kids encyclopedia robot

BILBY Award facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The BILBY Awards are special book awards in Australia. They are organized every year by the Queensland Branch of the Children's Book Council of Australia. The name BILBY stands for 'Books I Love Best Yearly'. It's a fun way to say what the awards are all about!

These awards are chosen by kids! Every year, children in Queensland get to pick their favorite books they've read. They can't pick books that won in the last two years, though. Kids nominate books in three different age groups. This is the first step of the awards.

After nominations, about five of the most popular books in each group are chosen for a "shortlist." This is the second step. Students are then encouraged to read the books on their list. They vote for their favorite one. The book with the most votes wins in its category!

Award Categories

Before 1997, there were different award groups. These included "Read Alone," "Read Aloud," and "Read Australian" for primary school kids. There was also one for secondary school. In 1997, the awards changed to focus on age groups. The "Early Readers" group was first called "Picture Book" and then "Early Childhood."

Currently, there are three main categories:

  • Early Readers – for books for kids under 8 years old.
  • Younger Readers – for books for kids between 8 and 12 years old.
  • Older Readers – for books for kids over 12 years old.

BILBY Award Winners List

Early Readers Award Winners

Note: Before 2001, this award had different names. It was called "Early Childhood" (1990–1999), "Picture Book" (1998–1997), and "Read Alone" (1996–1990).

Year Author Book Citation
1990 Judy Blume Superfudge Winner
1991 Roald Dahl The BFG Winner
1992 Paul Jennings Unreal! Winner
1993 Roald Dahl The Witches Winner
1994 Paul Jennings Undone! Winner
1995 Gina Ingoglia The Lion King Winner
1996 Martin Handford Where's Wally? Winner
1997 David Legge Bamboozled Winner
1998 Margaret Wild and Ann James The Midnight Gang Winner
1999 Terry Denton Gasp! Winner
2000 Rod Clement Grandad's Teeth Winner
2001 Martin Handford Where's Wally? Winner
2002 Bob Graham Buffy – An Adventure Story Winner
2003 Narelle Oliver The Very Blue Thingamajig Winner
2004 Dr. Seuss The Cat in the Hat Winner
2005 Leigh Hobbs Old Tom's Holiday Winner
2006 Margaret Wild, illus. David Legge Baby Boomsticks Winner
2007 Kara LaReau, illus. Scott Magoon Ugly fish Winner
2008 Jackie French, illus. Bruce Whatley Diary of a Wombat Winner
2009 Roald Dahl The Twits Winner
2010 H I Larry Zac Power: Poison Island Winner
2011 Vicki Myron Dewey: There's a Cat in the Library! Winner
2012 Dr. Seuss The Cat in the Hat Winner
2013 David Legge Bamboozled Winner
2014 David Wiesner Art & Max Winner
2015 Mo Willems Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Winner
2016 B. J. Novak The Book With No Pictures Winner
2017 Aaron Blabey Pig the Pug Winner
2018 Andy Lee, illus. Heath McKenzie Do Not Open This Book Winner

Younger Readers Award Winners

Note: Before 1997, this award was called the "Read Aloud Award."

Year Author Book Citation
1990 Roald Dahl Matilda Winner
1991 Roald Dahl The BFG Winner
1992 Roald Dahl Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Winner
1993 Morris Gleitzman Blabber Mouth Winner
1994 Roald Dahl Fantastic Mr Fox Winner
1995 David Kirschner The Pagemaster Winner
1996 Ruth Park, illus. Deborah Niland When the Wind Changed Winner
1997 Roald Dahl Matilda Winner
1998 Daisy Corning Stone Spedder, illus. Laurie McGaw Polar, the Titanic Bear Winner
1999 Bruce Whatley and R. Smith Detective Donut and the Wild Goose Chase Winner
2000 Andy Griffiths Just Stupid! Winner
2001 J. K. Rowling Harry Potter series Winner
2002 Andy Griffiths Just Crazy! Winner
2003 Bonnie Bryant The Saddle Club series Winner
2004 Andy Griffiths Just Disgusting! Winner
2005 Andy Griffiths, illus. Terry Denton The Bad Book Winner
2006 Andy Griffiths, illus. Terry Denton Just Crazy! Winner
2007 Andy Griffiths, illus. Terry Denton The Cat on the Mat Is Flat Winner
2008 Andy Griffiths Just Shocking! Winner
2009 Andy Griffiths Pencil of doom! Winner
2010 Jeff Kinney Diary of a Wimpy Kid Winner
2011 Jeff Kinney Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth Winner
2012 Jeff Kinney Diary of a Wimpy Kid Winner
2013 Andy Griffiths, illus. Terry Denton The 26-Storey Treehouse Winner
2014 Michael Gerard Bauer Eric Vale, Epic Fail Winner
2015 Andy Griffiths, illus. Terry Denton The 52-Storey Treehouse Winner
2016 Andy Griffiths, illus. Terry Denton The 65-Storey Treehouse Winner
2017 Andy Griffiths, illus. Terry Denton The 76-Storey Treehouse Winner
2018 Andy Griffiths, illus. Terry Denton The 91-Storey Treehouse Winner

Older Readers Award Winners

Year Author Book Citation
1990 Sue Townsend The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ Winner
1991 S. E. Hinton The Outsiders Winner
1992 Martin Handford Where's Wally? Winner
1993 V. C. Andrews Flowers in the Attic Winner
1995 Melina Marchetta Looking for Alibrandi Winner
1996 Michael Crichton Jurassic Park Winner
1997 J. R. R. Tolkien The Hobbit Winner
1998 John Marsden Tomorrow, When the War Began Winner
1999 Morris Gleitzman Bumface Winner
2000 Melina Marchetta Looking for Alibrandi Winner
2001 J. K. Rowling Harry Potter series Winner
2002 J. R. R. Tolkien The Lord of the Rings Winner
2003 Various authors Two of a Kind series Winner
2004 J. K. Rowling Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Winner
2005 J. K. Rowling Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Winner
2006 J. K. Rowling Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Winner
2007 Christopher Paolini Eragon Winner
2008 J. K. Rowling Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Winner
2009 Stephenie Meyer Twilight Winner
2010 Stephenie Meyer New Moon Winner
2011 Rick Riordan Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief Winner
2012 Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games Winner
2013 J. R. R. Tolkien The Hobbit Winner
2014 Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Winner
2015 James Dashner The Maze Runner Winner
2016 Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Winner
2017 Ransom Riggs Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Winner
2018 J. K. Rowling Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Winner

Read Australia Award Winners

Year Author Book Citation
1994 Randolph Stow Midnite Winner
1995 Gary Crew, illus. Steven Woolman The Watertower Winner
1996 Paul Jennings The Gizmo Winner

More About Book Awards

kids search engine
BILBY Award Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.