COOL Award facts for kids
The COOL Awards are special awards for books that kids in Canberra, Australia, choose as their favorites! Every year, students get to read lots of books and then vote for the ones they liked the most. After all the votes are counted, the awards are given out to the winning authors and books.
The name COOL is actually an acronym, which means each letter stands for a word. It stands for Canberra’s Own Outstanding List.
The ACT Public Library helps organize these awards. A group of people from different schools (government, Catholic, and independent), the public library, and the Children's Book Council of Australia work together to make sure the awards happen. The very first COOL Awards were given out in 1991.
Contents
Award Categories
The COOL Awards have four main categories, so there's something for everyone!
Picture Book Award
This award is for the most popular picture book. These are books with lots of illustrations, often for younger readers, but enjoyed by all ages.
Fiction for Younger Readers Award
This category is for popular fiction books written for younger readers, usually those in primary school.
Fiction for Older Readers Award
This award is for popular fiction books aimed at older readers, typically those in the later years of primary school or early high school.
Fiction for Years 7-9 Award
This category was added in 2007 and is for popular fiction books specifically chosen by students in Years 7, 8, and 9.
COOL Award Winners
Here are some of the amazing books and authors who have won COOL Awards over the years!
Picture Book Winners
| Year | Author | Book | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2012 | Ursula Dubosarsky, illus by Andrew Joyner | The Terrible Plop | Winner |
| 2013 | Jeannie Baker | Mirror | Joint Winners |
| Nick Bland | The Very Cranky Bear | ||
| 2014 | Bob Graham | A Bus Called Heaven | Winner |
Fiction for Younger Readers Winners
| Year | Author | Book | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ...face | 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 |
| 2012 | Anna Fienberg, Barbara Fienberg and Kim Gamble | Tashi and the Golem | Winner |
| 2013 | Morris Gleitzman | Pizza Cake | Winner |
| 2014 | Felice Arena | Andy Roid and the Tracks of Death | Winner |
Fiction for Older Readers Winners
| Year | Author | Book | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 ... from Uranus | Winner |
| 2005 | Andy Griffiths | The Bad Book | Winner |
| 2006 | Andy Griffiths | ...ageddon: The Final Pongflict | Winner |
| 2007 | Andy Griffiths | Zombie ... 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 |
| 2012 | Andy Griffiths, illus by Terry Denton | The 13-Storey Treehouse | Winner |
| 2013 | Andy Griffiths, illus by Terry Denton | The 26-Storey Treehouse | Winner |
| 2014 | Andy Griffiths, illus by Terry Denton | The 39-Storey Treehouse | Winner |
Fiction for Years 7-9 Winners
| Year | Author | Book | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Sonya Hartnett | The Silver Donkey | Winner |
| 2008 | Carole Wilkinson | Dragon Moon | Winner |
| 2009 | Emily Rodda | The Wizard of Rondo | Winner |
| 2010 | Morris Gleitzman | Boy Overboard | Winner |
| 2011 | Morris Gleitzman | Now | Winner |
| 2012 | Chris Morphew | The Phoenix Files: Arrival | Winner |
| 2013 | Morris Gleitzman | After | Winner |
| 2014 | James Phelan | 13: The Last Thirteen | Winner |
See also
- List of Australian literary awards
- List of CBCA Awards
