Library News

Victorian Premier's Literary Awards 2026

The shortlist for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards was recently announced. 

The Victorian Premier's Literary Awards for Writing for Young Adults has been renamed The John Marsden Prize for Writing for Young Adults for the 2026 awards. This change is a tribute to the beloved author John Marsden, who was known for his contributions to Australian literature and his impact on young readers.

In the category of the John Marsden Prize for Writing for Young Adults, the short-listed books are:

• How to Be Normal by Ange Crawford
• Moonlight & Dust by Jasmin McGaughey
• This Stays Between Us Margot McGovern

The winners will be announced in March.

CBCA 2026 Notables List

The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year Notables longlist of outstanding books for young readers has been released. Most books in the Older Readers category can be found in our Beaumaris Secondary Library. The shortlist will be announced on 31st March.

Older Readers

• Catch, Sarah Brill (Allen & Unwin) 
• Cruel is the Light, Sophie Clark (Penguin Random House Australia) 
• Darkest Night, Brightest Star, Barry Jonsberg (Allen & Unwin) 
• Drift, Pip Harry (Lothian Children’s Books) 
• The Edge of Everything, Miranda Luby (Text Publishing) 
• Eleanor Jones is Playing with Fire, Amy Doak (Penguin Random House Australia) 
• The Foal in the Wire, Robbie Coburn (Lothian Children’s Books) 
• Golden, Jade Timms (Text Publishing) 
• How to Be Normal, Ange Crawford (Walker Books Australia) 
• The Locked Room, Adam Cece (Penguin Random House Australia) 
• A Murder is Going Down, Kate Emery (Allen & Unwin) 
• Never Thought I’d End Up Here, Ann Liang (Penguin Random House Australia) 
• Ngurra Home, Carl Merrison & Hakea Hustler (Magabala Books) 
• Of Flame and Fury, Mikayla Bridge (Macmillan Australia) 
• The Pull of the Moon, Pip Smith (UWA Publishing) 
• The Set-Up Girl, Sasha Vey (Allen & Unwin) 
• Tenderly, I Am Devoured, Lyndall Clipstone (Penguin Random House Australia) 
• This Season’s Draft, Jason Gent (Allen & Unwin) 
• This Stays Between Us, Margot McGovern (Penguin Random House Australia) 
• Unhallowed Halls, Lili Wilkinson (Allen & Unwin) 
• We Saw What You Started, Carla Salmon (Pan Australia) 
• The Worst Perfect Moment, Shivaun Plozza (Walker Books Australia) 

Younger Readers

• Chickenpox, Remy Lai (Allen & Unwin) 
• Creature Clinic, Gavin Aung Than (Figment Books) 
• Frances Bloom, Katrina Nannestad, illustrated by Marina Zlatanova (ABC Books) 
• Ghost Guitar, TJ DOOM, illustrated by Nahum Ziersch (Penguin Random House Australia) 
• The Hits and Misses of Melody Moss, Helen Dallimore (Penguin Random House Australia) 
• How to Sail to Somewhere, Ashleigh Barton (Lothian Children’s Books) 
• Inked, Karen Wasson, illustrated by Jake A Minton (Figment Books) 
• Into the Bewilderness, Gus Gordon (Figment Books) 
• Jungle Escape, Nathan Luff (Walker Books Australia) 
• The Keeper of the Octopus, Neridah McMullin (Walker Books Australia) 
• Little Bones, Sandy Bigna, illustrated by Tamlyn Teow (University of Queensland Press) 
• The Making of Martha Mayfield, Jo Dabrowski (Affirm Press) 
• Moonboy, Anna Ciddor (Allen & Unwin) 
• The Paperbark Tree Committee, Karys McEwen (Text Publishing) 
• Promises and Other Lies, Sue Whiting (Walker Books Australia) 
• Run, Sarah Armstrong (Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing) 
• Seriously Soccer, Matt Stanton (ABC Books) 
• The Serpent Rider, Yxavel Magno Diño (Bloomsbury Children’s Books) 
• The Silken Thread, Gabrielle Wang (Penguin Random House Australia) 
• Something Terrible: Tim Tie-Your-Shoelaces, Sally Barton, illustrated by Christopher Nielsen (Walker Books Australia) 
• Song of a Thousand Seas, Zana Fraillon, illustrated by Aviva Reed (University of Queensland Press) 
• Spirit of the Crocodile, Aaron Fa’Aoso & Michelle Scott Tucker with Lyn White (Allen & Unwin) 
• The Surface Trials, H.M. Waugh (Allen & Unwin) 
• Too Big to Be a Fairy, Kiah Thomas, Bec Kitson, Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing 
• The Year We Escaped, Suzanne Leal (Angus & Robertson)

International Women’s Day

‘Balance the Scales’ is the theme for IWD 2026. Beaumaris Secondary library has a display, and we encourage students to explore our great range of books showcasing stories about and written by inspiring women.

Library Opening Hours 

Make your way up to S3 on the Southern level! 

Monday - Thursday 

9.30am-2.30pm.

The library is open at recess and lunchtime.

Student ID Cards

A reminder to all students that your Compass Student ID card is also your library card. Please bring your student ID card to the library when you would like to borrow.

Book Returns

Please Return any books to the RETURNS BOX at the entrance to the library on Southern level (S3).

During a library class students are to return books to the shelves when they have finished with them, respectfully leaving the space as they found it ready for the next class.

Niamh McPhelimy 

Library Manager