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COOL Award facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The COOL Awards is an annual children's choice award voted on by students in Canberra, the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Children are encouraged to read and vote for their favourite books. The votes are tallied and the awards made.

The COOL Award name is an acronym, standing for Canberra’s Own Outstanding List.

The ACT Public Library currently convenes the awards and they are administered by a committee representing ACT Government, Catholic and Independent Schools, the ACT Public Library and the Children's Book Council of Australia, ACT Branch. The award was first made in 1991.

Award categories and descriptions

There are four categories of the COOL awards:

  • for most popular Picture Book
  • for most popular Fiction for Younger Readers
  • for most popular Fiction for Older Readers
  • for most popular Fiction for Years 7-9 (commenced in 2007)

List of COOL Award winners

Picture Book Award

Year Author Book Citation
1993 Jeannie Baker Window Winner
1994 Mem Fox Possum Magic Winner
1995 Margaret Wild Toby Winner
1996 Jessica Carroll Billy the Punk Winner
1997 Jessica Carroll Billy the Punk Winner
1998 Margaret Wild The Midnight Gang Winner
1999 Rod Clement Grandad’s Teeth Winner
2000 David Legge Bamboozled Winner
2003 Jackie French Diary of a Wombat Winner
2004 Pamela Allen Mr McGee and the Biting Flea Winner
2005 Stephen Michael King Mutt Dog! Winner
2006 Matt Dray Dougal the Garbage Dump Bear Winner
2007 Deborah Niland Annie's Chair Winner
2008 Mem Fox, illus by Judy Horacek Where is the Green Sheep? Winner
2009 Graeme Base Jungle Drums Winner
2010 Colin Thompson Fearless Winner
2011 Leigh Hobbs Mr Chicken Goes to Paris Winner

Fiction for Younger Readers Award

Year Author Book Citation
1991 Paul Jennings Round the Twist Winner
1992 Paul Jennings The Cabbage Patch Fib Winner
1993 Paul Jennings Unreal! Winner
1994 Graeme Base The Eleventh Hour Winner
1995 Paul Jennings The Gizmo Winner
1996 Morris Gleitzman Belly Flop Winner
1997 Morris Gleitzman Belly Flop Winner
1998 Paul Jennings Wicked Winner
1999 Morris Gleitzman Bumface Winner
2000 Emily Rodda Bob the Builder and the Elves Winner
2003 Emily Rodda Deltora Quest 2 series Winner
2004 Emily Rodda Deltora Quest 3 series Winner
2006 Anna Fienberg Tashi and the Forbidden Room Winner
2007 Andy Griffiths The Cat on the Mat is Flat Winner
2008 Andy Griffiths Just Shocking! Winner
2009 Kathy Castle Go Girl! Two Sides: #1 Track Stars! Winner
2010 Andy Griffiths The Big Fat Cow Goes Kapow Winner
2011 Andy Griffiths The Very Bad Book Winner

Fiction for Older Readers Award

Year Author Book Citation
1991 Robin Klein People Might Hear You Winner
1992 Robin Klein Came Back to Show You I Could Fly Winner
1993 Victor Kelleher Del-Del Winner
1994 Ruth Park Playing Beatie Bow Winner
1995 John Marsden Tomorrow, When the War Began and So Much to Tell You (tied) Winner
1996 Paul Jennings Paw Thing Winner
1997 Paul Jennings Paw Thing Winner
1998 John Marsden The Dead of the Night Winner
1999 John Marsden The Third Day, the Frost Winner
2000 John Marsden The Night is for Hunting Winner
2003 Andy Griffiths Just Disgusting! Winner
2004 Andy Griffiths Zombie Bums from Uranus Winner
2005 Andy Griffiths The Bad Book Winner
2006 Andy Griffiths Bumageddon: The Final Pongflict Winner
2007 Andy Griffiths Zombie Bums from Uranus Winner
2008 Paul Jennings Spookiest Stories Winner
2009 Morris Gleitzman Give Peas a Chance Winner
2010 Emily Rodda The Battle of Rondo Winner
2011 John Flanagan Ranger's Apprentice Winner
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