Octopuses abound in the CBCA Younger Readers Category

CBCA Younger Readers Judge, Kym Diprose, talking to an avid group in Ulverstone, noted the prevalence of octopuses in entries this year. Felicity Sly picks up this theme to share these, with some other texts and formats, to delve into an octopuses’ garden of tales.

2026 is the year that three books featuring octopuses made the 2026 notables of the Early Childhood Category, with Inked (by Karen Wasson and Jake A Minto) being shortlisted. What is it about octopuses (and yes – it is octopuses), that intrigues and warrants so much literary space?

Octopuses are both baddies and goodies in the world of literature and film. From the baddies - the shadowy beast of The Kraken by Gary Crew and Marc McBride, and the evil Ursula in The Little Mermaid who trades Ariel’s voice for her greatest wish (legs); to the goodies - The Wiggles singing and dancing Henry, the Purple Octopus and Robert Kraus’ Herman the Helper (Jose Aruego and Arianne Dewey ills.)

Netflix currently offers recent release Remarkably Bright Creatures (based on the novel by Shelby Van Pelt) and My Octopus Teacher, a G rated documentary exploring the bond between a filmmaker and an octopus. 

Octopuses are intelligent, complex, creative beings – full of personality and life, providing great subjects for books and films.

The following critiques are from the CBCA publication Notables Australian Children’s Literature 2026 – free to CBCA members from the merchandise e-store. If you don’t know your membership code, contact your local Branch to confirm your 2026 membership and receive your code (there are lots of other free products waiting there for you too).

Shortlist Younger Readers

 

Inked, Karen Wasson, illustrated by Jake A Minto (Figment Books)

This graphic novel is a hilarious reflection on the multiple ways you can feel like a fish out of water. It is based around an absurd premise about winning a televised talent show to get money to pay school fees and return a demanding, opera-singing octopus to the sea. The clever prologue is entirely illustration-based, which focuses the reader's attention on the setting and one of the main causes of concern in the story: sustainability and ethical practices in the fishing industry.

Older readers in this category (and their parents) will find both the young and adult characters relatable and their fears, responsibilities and interactions familiar. Puns, misunderstandings and masterful visual gags lighten the family and friendship problems that run through the narrative to a satisfying resolution. There is an interesting bonus section at the end that explains how the illustrations developed and why characters look the way they do.

 

Notables Younger Readers

The Keeper of the Octopus, Neridah McMullin (Walker Books Australia) 

A magical realism adventure story, layered with themes of environmentalism, grief and identity. Whilst dealing with her grief over the loss of her mother, and disappearance of her father, Pippy discovers a profound connection to a gentle, giant octopus named Octavia. When her Uncle Isaac reveals that she is the next Keeper of the Octopus, descended from of a long line Keepers, Pippy uncovers strength and a sense of purpose she never knew she possessed. Powerful use of vocabulary is expressive and enhances the narrative, as the community and Pippy rally together to thwart the Calamary Brothers and save Octavia from their nets. Messaging about sustainable fishing is cleverly woven throughout and the nautical atmosphere is whimsical and magical.

 

Song of a Thousand Seas, Zana Fraillon, illustrated by Aviva Reed (University of Queensland Press) 

A short but intriguing verse novel told in first person from multiple octopus brains (we or us, not I). This unusual perspective combines with cloudy ink illustrations to stylistically sweep the reader upon an emotional tide, demanding empathy with the plight of the captive Houdini who is desperate to return home to the ocean. Multiple points-of-view help build tension as the young daughter of the aquarium owner and the cleaner conspire to assist this escape attempt.

Lyrically sophisticated but very accessible language supports messages about keeping curious, thinking outside the box and maintaining hope in the face of adversity. Factual details then provide a final counterpoint to the story, reinforcing environmental messages while emphasising the magic and the mystery of octopuses.

Felicity Sly is a member of the CBCA Committee

Are you going? Have you booked your place?

How lucky are we in Tasmania to have not just one or two, but four shortlist talks, given by our judges or some of our very knowledgeable practitioners. 

