CBCA ACT Branch

Enriching young lives through Australian stories

   

Laurie Copping Award nominations are now open


We are seeking nominations for the 2023 Laurie Copping Award. The Award will be presented at the 2023 AGM.

The Laurie Copping Award for Distinguished Service to Children’s Literature in the ACT is a biennial award of The Children’s Book Council of Australia ACT Branch, the accent being on Service. A recipient of the award, then, will have given service well beyond his or her professional association with children’s literature.  Past recipients include Rachel Hind, Rosemary Thomas, Stephanie Owen Reeder and Tania McCartney (click here to see past recipients).

Nominations close on 31st March 2023. 

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AGM & Branch Annual Dinner

Join us at the Canberra Southern Cross Yacht Club on Tuesday 4th April for a brief AGM followed by presentation of the 2023 Laurie Copping Award.

Then share a two course meal with members as we hear from Meredith Wright as she tells us about her experiences of bookshops and children's literature.

Register and pay to secure your seat. 

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Book of the Year Shortlist Showcase and Seminar

Please join us in a celebration of the 2023 CBCA Shortlist on Saturday 1 April, with a deeper dive into three of the award categories. Hear from current and past ACT Book of the Year judges, and the ACT Shadow Judging Coordinator on the criteria used for judging these categories.

Not only does it count for 3 hours of teacher professional learning but you also receive a digital “resources kit” with teaching notes.

Plus afternoon tea!

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Register now for your school to participate in 2023 Shadow Judging

Reflecting the CBCA purpose of enriching young lives through Australian stories, we are continuing to develop Shadow Judging in 2023 as part of the Book of the Year. This initiative acknowledges and values the voices of our young people as literary critics.

Key dates:   
March 28      program starts  (CBCA Shortlist announced)
August 14     voting closes
August 25     Shadowers’ Choice Awards

For more information and to register on the CBCA website - click here.

Contact CBCA ACT Coordinator Rachael Hind with any questions:   rachael.hind@cg.catholic.edu.au

20TH Anniversary diary of a wombat 20c coin now available

This beautifully designed coin is a glimpse into the life of a very busy wombat and is the second release in a collaboration between the Royal Australian Mint and the Children’s Book Council of Australia that celebrates the pleasure of reading.

Cheeky, hungry and sleepy, this clever wombat has humans wrapped around its little paw. This year, The Diary of a Wombat celebrates 20 years since it was first published.

Purchase here.

Margaret Hamilton AM Tribute

From the Children's Book Council of Australia Chair, Wendy Rapee.

On November 24, 2022 we lost one the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s foundation stones—Margaret Hamilton AM. Margaret has been our guiding light, our fiercest advocate, our cheer leader, and our intellectual powerhouse. Both the Book of the Year Awards and the CBCA Awards Foundation have grown in stature because of her dedication and unwavering service. The Australian publishing community, and specifically our children’s literature creatives, have been nurtured, mentored and inspired by her razor-sharp mind and focus on producing quality stories for our young Australians. Her legacy is enormous and the CBCA is mindful and dedicated to our responsibility in ensuring its care. Margaret will be missed by us all.

Read full tribute to Margaret Hamilton AM...

Members' Recent Books

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 Established in 1945, the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) is a not-for-profit, volunteer run organisation which aims to engage the community with literature for young Australians.

The CBCA presents annual awards to books of literary merit, for outstanding contribution to Australian children's literature.

In 2015, the CBCA celebrated 70 years of enjoying and promoting the best of Australian literature for children and young people.

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