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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 awards given out every year in Australia. They celebrate amazing Australian writers who create stories in science fiction, fantasy, and horror. These types of stories are called "speculative fiction" because they imagine things that aren't real, like magic or future technology.

To be considered for an award, a book must be written by an Australian citizen or someone living permanently in Australia. The book also needs to have been published between January 1 and December 31 of the year before the awards. The awards ceremony happens the next year. What started as a small gathering of about 20 people has grown into a big two-day event with over 200 attendees!

Since they began in 1995, the Aurealis Awards have recognized many different kinds of speculative fiction. There are awards for science fiction, fantasy, and horror. There are also special awards for young adult fiction, which means books for teens. These awards even have separate prizes for longer books (novels) and shorter stories. Other categories include collections of stories, anthologies (books with stories by different authors), graphic novels, and children's books. There's even an award for overall excellence in speculative fiction.

Publishers really pay attention to these awards. They see them as a way to show which science fiction and fantasy books are the best. Big publishers like HarperCollins and Orbit support the awards. This shows that winning an Aurealis Award is a serious honor for writers.

How the Winners Are Chosen

A group of judges decides who wins the awards. First, they get a long list of nominated books. Then, they narrow it down to a shorter list of finalists. Sometimes, if two books are equally good, the judges might pick both as winners. However, they usually try to choose just one winner. If the judges all agree that none of the nominated books are good enough, they can choose "no award" for that year. The judges themselves are chosen from people who apply for the job.

About This Award Category

This article focuses on the "best children's fiction (told primarily through words)" award. This means books for kids that are mostly stories, not pictures. This award started in 2001. Back then, it was called "best children's long fiction." There was also a separate award for children's short fiction.

In 2008, the award changed its name to "best children's novel." Then, in 2010, it was renamed again to "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 best children's fiction (told primarily through pictures). Together, they are now just one award: best children's book.

Winners and Nominees for Children's Fiction

This section lists all the books that were nominated and won the award. The years show when the book was published and eligible for the award. The award ceremony always happens the next year.

In the table below:   *   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 don't win the main award but are still recognized for being excellent. This section lists those books. The years show when the book was published.

In the table below:   *   Highly commended (meaning they were strongly praised)   *   Honourable mentions (meaning they were noted as worthy)

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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