Each one will celebrate the best of the fabulous range of titles published in 2025 for readers up to the age of 18. It won’t matter which part of the state you live in, there will be a talk somewhere near you. If you’re a CBCA member the talks are free. Non-members will be charged $5, a minimal charge for a wonderful few hours. Bookings are essential.

Wednesday 13^th May is the first one, from 4-6pm at Hutchins Senior School Nettlefold Library. It will be led by Anna Davidson (judge for the Early Childhood category) and Dr Mark McLeod (judge for the Picture Book and New Illustrator categories). They will have fascinating insights into this year’s process and how the books are chosen. There’s sure to be an opportunity to question them if your favourite book missed out on being shortlisted. 

A week later, Wednesday May 20^th it’s Ulverstone’s turn at Leighland Christian School Library, again 4-6pm.  This time, the speakers will be Kym Diprose (judge for the Younger Readers category) and Dr Mark McLeod (judge for the Picture Book and New Illustrator categories). Come and hear why your favourite book was or wasn’t included.

The third talk, in Launceston this time, will be at Riverside Primary School Library 4-6pm. The discussion will be facilitated by a group of current and former teacher librarians and librarians, all of whom are avid readers: Jennie Bales, Nella Pickup, Jessica Marston and Jessica Cross. Though this group can’t give any direct insights into the judging process they know their books, so it’s sure to be an inspiring afternoon.

The last talk will cover the Older Readers category, as well as relevant books from the other categories, and will be led by Carol Fuller (a former judge) and Jennie Bales. It will be held in Launceston, at Scotch Oakburn Senior School, John Morris Library, Wednesday June 10 from 4-6pm.   

Hope to see you there … Book here to secure your place….

 

Maureen Mann

Retired teacher librarian, avid reader and regular presenter at previous short list book discussions.

Book Week 2025 in Circular Head.

Book Week provides a special opportunity to connect children and authors together. The students at Stanley Primary School on the north-west coast of Tasmania were treated to a delightful visit from Debra Williams who shares some highlights in this week’s post.

 

I had a wonderful Book Week author visit on Wednesday the 20^th of August at Stanley Primary School, following their book week parade.  A small school of around 54 students, they were in one large group in the library, with the teachers on hand to help out.

I prepared a PowerPoint presentation following the theme of Book An Adventure. The first slide included Jess McGeachin’s short YouTube introducing the characters he created for Book Week 2025. 

 

I talked about being an author, and part of a team of children’s book reviewers for Buzz Words Magazine. I shared my love of dressing up, (my maternal grandmother worked in a small factory in Sydney, where they produced dress-up clothing for kids and adults) along with some pics of myself as various characters. 

Accompanying me were three of my puppets, two of whom are book characters.  One was my co-presenter, my character Harriet Cooper from my Middle-Grade time-slip historical fiction/fantasy novels. I talked about puppet-making and creating characters, both for my books and for other authors. 

The school has copies of my books, and one boy told me he had read my Junior Fiction cat detective novel and thought it was pretty good (I had my cat detective character with me as well). It's always wonderful to receive feedback from your target audience. I also shared pictures of various anthologies where my children’s short stories have been included.

Harriet and I wore matching outfits (created by me.) She had a small suitcase, and we talked about Booking An Adventure, as Harriet and her friend Will have plenty of adventures in my books! 

 

One of the slides was about fiction stories, with points for the children to think about: the characters, story setting, problem and solutions etc.

 

I chose 2 prompts, and the students were given a writing task based on which prompt they selected. The first prompt was: Your pet is in charge of you for a day. What will they make you do? The second prompt was: You've got a magic pen. What can it do and how will you use it? The teacher/librarian split the group into three, and they worked on their short stories together. They were all so creative! I had some prizes for each group to encourage them. The students were really engaged and I was encouraged myself by their participation. 

 

I am passionate about children’s reading and literacy levels. Apart from being so much fun, I hope the children were able to take away something creative out of the session. The librarian did indicate that she would print up some of the stories they had written for others to read. 

