The Children’s Book Council of Australia have announced their notables list for 2021. The lists cover the best books for teens through preschoolers. The lists are basically the longlists for the CBCA Book of the Year awards. The shortlists will be announced in March with the winners announced in August. Here are the books that made the notables lists:

OLDER READERS (AGES 13-18)

Before the Beginning by Anna Morgan

Catch Me If I Fall by Barry Jonsberg

Deep Water by Sarah Epstein

The End of the World Is Bigger Than Love by Davina Bell

The F Team by Rawah Arja

Future Girl by Asphyxia

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix

Loner by Georgina Young

The Lost Soul Atlas by Zana Fraillon

Metal Fish, Falling Snow by Cath Moore

Peta Lyre’s Rating Normal by Anna Whateley

Please Don’t Hug Me by Kay Kerr

When It Drops by Alex Dyson

When Rain Turns to Snow by Jane Godwin

Where We Begin by Christie Nieman

YOUNGER READERS (AGES 7-12)

Across the Risen Sea by Bren MacDibble

Aster’s Good, Right Things by Kate Gordon

Beyond Belief by Dee White

Bindi by Kirli Saunders, illustrated by Dub Leffler

The Book of Chance by Sue Whiting

The Fire Star by A.L. Tait

The Grandest Bookshop in the World by Amelia Mellor

Haywire by Claire Saxby

The Heartsong of Wonder Quinn by Kate Gordon

Her Perilous Mansion by Sean Williams

The January Stars by Kate Constable

The Mummy Smugglers of Crumblin Castle by Pamela Rushby

The Republic of Birds by Jessica Miller

The Secret Library of Hummingbird House by Julianne Negri

The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst by Jaclyn Moriarty, illustrated by Kelly Canby (released in U.S. in March 2021)

We Are Wolves by Katrina Nannestad

When This Bell Rings by Allison Rushby

Worse Things by Sally Murphy, illustrated by Sarah Davis

The Year the Maps Changed by Danielle Binks

Zoe, Max and the Bicycle Bus by Steven Herrick

EARLY CHILDHOOD

Anemone Is Not the Enemy by Anna McGregor

Australia Under the Sea 1, 2, 3 by Frané Lessac

Bear in Space by Deborah Abela, illustrated by Marjorie Crosby-Fairall

Bin Chicken by Kate & Jol Temple, illustrated by Ronojoy Ghosh

Busy Beaks by Sarah Allen

Coming Home to Country by Bronwyn Bancroft

I’ll Always Be Older Than You by Jane Godwin, illustrated by Sara Acton

Me and My Boots by Penny Harrison, illustrated by Evie Barrow

No! Never! by Libby Hathorn and Lisa Hathorn-Jarman, illustrated by Mel Pearce

Pink! by Margaret Wild, illustrated by Judith Rossell

Respect by Aunty Fay Muir & Sue Lawson, illustrated by Lisa Kennedy

Ruby Red Shoes: My Wonderful Grandmother by Kate Knapp

Shapes and Colours by John Canty

Soon by Libby Gleeson, illustrated by Jedda Robaard

Ten Little Figs by Rhiân Williams, illustrated by Nathaniel Eckstrom

There’s No Such Thing by Heidi McKinnon

This Small Blue Dot by Zeno Sworder

We Love You, Magoo by Briony Stewart

What Do You Call Your Grandpa? by Ashleigh Barton, illustrated by Martina Heiduczek

Who’s Your Real Mum? by Bernadette Green, illustrated by Anna Zobel

PICTURE BOOK OF THE YEAR

Anisa’s Alphabet illustrated by Hanna Sommerville, written by Mike Dumbleton

The Biscuit Maker illustrated by Liz Anelli, written by Sue Lawson

Colin Cockroach Goes to Caloundra by Chris McKimmie

Diamonds by Armin Greder

Ellie’s Dragon by Bob Graham

The Fire Wombat by Jackie French & Danny Snell

Give Me Some Space by Philip Bunting

Girl from the Sea illustrated by Jane Tanner, written by Margaret Wild

Good Question: A Tale Told Backwards illustrated by Annie White, written by Sue Whiting

Hello Jimmy! by Anna Walker

How to Make a Bird illustrated by Matt Ottley, written by Meg McKinlay

I Saw Pete and Pete Saw Me illustrated by Evie Barrow, written by Maggie Hutchings

Jelly-Boy illustrated by Christopher Nielsen, written by Nicole Godwin

Littlelight by Kelly Canby

My Shadow Is Pink by Scott Stuart

Norton and the Bear by Gabriel Evans

Not Cute by Philip Bunting

Sing Me the Summer by Jane Godwin & Alison Lester

Sometimes Cake illustrated by Tamsin Ainslie, written by Edwina Wyatt

The Unwilling Twin by Freya Blackwood

Who Am I? by Philip Bunting

Who’s Your Real Mum? by Bernadette Green, illustrated by Anna Zobel

Wolfred by Nick Bland

Wombat by Philip Bunting

Your Birthday Was the Best! illustrated by Felicita Sala, written by Maggie Huchings

EVE POWNALL AWARD (For factual materials ages 0-18)

Australia’s Wild Weird Wonderful Weather by Stephanie Owen Reeder, illustrated by Tania McCartney

Azaria: A True History by Maree Coote

The Daddy Animal Book by Jennifer Cossins

Dry to Dry: The Seasons of Kakadu by Pamela Freeman, illustrated by Liz Anelli

Hold On! Saving the Spotted Handfish by Gina M Newton, illustrated by Rachel Tribout

The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Dangerous Animals by Sami Bayly

Kookaburra by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Tannya Harricks

Little Lon by Andrew Kelly, illustrated by Mark Jackson & Heather Potter

Matthew Flinders – Adventures on Leaky Ships by Carole Wilkinson, illustrated by Prue Pittock

The Mummy Animal Book by Jennifer Cossins

Saltie Mumma by Sandra Kendall

Shirley Purdie: My Story, Ngaginybe Jarragbe by Shirley Purdie

Strangers on Country by David Hartley & Kirsty Murray, illustrated by Dub Leffler

There’s a Zoo in My Poo by Felice Jacka, illustrated by Rob Craw

Will the Wonderkid: Treasure Hunter of the Australian Outback by Stephanie Owen Reeder