Book of the Year Awards – Student choices via Shadow Judging

The successful books in the 2026 Book of the Year awards have been announced. This year the event included the announcement of the Shadow Judging winners, decided by participating student groups across Australia.  

Winners of the Shadow Judging Awards

CBCA has provided students with the opportunity to become actively involved in the Book of the Year Awards through the Shadow Judging program. Momentum has grown and the importance of offering young people the opportunity to read, critique and judge the shortlisted books has proven its worth. Read on to hear from some of Tasmania’s Shadow Judges and their mentors.

 

Austins Ferry Primary School

The student group at Austins Ferry judged the books shortlisted in the Picture Book category and reflected that Shadow Judging was both fun and engaging. They particularly enjoyed reading Dear Broccoli and Once I Was a Giant – these books were tied in the first round of voting. Students would have appreciated having more time for Shadow Judging so that they could further develop their creative responses. When we participate in the future, we may need to consider scheduling additional lunchtime sessions, starting earlier in the year, or exploring a different category.

 

Students said that they enjoyed discussing the books with others, comparing our opinions, and hearing about how stories resonated with different readers. As this was a new experience for students, it inspired our Shadow Judges to continue exploring ways to promote a love of reading across the school community. Shadow Judging also provided a valuable opportunity to explore a diverse range of picture books and engage in meaningful discussions about contemporary Australian children's literature.

Kaye Garth

 

Fahan Junior School

This year a very enthusiastic group of keen readers who are interested in developing the language needed to discuss books beyond simply recounting the story. One group is exploring the Younger Readers category, while the other is focusing on the Early Childhood books.

 

The students meet once a week, commencing in Term 2. We use the judging questions as a guide to help move their discussions beyond whether they liked or disliked a book and towards deeper consideration of the story, characters, setting, language, and the worlds that authors and illustrators have created to capture readers’ attention.

 

What the students think:

• I usually read books quickly, but with Shadow Judging I have a reason to slow down. I take more time to notice the details so that I can contribute to the discussion. (Lucy)
• I enjoy hearing everybody’s thoughts and connecting with people I might not have talked to otherwise. The books are really, really good too. (Elsa)
• Reading, coming to Shadow Judging, and sitting on the couch in the library to discuss the books is really calming. I’m also reading books that I wouldn’t usually choose. (Grace)
• I don’t usually spend much time reading books in the drama genre because it’s not my favourite genre. But because these books are chosen for Shadow Judging, I’ve read them and I’ve really enjoyed them. (Pippi)
• Reading is nice, fun and relaxing. I like Shadow Judging because it encourages me to read and to try new books. (Rose) 

Their mentors believe that the Shadow Judging competition provides a particularly authentic and meaningful way for children's voices to be heard. You can read a more detailed report from Fahan Junior School in the forthcoming Term 3 newsletter.

Meg Denman & Sue Cole

 

St Thomas More’s Catholic School

The CBCA Shadow Judging project provides students with a wonderful opportunity to engage in rich and robust conversations about quality Australian literature and to have their voices heard.  Over the past four years, students from St Thomas More’s have relished their time discussing shortlisted books, dissecting the judging criteria and voting for their favourites.  This year, STM students in Grade 4 chose the Picture Book category and it has been delightful to hear students reviewing the books, discussing the criteria in depth and passionately advocating for their favourites.  Our sessions inevitably ended in a difficult choice as we defended our varying and heartfelt opinions.  This initiative is a great way to promote critical thinking, to foster a love of literature in our students and to give them a chance to voice their opinions. 

Creative responses from St Thomas More's students

Our students say…..

• I have enjoyed looking at the books and seeing which one is our group favourite. I also like getting to spend time together and all chatting about what we like about the books. (Harry, Grade 4)
• I liked reading all of these different books and hearing other people's opinions on the books. I have loved reading the books and choosing which one is our favourite. (Nina, Grade 4)

Rebecca Thomas

 

Hutchins Junior School

Hutchins ran two shadow judging groups in the Junior School in 2026, both ran at lunchtime for keen readers in the Early Childhood and Younger Reader categories.  Read on to learn more about what the Hutchins Junior School students enjoyed the most about the CBCA Shadow Judging experience this year.

 

Hutchins Early Childhood judging team with their chosen book

• I loved how we read different books and got to talk about them.  Jason, Year 1
• I loved reading different books and having time to write about them.  Louie, Year 2
• Talking about books and judging them was great! Jack, Year 2
• Reading and writing about books was fun! Victor, Year 1
• It was so cool because I was excited to find out which books we would be reading! (Jasper, Year 2)
• Comparing the different books was interesting.  I liked how the illustrations in all the books were different. (Oscar, Year 1)
• I enjoyed reading the books because they were not books I would normally pick up off the shelf. This was my second year of shadow judging, so I knew what I was doing and I knew what to expect.  I will probably read more from these authors and I’m looking forward to reading The Wave by Sarah Armstrong when it comes out.  My favourite book was Spirit of the Crocodile because it was set in the Torres Strait Islands and there aren’t many books like that.  I loved the storm scene.  (Henry, Year 5)
• I loved shadow judging because I tried books I wouldn’t normally read, and I found authors I wouldn’t normally have read. I really liked talking about books with others; hearing other people’s perspectives and coming to come one conclusion. It was fun to listen to other people’s reasoning for which book they thought should win. My favourite book was Run because I like the adventure and good fit for Younger Readers; it has good life lessons and something to relate to. A tip for people doing shadow judging - you must listen to other people’s perspectives and be willing to change your mind.  You must be flexible!  (William, Year 5)
• I liked reading the books; it was fun to learn new reading skills and how to read the books a bit more quickly.  I liked how there were different types of books, for example a graphic novel and a verse novel. Run was my favourite book because I liked the characters because the author explained who the character was, it was easy to imagine in my mind. The setting was clear and it always made sense which part of the story you were in. (Drew, Year 5)

Hutchins Primary Judges for the Younger Readers category

Anna Davidson

Editor's note: Take the time to explore the CBCA Shadow Judging website and explore some of the thoughtful and podcasts and creative responses from participating students across Australia - they are amazing!