 

Debra Williams 

Debra, (pen name Debra Clewer), is an author of children’s novels and short stories, lifelong avid reader and a member of the review team for new children’s publications for Buzz Words Magazine. She was recently awarded a Highly Commended prize in an adult short story competition by the Society of Women Writers Tasmania. Debra can be found at: 

W: https://www.clewerbooknook.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/DClewerauthor

FB: https://www.facebook.com/clewer.puppets

 

Shadow Judging at Hutchins: From Tooth Fairies to Bandicoot Bushrangers

This year several schools in Tasmania participated in the CBCA 2025 Shadow Judging program and this week’s post shares the experiences of students from The Hutchins School with three groups of students engaging with one of short list categories. Thanks to Anna Davidson for involving her school and providing insights into the value and outcomes of the work undertaken by these students.

This year, Hutchins was delighted to take part in the CBCA Shadow Judging program. With three enthusiastic teams across different age groups, our students embraced the challenge of reading, evaluating and voting on the CBCA shortlisted books.

Our youngest team, the ELC Lunchtime Book Club, explored the Early Childhood shortlist. Whilst One Little Dung Beetle was a favourite, after much discussion, this group cast their final vote for Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Tooth Fairy (and Some Things You Did Not)—a choice that sparked plenty of giggles and curiosity.

Overall, shadow judging gave our students the chance to see books through new eyes, strengthen their critical reading skills, and experience the joy of contributing to the wider literary community. We are grateful to the CBCA for providing this opportunity and cannot wait to take part again in 2026.

Meanwhile, a small but dedicated group of Year 4 and 5 readers tackled the Younger Reader shortlist. Meeting every Monday lunchtime with hot chocolate and biscuits, they worked their way through six shortlisted novels. 

This group relished the challenge of reading within a set timeframe and often found themselves debating fiercely about which book should be crowned the winner. In the end, they chose Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger, deciding that while Fluff: Mess Up! was a strong contender (and group favourite), Tigg carried more literary weight and would stand the test of time. 

As a teacher, it was inspiring to watch students move beyond personal preference and use the judging criteria to evaluate the books. Many students reflected that they enjoyed being pushed outside their comfort zones, encountering books they might not have chosen on their own.

To celebrate their efforts, some of our shadow judges enjoyed a special excursion to the Hobart Bookshop during Book Week, where they helped choose new books for our library collection. All groups also came together for a lively pizza party, watching the official CBCA Book of the Year announcements and comparing their decisions with other shadow judges across Australia. While not all their favourites won medals, students valued the experience of being part of a national conversation about books.

Overall, shadow judging gave our students the chance to see books through new eyes, strengthen their critical reading skills, and experience the joy of contributing to the wider literary community. We are grateful to the CBCA for providing this opportunity and cannot wait to take part again in 2026.

Anna Davidson
Head of Library, The Hutchins School
W: https://www.hutchins.tas.edu.au/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/TheHutchinsSchool

Editor’s note: What a rewarding and engaging activity for these students. You can find out more about the program on the CBCA website at  https://shadowjudging.cbca.org.au/ including videos on this year’s winners and on how to get involved. Find out more: https://shadowjudging.cbca.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2025-Shadow-Judging-Program-Information.pdf 

School Adventures for Book Week

Book Week celebrations for 2025 saw many Tasmanian students embark on grand adventures with exciting activities, wonderful displays and staff and students participating in a host of activities. This week’s post provides a window into a myriad of events on the ground. Watch out for our Term 3 newsletter for a more detailed coverage.

Editor’s note: Congratulations to the school library staff that have been instrumental in promoting and celebrating Book Week in our schools. A stupendous effort!

Children’s Book Week 2025: Book of the Year Awards

Regular reviewer and writer for the CBCA Tasmania Blog; Maureen Mann shares her thoughts on this year’s outcomes for the 2025 Book of the Year Awards.

Congratulations to all the authors and illustrators, as well as publishers involved in all children’s books published in Australia, but especially those who were successful in the Awards, announced Friday 15 August 2025. 

