelled according to the year levels : P-2, 3-4 and 5-6
Books in the year 3-4 level can also be entered in the P-2 year level. Likewise, books labelled 5-6 can be entered in the lower year levels.
To enter your child, please email me mdecata@srprestonwest.catholic.edu.au
Contact Details
Maria De Cata
Resource Officer/Education Support