The Other Notables

CBCA Book of the Year lists always gender healthy discussion and keen readers may ponder the absence of some favourite reads that didn’t make either the short list or the notable list. Avid reader, Nella Pickup, has picked out some of her favourite titles from 2023 to expand your reading – can you think of others?

If you’ve read the CBCA Notables and are looking for more outstanding Australian books to share with young people, this is for you.

Firstly, check out the excellent suggestions at Storylinks and the “I Can’t Believe it’s Not Notable 2024” offerings in the Reading List section – it includes some excellent quality books to explore. These are also available as a pdf document.

 

Some further suggestions include the following titles.

 

Younger Readers

French Jackie Secret Sparrow, HarperCollins 97846076468

Based on a true story about a female signaller in WW1 and the British Army’s obliteration of any record showing how women and girls were working behind the scenes, in the trenches and even in battles.

 

Jason Pamment Ember and the Island of Lost Creatures, Allen & Unwin 9781761067488 

Ember feels like an outsider at his new school for the orphaned and solitary and has to deal with some unusual events.  Winner Best Graphic Novel/Illustrated Work Aurealis Award 2024

 

Edwina Wyatt & Evie Barrow Cub and Brown, Walker 9781760654641

A young cub scout and a bear share adventures and friendship. Twelve stories based on the values of Scout Law. A beautiful book for younger readers.

 

Eve Pownall

The Big Vision series, Berbay & Vision Australia.

Each book features braille alongside the conventional text and is designed to inspire conversations about inclusivity, representation and resilience.

John Dickson & Philip Bunting Matt Formston: Surfing in the Dark, Berbay, & Vision Australia  9780645558401

John Dickson & Claudia Frittitta Craig Shanahan: Cooking up a Storm, Berbay & Vision Australia  9780645558418

John Dickson & Chantel de Sousa Nikki Hind Dressed for Success, Berbay &  Vision Australia, 9780645558401

 

David Gullan & Suzanne Houghton Life in a Hollow, CSIRO 9781486316342

Explores life in tree hollows and the many native animals who live there.

 

Suzanne Houghton Where are all the Christmas Beetles, CSIRO 9781486317905

Sparkling, brightly coloured Christmas beetles usually appear in December, but they are disappearing. Where have they gone?

 

Sandra Severgnini Meet Min, EK Books 9781992539557

Delve into the world of the shallow ocean bed to meet Mim the amazing mimic octopus.

Early Childhood

Raewyn Caisley & Gabriel Evans Count the Stars, Walker 9781760653552

Maddie loves maths; she finds examples everywhere. She longs to find a friend who shares her interests. 

 

Wai Chim & Freda Chiu Last place Lin, Allen & Unwin 9781761067754

Lin's excited about her first school sports day until she comes last. For those who keep trying no matter what happens.

 

Bethany Clark & Sara Acton You’ve got Yoghurt in your Nostrils, Affirm 9781922848246

A baby’s joyous celebration of eating.

Phillip Gwynne & Tony Flowers Grandma’s First Tattoo, Yaffler Press 9780646854465  

The story of Grandma’s tattoo and the excitement it causes at her granddaughter’s school.

 

Meg McKinlay & Leila Rudge Always Never Always, Walker 9781760655204

A rhyming book of advice such as always follow secret tracks and take useful things, like a torch and fairy-wings.

 

Sandhya Parappukkaran and Michelle Pereira Stay for Dinner, Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing, 9781761211966

Reshma, Charlotte, Phoebe and Leo eat dinner at each other’s homes; they eat different food in different ways. Reshma is worried as her friends do not lick fingers or burp to show their appreciation of the delicious food. A story of family, diversity, friendship and understanding. Winner 2024 Multicultural NSW Award

 

Tami Sussman & Tom Jellett Tiny Tradies, Affirm 9781922848123

A big day at childcare described as if the toddlers were construction workers. A delight.

 

Nella Pickup

Retired librarian; book buying grandmother for 4 boys.

Neurodivergence in Children’s Literature: To identify, or not to identify a character?

Contemporary children’s fiction increasingly represents neuro diverse characters and this week’s post considers whether this should be identified in the blurb or not.

A recent post in a book chat group complained about book blurbs that fail to identify the neurodivergence of the characters in the story; and it made me ponder what the need or benefit would be to have this information, both for the reader and for the character.

My readings confirmed my thoughts, that the main benefit to the individual of a diagnosis are to create some self-understanding and help explain to themselves why they may respond in certain ways to situations (that this response is normal for them), and enable them to advocate for themselves with authority. Diagnosis can also help others to make workplace and social accommodations to support the neurodiverse person. There may also be a negative to diagnosis, as it may affect the person’s options to move countries or see increases in travel insurance as it will identified as a pre-existing condition.

Small studies have shown that when a reader has high transportation engagement with the fiction, they experience affective sympathy (the ability to share feelings and emotions) and this can transfer to their responses to situations in their environment. Readers can also develop cognitive empathy (the ability to understand events from another’s viewpoint), although this may have little impact on their responses to situations.  

As a reader, I select books based around the storyline, rather than the character. The character development is an adjunct to the story, so to be told too much about the character in the blurb, would detract from the joy of the story. The wonder is in the discovery and development of the person. Whether the character is neurodiverse, culturally diverse, cis gender or not, is all part of the story development. 

So, to answer my own question in the title of this blog: No, I do not believe identification of neurodiversity is required in the blurb.

The Little Bookroom has a good list of neurodivergence stories (though not many current titles are listed); many by authors who have self-identified as neurodivergent creators. Some examples from this list, Children’s Books with Neurodiverse Characters for Kids, Parents, Teachers and Therapists · The Little Bookroom, are included below.

Picture Book: Colour of Music by Lisa Tiffin and Matt Ottley; Midnight Sun Publishing, 2020. 

A story where colour and sound are inseparable in the character’s experience of the world.

Junior Fiction: Polly and Buster series by Sally Rippin; Hardie Grant Egmont, 2017. 

A 2018 CBCA Notable title; the characters have dyslexia and anxiety and a friendship which doesn’t fit the societal norm, for either of them.

Middle Grade Fiction: Paws by Kate Foster;  Walker Books, 2021. 

The main character has autism and needs to use learned skills to approach friendship.

Young Adult: Peta Lyre’s Rating Normal by Anna Whateley; Allen & Unwin, 2020. 

A CBCA 2021 Shortlist title which covers a full range of neurodivergent topics in a natural, honest and times both humorous and poignant story.

Interesting sites I visited in my research

Noetic Health

Big Think

National Library of Medicine

 

Felicity Sly 

Felicity is a recently retired Teacher Librarian and a CBCA Tasmania committee member.

Editor's note: For further primary school examples check out Tasmanian author Kate Gordon and her Aster series of books.