Are you someone, like me, who looks forward to the announcement of the winners and honour books each year? It’s not my favourite time – I like the announcement of the Notables as it gives me a chance to review my year’s reading as well as helping me make my decisions as to which ones I think should be in the Short List, and then which of those might be chosen as winners and honour books. 

But, for many, it is the best time of the year. What were your picks for the Awards? Are you happy with the results, or would you like to have a conversation with the judges?

In this blog, I am going to comment on this year’s successful books. However, I must acknowledge that I am not one of the 15 judges over the 5 categories. I have not read all entries in any category, though I have read most of the books listed in the Notables. 

The judges assess books against 5 main criteria: literary merit, including quality of language and characterisation; cohesiveness of language, style, themes; appeal to implied readership; quality of illustrations and design and production; originality.  For me, the most important is literary merit – is it multi-layered and appropriate to the implied readership? 

Older Readers

Winner: Gary Lonesborough’s I’m Not Really Here. It’s a great indigenous queer coming of age story, with some challenging themes, but resolves well. I couldn’t decide when it was set – some of the social media references didn’t quite fit 2025. It’s very similar to some of his previous titles. 

My winner would have been Birdy by Sharon Kernot which was named an Honour book. This verse novel includes the themes of love and the trauma of loss and assault, family relationships with a positive ending. Into the Mouth of the Wolf, another queer story, was the other Honour book and provided some unexpected twists and turns. 

Younger Readers

Winner: Laughter is the Best Ending by Maryam Master. For me this was the best book of the Short List, with characters relevant to the YR age group. I enjoyed the relationships within, the fact that Zee liked Oscar Wilde often in preference to the real world and that she was prepared to tread her own path. 

I was disappointed in the Honour books. Fluff is a great read and will appeal to many YR readers, but I felt that it was superficial and I don’t think it lacks literary merit. Aggie Flea Steals the Show doesn’t have the depth that I expect of a literary text for the YR group, though it is a story which many readers will enjoy. 

Early Childhood

Winner: The Wobbly Bike. This category is aimed at readers aged 0 to 6. Though I loved this book, I think it is probably more suited to slightly older readers, maybe those who are at least another 1 or 2 years older. It would have been better suited to the Picture Book category for its readership, but possibly would have been lost in that category.

Honour books: One Little Dung Beetle and How to Move a Zoo. Two great stories, with lots of literary merit and beautifully packaged, but I’m not sure are best fitted in the Early Childhood category. I think they ended up in EC so they weren’t ‘lost’. I really enjoyed Spiro, the shadow judges’ pick.

Picture Book

Winner: The Truck Cat is a fantastic story of migration, friendship and the meaning of home. It fits all the assessment criteria so well, for readers of all ages. 

Honour books. Afloat and These Long-Loved Things.  Afloat tells the story of indigenous cultures, using weaving as a cohesive link between different groups. These Long-Loved Things didn’t work for me. It’s about all those memories which we lose as we age, especially for those who develop dementia. 

Eve Pownall

Winner: Always Was, Always Will Be is a beautifully created book, the strongest of the EP Notables list for me, reminding us of many of the First Nation protest movements and actions over the past 200+ years in Australia. 

Honour Books. Making the Shrine is a graphic retelling of building the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne and that for me is also its weakness, that it is specific to Victoria rather than being relevant Australia-wide.  South with the Seabirds celebrates 4 women’s achievements in their successful voyage (breaking accepted social beliefs) to Macquarie Island in the 1950s. 

New Illustrator

Congratulations to Sarah Capon for her illustrations in Grow Big, Little Seed using the medium of paper collage. The story itself is challenging as it is about pregnancy loss followed by success. 

Happy reading for the next year!

Maureen Mann
Retired teacher librarian and avid reader

Editor's Note: Well done to all the creators and judges involved in the process. Find out more about the awards, the judging and Book Week on the CBCA website.

I am sure many readers had some favourites from the shortlist or notables. Why not share a title or too that you think was extra special.