Aurealis Award for Best Children's Fiction

Australian children's literary award From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Aurealis Awards are presented annually by the Australia-based Chimaera Publications and WASFF to published works in order to "recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy, horror writers".[1] To qualify, a work must have been first published by an Australian citizen or permanent resident between 1 January and 31 December of the corresponding year;[2] the presentation ceremony is held the following year. It has grown from a small function of around 20 people to a two-day event attended by over 200 people.[3]

Awarded forExcellence in children's speculative fiction
CountryAustralia
Presented byChimaera Publications,
Continuum Foundation
First award2013 (merging two previous categories)
Quick facts Awarded for, Country ...
Aurealis Award for best children's fiction
Awarded forExcellence in children's speculative fiction
CountryAustralia
Presented byChimaera Publications,
Continuum Foundation
First award2013 (merging two previous categories)
Currently held byKaren Foxlee
WebsiteOfficial site
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Since their creation in 1995, awards have been given in various categories of speculative fiction. Categories currently include science fiction, fantasy, horror, speculative young adult fiction—with separate awards for novels and short fiction—collections, anthologies, illustrative works or graphic novels, children's books, and an award for excellence in speculative fiction.[1] The awards have attracted the attention of publishers by setting down a benchmark in science fiction and fantasy. The continued sponsorship by publishers such as HarperCollins and Orbit has identified the award as an honour to be taken seriously.[4]

The results are decided by a panel of judges from a list of submitted nominees; the long-list of nominees is reduced to a short-list of finalists.[1] Ties can occur if the panel decides both entries show equal merit, however they are encouraged to choose a single winner.[5] The judges may declare a "no award" if there is unanimous agreement that none of the nominees are worthy.[5] The judges are selected from a public application process by the Award's management team.[6]

This article lists all the short-list nominees and winners in the best children's fiction category which replaces the following two previous categories for children's fiction:

In 2013, this award was known as the Aurealis Award for best children's book.

Winners and nominees

In the following table, the years correspond to the year of the work's eligibility; the ceremonies are always held the following year. Each year links to the corresponding "year in literature" article. Entries with a blue background have won the award; those with a white background are the nominees on the short-list. If the work was originally published in a book with other stories rather than by itself or in a magazine, the book title is included after the publisher's name.

As of February 2026, Bren MacDibble has won twice and the following have received multiple nominations:

  *   Winners and joint winners
  *   Nominees on the shortlist

More information Year, Author(s) ...
Year Author(s) Work(s) Publisher Ref
2013 Kirsty Murray*The Four Seasons of Lucy McKenzieAllen & Unwin[7][8]
Isobelle CarmodyKingdom of the Lost, book 2: Cloud RoadPenguin Books Australia[7]
Jackie FrenchRefugeHarperCollins[7]
Julie HuntSong for a scarlet runnerAllen & Unwin[7]
Shaun TanRules of SummerHachette Australia[7]
Lian TannerIcebreaker: The Hidden 1Allen & Unwin[7]
2014 Carole Wilkinson*Shadow Sister: Dragonkeeper 5Black Dog Books[9]
John FlanaganSlaves of Socorro: Brotherband 4Random House Australia[10]
Karen FoxleeOphelia and the Marvellous BoyHot Key Books[10]
Norman Jorgensen & James FoleyThe Last Viking ReturnsFremantle Press[10]
Judith RossellWithering-by-SeaABC Books[10]
Lian TannerSunker's DeepAllen & Unwin[10]
2015 Meg McKinlay*A Single StoneWalker Books Australia[11]
Angelica BanksA Week Without TuesdayAllen & Unwin[12]
Jack HeathThe Cut-OutAllen & Unwin[12]
Meg McKinlayBella and the Wandering HouseFremantle Press[12]
A. L. TaitThe Mapmaker Chronicles: Prisoner of the Black HawkHachette Australia[12]
2016 Kim Kane*When the Lyrebird CallsAllen & Unwin[13][14]
Angelica BanksBlueberry Pancakes ForeverAllen & Unwin[13]
Lee BattersbyMagritWalker Books Australia[13]
Caleb CrispSomebody Stop Ivy PocketBloomsbury[13]
Mick ElliottThe TurnersHachette Australia[13]
Emily RoddaThe Hungry IsleOmnibus Books[13]
2017 Jessica Townsend*NevermoorHachette Australia[15][16]
Bren MacDibbleHow to BeeAllen & Unwin[15]
Jaclyn MoriartyThe Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte MettlestoneAllen & Unwin[15]
Emily RoddaThe Shop at Hoopers BendHarperCollins Australia[15]
Jo SandhuThe ExilePenguin Random House Australia[15]
Lian TannerAccidental HeroesAllen & Unwin[15]
2018 Penni Russon*The EndsisterAllen & Unwin[17][18]
Rebecca LimThe Relic of the Blue DragonAllen & Unwin[17]
Jaclyn MoriartyThe Slightly Alarming Tales of the Whispering WarsAllen & Unwin[17]
Lian TannerSecret GuardiansAllen & Unwin[17]
Gabrielle WangTing Ting the GhosthunterPenguin Random House Australia[17]
Rhiannon WilliamsOttilie Cotter and the Narroway HuntHardie Grant Egmont[17]
2019 Bren MacDibble*The Dog RunnerAllen & Unwin[19][20]
Amie KaufmanScorch DragonsHarperCollins[19]
Rebecca LimRace for the Red DragonAllen & Unwin[19]
Rebecca McRitchie (with Sharon O'Connor, illustrator)Jinxed! the Curious Curse of Cora BellHarperCollins[19]
Emily Rodda (with Marc McBride, illustrator)The GlimmeScholastic[19]
Heather WaughThe Lost Stone of SkyCityFremantle Press[19]
2020 Zana Fraillon* The Lost Soul Atlas Lothian [21][22]
Nicholas J. Johnson Tricky Nick Pan [21]
Bren MacDibble Across the Risen Sea Allen & Unwin [21]
Frances Watts The Chicken's Curse Allen & Unwin [21]
Lili Wilkinson (with Dustin Spence, illustrator) Hodgepodge: How to make a pet monster Allen & Unwin [21]
Sean Williams Her Perilous Mansion Allen & Unwin [21]
2021 Karen Foxlee* Dragon Skin Allen & Unwin [23][24][25]
Anna Ciddor The Boy Who Stepped Through Time Allen & Unwin [23][25]
James Foley Stellarphant Fremantle
Zana Fraillon & Phil Lesnie The Curiosities Hachette Australia
Emily Gale & Nova Weetman Elsewhere Girls Text
Nicholas Snelling Barebum Billy BAD DAD
2022 Melanie La'Brooy The Wintrish Girl UQP [26]
Victoria Carless Gus and the Starlight HarperCollins [27]
Karen Foxlee (with Frieda Chui, illustrator) The Wrath of the Woolington Wym Allen & Unwin
Zana Fraillon & Bren MacDibble The Raven's Song Allen & Unwin
Emily Gale The Goodbye Year Text
H. M. Waugh Mars Awakens Allen & Unwin
2023 Lian Tanner Spellhound Allen & Unwin [28]
Reece Carter The Lonely Lighthouse of Elston-Fright Allen & Unwin [29]
Remy Lai Ghost Book Allen & Unwin
Rebecca Lim The Letterbox Tree Walker Books
Skye Melki-Wegner Deadlands: Hunted Walker Books
Jessica Miller The Hotel Witch Text
2024 Bren MacDibble The Apprentice Witnesser Allen & Unwin [30]
Gabriel Bergmoser Andromache Between Worlds HarperCollins [31]
Karen Foxlee, ill. Freda Chiu The Bother with the Bonkillyknock Beast Allen & Unwin
Emily Rodda Landovel Allen & Unwin
Judith Rossell The Midwatch HGCP
L. M. Wilkinson, ill. Lavanya Naidu Bravepaw and the Heartstone of Alluria Albert Street Books
2025 Sandy Bigna Little Bones UQP [32]
Adrian Beck Villain Scholastic [33]
Anna Ciddor Moonboy Allen & Unwin
Rachel Jackson Escape from Firestone Fortress Riveted Press
Paul Russell The Last Seed Keeper E K Books
Matt Shanks When the Mountain Wakes Affirm
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References

External links

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