Yesterday I had the great pleasure of visiting the Trinity grammar school in Kew, Melbourne, to attend the 2012 Yabba awards.

Yabba is a not-for-profit organisation who seek to provide children a voice within the general Australian children’s book industry. The YABBA Awards encourage children to read recent Australian published books, rate them against all others and then finally reward that book they feel is best. For me, this year’s shortlist had an added sparkle to it as two of my very good friends had books on the shortlist, Karen Tayleur with her wonderful ‘Six’ and Sue Lawson with the magnificent ‘After’.
This years full shortlist for each category were:

Picture Story Books

ENIGMA – Graeme Base
JEWEL FISH OF KARNAK – Graeme Base
VERY CRANKY BEAR – Nick Bland
FEATHERS FOR PHOEBE – Rod Clement
TERRIBLE PLOP – Ursula Dubosarky & Andrew Joyner
BUS CALLED HEAVEN – Bob Graham
DRAGON’S LIE – Kym and Oliver Lardner
FEARLESS IN LOVE – Colin Thompson / Sarah Davis
CAPTAIN CRABCLAW’S CREW – Frances Watts / David Legge
RAT IN A STRIPY SOCK – Frances Watts / David Francis

Fiction for Younger Readers

SELBY SPRUNG – Duncan Ball / Allan Stomann
EXTREME ADVENTURE KILLER WHALE – Justin D’Ath
MISSION FOX SNAKE ESCAPE – Justin D’Ath
TASHI AND THE GOLEM – Anna & Barbara Fienberg, Kim Gamble
JUST MACBETH – Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton
SCHOOLING AROUND ?- SERIES – Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton
ALICE MIRANDA AT SCHOOL – Jacqueline Harvey
OUR AUSTRALIAN GIRL: MEET GRACE – Sophie Laguna / Lucia Masciullo
BILLIE B BROWN BIRTHDAY MIX? UP – Sally Rippin / Aki Fukuoka
OUR AUSTRALIAN GIRL: MEET POPPY – Gabrielle Wang / Lucia Masciullo

Fiction for Older Readers

GRIMSDON – Deb Abela
SPECKY MAGEE AND THE BEST OF OZ – Felice Arena & Garry Lyon
PIZZA CAKE – Morris Gleitzman
13 STOREY TREEHOUSE – Andy Griffith / Terry Denton
JUST DOOMED – Andy Griffith / Terry Denton
CONSPIRACY 365 – REVENGE – Gabrielle Lord
IVORY ROSE – Belinda Murrell
THAI-RIFFIC! – Oliver Phommovanh
THREE DOORS #1 GOLDEN DOOR – Emily Rodda
FLOODS: DISASTERCHEF – Colin Thompson

Fiction for Year 7-9

GRAFFITI MOON – Cath Crowley
THYLA – Kate Gordon
MIDNIGHT ZOO – Sonya Hartnett
BOOFHEADS – Mo Johnson
AFTER – Sue Lawson
FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK – Melina Marchetta
PHOENIX FILES – ARRIVAL – Chris Morphew
HELLO GOD – Moya Simons & Lisa Coutts
SIX – Karen Tayleur
ALL I EVER WANTED – Vikki Wakefield”

And the winners:
Fiction Years 7-9 Phoenix Files—Arrival
Chris Morphew, Hardie Grant 2009

Fiction Older Readers 13-Storey Treehouse
Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton, Pan Macmillan 2011

Fiction Younger Readers Alice Miranda at School
Jacqueline Harvey, Random House 2010

Picture Storybooks Fearless in Love
Colin Thompson & Sarah Davis,

Congratulations to all of these talented authors and thank you to all the readers for taking the time to vote for your favourite books.