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Aurealis Award for Best Children's Fiction (told primarily through words) facts for kids

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Aurealis Award for best children's fiction (told primarily through words)
Presented by Chimaera Publications,
Conflux Inc
Country Australia
First awarded 2001

The Aurealis Awards are special prizes given out every year in Australia. They celebrate amazing books in science fiction, fantasy, and horror. These types of stories are often called "speculative fiction" because they imagine things that aren't real, like magic or future technology.

To win an Aurealis Award, a book must be written by an Australian author. It also needs to be published between January 1st and December 31st of the year before the awards. The awards ceremony happens the next year. What started as a small gathering has grown into a big two-day event.

Since 1995, the Aurealis Awards have recognized many different kinds of speculative fiction. There are awards for novels and short stories in science fiction, fantasy, and horror. There are also awards for young adult fiction, collections of stories, and graphic novels. Even children's books have their own special categories. Publishers like HarperCollins and Orbit support these awards. This shows how important and respected the Aurealis Awards are in the book world.

A group of judges decides who wins. They look at a long list of nominated books and then pick a shorter list of finalists. Sometimes, two books might be so good that they both win. But usually, the judges try to pick just one winner. If no book seems good enough, they can even decide not to give an award that year. The judges are chosen by the award organizers.

This article focuses on the award for the best children's fiction told mostly through words. This award started in 2001. It was first called "best children's long fiction." Later, in 2008, it became "best children's novel." Finally, in 2010, it got its current name: "best children's fiction (told primarily through words)." Sometimes, books that don't win still get special mentions. These are called "honourable mentions" or "highly commended."

Some authors have won this award more than once. Garth Nix, Lian Tanner, and Gabrielle Wang have each won twice. John Flanagan has been nominated the most times, with five nominations. This award has now joined with the award for children's fiction told through pictures. They are now one award for the best children's book.

Winners and Nominees for Children's Fiction

This section lists the books that won or were nominated for the Aurealis Award for best children's fiction. The years shown are when the books were published. The award ceremonies happened the year after.

  *   Winners and joint winners
  *   Nominees on the shortlist

Year Author(s) Work(s) Publisher Ref
2001 Odgers, SallySally Odgers* Candle Iron Angus & Robertson
Murray, KirstyKirsty Murray Market Blues Allen & Unwin
Stephens, MichaelMichael Stephens Blat Magic Angus & Robertson
2002 Wang, GabrielleGabrielle Wang* In the Garden of Empress Cassia Puffin Books
D’Ath, JustinJustin D’Ath Astrid Spark, Fixologist Allen & Unwin
Jinks, CatherineCatherine Jinks Eglantine Allen & Unwin
Luckett, DaveDave Luckett Rhianna and the Dogs of Iron Scholastic
Prior, Natalie JaneNatalie Jane Prior Lily Quench and the Treasure of Mote Ely Hodder Headline
2003 Nix, GarthGarth Nix* Mister Monday Allen & Unwin
Abela, DeborahDeborah Abela Max Remy Superspy: The Hollywood Mission Random House
Jinks, CatherineCatherine Jinks Eustace Allen & Unwin
Valentine, JamesJames Valentine Jumpman Rule 2 Random House
Wilkinson, CaroleCarole Wilkinson Dragonkeeper Black Dog Books
2004 Thompson, ColinColin Thompson* How to Live Forever Random House
Flanagan, JohnJohn Flanagan The Ruins of Gorlan Random House
Golds, CassandraCassandra Golds Claire de Lune Penguin Books
Masson, SophieSophie Masson Snow, Fire, Sword Random House
Wang, GabrielleGabrielle Wang The Pearl of Tiger Bay Penguin Books
2005 Nix, GarthGarth Nix* Drowned Wednesday Allen & Unwin
Carmody, IsobelleIsobelle Carmody Little Fur Penguin Books
Gleitzman, MorrisMorris Gleitzman Worm Story Penguin Books
Harland, RichardRichard Harland Sassycat: The Night of the Dead Omnibus Books
2006 McConnochie, MardiMardi McConnochie* Melissa, Queen of Evil Pan Macmillan
Carmody, IsobelleIsobelle Carmody A Fox Called Sorrow Viking Press
Flanagan, JohnJohn Flanagan Oakleaf Bearers Random House
Vittachi, NuryNury Vittachi Twilight in the Land of Nowhen Allen & Unwin
Wilkins, KimKim Wilkins The Sunken Kingdom Quartet Omnibus Books
2007 Forsyth, KateKate Forsyth* The Silver Horse, The Herb of Grace, The Cat’s Eye Shell, The Lightning Bolt, The Butterfly in Amber Pan Macmillan
Carmody, IsobelleIsobelle Carmody A Mystery of Wolves Penguin Books
Rodda, EmilyEmily Rodda The Key to Rondo Omnibus Books
Wilkinson, CaroleCarole Wilkinson Dragon Moon Black Dog Books
2008 Rodda, EmilyEmily Rodda* The Wizard of Rondo Omnibus Books
Higgins, SimonSimon Higgins Moonshadow Random House
Masson, SophieSophie Masson Thomas Trew and the Island of Ghosts Hodder Children's
Wilkinson, CaroleCarole Wilkinson Dragon Dawn Black Dog Books
Williams, SeanSean Williams The Changeling and The Dust Devils Angus & Robertson
2009 Wang, GabrielleGabrielle Wang* A Ghost in My Suitcase Puffin Books
Abela, DeborahDeborah Abela The Remarkable Secret of Aurelie Bonhoffen Random House
Constable, KateKate Constable Cicada Summer Allen & Unwin
Storer, JenJen Storer Tensy Farlow and the Home for Mislaid Children Viking Press
2010 Tanner, LianLian Tanner The Keepers Allen & Unwin
Abela, DeborahDeborah Abela Grimsdon Random House
Flanagan, JohnJohn Flanagan Halt's Peril Random House
Giles, Stephen M.Stephen M. Giles The Vultures of Somerset Pan Macmillan
Storer, JenJen Storer & Gus Gordon Haggis McGregor and the Night of the Skull Moon Penguin Books
2011 Tanner, LianLian Tanner* City of Lies Allen & Unwin
Flanagan, JohnJohn Flanagan The Outcasts Random House
Jinks, CatherineCatherine Jinks The Paradise Trap Allen & Unwin
Kalkapsakis, ThaliaThalia Kalkapsakis "It Began With a Tingle" Allen & Unwin (Headspinners)
McGahan, AndrewAndrew McGahan The Coming of the Whirlpool Allen & Unwin
2012 Flanagan, JohnJohn Flanagan* Brotherband: The Hunters Random House Australia
Freeman, PamelaPamela Freeman Princess Betony and the Unicorn Walker Books
Rodda, EmilyEmily Rodda The Silver Door Scholastic
Swann, LeahLeah Swann Irina the Wolf Queen Xoum Publishing

Honourable Mentions and Highly Commended Novels

Sometimes, books that don't win an award still get special recognition. This section lists books that received "honourable mentions" or were "highly commended." The years are when the books were published.

  *   Highly commended
  *   Honourable mentions

Year Author Novel Publisher Ref
2001 Webb, JaneenJaneen Webb Sailing to Atlantis Angus & Robertson
2004 Moloney, JamesJames Moloney Tunnel of Ferdinand HarperCollins
2005 Wilkinson, CaroleCarole Wilkinson Garden of the Purple Dragon Black Dog Books
Flanagan, JohnJohn Flanagan The Icebound Land Random House
2007 Adornetto, AlexandraAlexandra Adornetto The Shadow Thief HarperCollins
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