Library News 

We love reading and wholeheartedly endorse the 2024 Book Week theme that Reading is Magic! For the fourth year running, Box Hill High School will be taking part in the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Shadow Judging program where students sign up to read and critique the top six shortlisted books in the older readers category and some from the younger readers category, and make a collective decision on which book they believe should win the ‘Book of the Year’ for 2024 .

We love this program. We love the discussions that it creates, and the exposure to books that we probably would not have picked up had they not been identified, and we love that it celebrates great Australian authors. We love that the students at Box Hill never fail to amaze us with their observations and interpretations of characters and situations and events and while we have not always loved the books that were on the list or that have won, we do love that it creates another opportunity to celebrate reading and share this with the students at Box Hill High School.  

To be part of the program students commit to read books that were nominated in the Older Readers category, submit a minimum of three reviews of their favourite books, and meet regularly as a group to discuss how the books address the official selection criteria. Students will then discuss which book they believe should be awarded ‘Book of the Year’, before the official announcement to the public in August. 

The six books that were shortlisted in the older readers category this year are:

Grace Notes by Karen Comer https://www.cbca.org.au/book/grace-notes  

A Hunger of Thorns by Lili Wilkinson https://www.cbca.org.au/book/a-hunger-of-thorns 

Inkflower by Suzy Zail https://www.cbca.org.au/book/inkflower  

Let’s Never Speak of this Again by Megan Williams https://www.cbca.org.au/book/lets-never-speak-of-this-again  

The Quiet and the Loud by Helena Fox https://www.cbca.org.au/book/the-quiet-and-the-loud  

Two Can Play That Game by Leanne Yong https://www.cbca.org.au/book/two-can-play-that-game  

But unlike other years, we are also going to look at the other 15 books that were longlisted in the older readers category and identify if there are any books that we believe should have made the shortlist. This list of these books can be found at:

https://cbca.org.au/notables-2024  

Please note that the books in the older readers category are for mature readers and may deal with challenging themes including violence and suicide. These books are aimed at readers aged 13-18 and all readers who sign up have the option to discuss with either Ms Collins or Ms Pearson about the content of a book before selecting one to read. While a conversation can be had, the student will be left to make the final decision on the most appropriate choice.