The Children's Book Council of Australia has announced the 2026 Book of the Year Award winners, celebrating outstanding Australian books for young readers.
Across six award categories, the official results recognise 18 unique titles. Several books received more than one distinction, including Run, Derek and A Loo of One's Own.
From books for early childhood through to older readers, picture books and richly presented factual works, this year's winners offer something for every young reader. Browse the full list below. And be sure to visit out CBCA pages for more wonderful books.
(Please note that publishers will be scrambling to organise more stock after these announcements, so please be patient.)
Winner: Book of the Year - Older Readers
Darkest Night, Brightest Star by Barry Jonsberg
The 2026 winner in the Older Readers category, for books suited to secondary-school readers aged 13-18.
Thirteen-year-old Morgan is trying to meet his father's expectations while making sense of an absent mother, a changing friendship and an injury that disrupts his plans. As long-buried family truths surface, he must decide what strength and manhood mean on his own terms.
Honour: Book of the Year - Older Readers
Golden by Jade Timms
A 2026 Honour Book in the Older Readers category, for books suited to secondary-school readers aged 13-18.
Seventeen-year-old Eddie has withdrawn from friends and family since a devastating loss fractured her life. New connections, running and the possibility of first love begin to help her face what happened, rebuild trust and discover that happiness can return.
Honour: Book of the Year - Older Readers
Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson
A 2026 Honour Book in the Older Readers category, for books suited to secondary-school readers aged 13-18.
After a deadly incident at her former school, Page hopes remote Agathion College will offer a fresh start. Instead, she finds secretive new friends, a hidden society and rumours of demonic magic beneath the school's polished halls.
Shadow Judging Winner: Older Readers
This Stays Between Us by Margot McGovern
The 2026 Shadow Judging winner in the Older Readers category.
Four girls spend a weekend in an abandoned town where a local ghost story shadows their cabin. A séance meant as a thrill awakens old tensions and frightening possibilities, forcing each girl to confront secrets she would rather keep buried.
Winner: Book of the Year - Younger Readers
Inked by Karen Wasson; illustrated by Jake A Minton
The 2026 winner in the Younger Readers category, for books suited to readers aged 7-12.
Twelve-year-old Sid would prefer to blend in, but discovering a talking, opera-singing octopus makes that impossible. Their unlikely partnership becomes a funny, fast-moving adventure about friendship, family and finding the courage to stand out.
Honour: Book of the Year - Younger Readers
Little Bones by Sandy Bigna
A 2026 Honour Book in the Younger Readers category, for books suited to readers aged 7-12.
Since an accident changed her world, eleven-year-old Bones has retreated into drawing skeletons and collecting small, unusual treasures. Her energetic new neighbour Tenny challenges that isolation, opening a tender story about grief, connection and learning when to let go.
Honour and Shadow Judging Winner: Younger Readers
Run by Sarah Armstrong
Recognised as both a 2026 Honour Book and the Shadow Judging winner in the Younger Readers category.
Cas runs away rather than face a reunion with his estranged father and soon becomes lost in the Australian bush. His encounter with two resourceful girls living in secret turns a desperate survival story into a tense exploration of trust, forgiveness and social justice.
Winner: Book of the Year - Early Childhood
The Emperor's Egg by Rae Tan
The 2026 winner in the Early Childhood category, for children at pre-reading or early reading stages, ages 0-6.
In this reimagining of a Chinese folktale, an emperor gives children seeds and asks them to grow the finest plant to determine his successor. One child's stubbornly empty pot becomes a test of patience, courage and honesty.
Honour and Shadow Judging Winner: Early Childhood
Derek by Anne Donaldson; illustrated by Matt Shanks
Recognised as both a 2026 Honour Book and the Shadow Judging winner in the Early Childhood category.
Derek is a curious fish with questions about everything from bubbles to the shape of the universe. Beneath his curiosity lies one much bigger question—why he is alone—leading him towards an adventure about courage, friendship and belonging.
Honour: Book of the Year - Early Childhood
The Thing About Christmas by Jo Dabrowski; illustrated by Briony Stewart
A 2026 Honour Book in the Early Childhood category, for children at pre-reading or early reading stages, ages 0-6.
This warm picture book celebrates the many ways families create Christmas magic. Whether traditions are grand, simple, new or familiar, its message centres on love, togetherness and making the season meaningful in your own way.
Winner: Picture Book of the Year
Once I Was a Giant by Zeno Sworder
The 2026 Picture Book of the Year winner, recognised for artistic and literary unity.
A tree narrates an expansive journey through growth, change and the living world. Layered words and images invite readers of all ages to consider connection, environmental responsibility and the way every life forms part of something larger.
Honour: Picture Book of the Year
Bob and Dob by Sean E Avery
A 2026 Picture Book of the Year Honour Book, recognised for artistic and literary unity.
Bob's brother Dob loves telling tales that land Bob in trouble. This playful sibling story puts a fresh spin on crying wolf, combining escalating humour with a gentle warning about dishonesty and the consequences of being known as a dobber.
Honour: Picture Book of the Year
Tiwi in Paris by Glen Farmer Illortaminni
A 2026 Picture Book of the Year Honour Book, recognised for artistic and literary unity.
Glen travels from the Tiwi Islands to Paris as an interpreter for celebrated artist Timothy Cook, only to become lost on his first night. His unexpected adventure brings together travel, cultural difference and the enduring pull of home.
Shadow Judging Winner: Picture Book of the Year
Dear Broccoli by Jo Dabrowski; illustrated by Cate James
The 2026 Shadow Judging winner in the Picture Book of the Year category.
Frank writes to the broccoli on his dinner plate and asks it never to return. Broccoli's very proper reply begins a witty correspondence that transforms an everyday food battle into a playful story for selective eaters.
Winner: Eve Pownall Award
Peculiar Parents by Stephanie Owen Reeder; illustrated by Ingrid Bartkowiak
The 2026 Eve Pownall Award winner, recognising factual books with imaginative presentation and interpretation.
Meet 60 Australian animal species and discover how they choose mates, build homes and raise their young. Fascinating and funny facts reveal drumming parrots, colour-changing cuttlefish, dancing spiders and many other wonderfully unusual families.
Honour: Eve Pownall Award
Caution! This Book Contains Deadly Reptiles by Corey Tutt; illustrated by Ben Williams
A 2026 Eve Pownall Honour Book, recognising factual books with imaginative presentation and interpretation.
Corey Tutt combines science, First Nations knowledge and vivid artwork in a tour of Australia's remarkable reptiles. Traditional Language names and surprising facts introduce young readers to the animals, habitats and cultural stories found across Country.
Eve Pownall Honour and New Illustrator Winner
A Loo of One's Own by Eleri Harris
Recognised twice in 2026: as an Eve Pownall Honour Book and as the winner of the Award for New Illustrator.
When Enid Lyons and Dorothy Tangney became Australia's first female federal parliamentarians in 1943, Parliament House had no official women's bathroom for them. This illustrated history uses humour to explore an overlooked obstacle—and the wider barriers faced by women in public life.
Shadow Judging Winner: Eve Pownall Award
The Thylacine and the Time Machine by Renée Treml
The 2026 Shadow Judging winner for the Eve Pownall Award.
Twelve-year-old Violet, her dog Tassie and Thyla—the ghost of the last known thylacine—travel through time to investigate the animal's history. Their fact-filled adventure examines extinction, conservation and whether science could ever bring the species back.
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