{"title":"CBCA Shortlist 2026 Younger Readers","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"little-bones","title":"Little Bones","description":"\u003cp\u003eBy: Sandy Bigna\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA unique and lyrical verse novel for middle-grade readers that speaks to our childhood joy of collecting small, intriguing objects and creating connections in the most unlikely places.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince the death of her brother, eleven-year-old Bones spends her time drawing animal skeletons and scavenging for dead things to add to her collection. She's drifted away from her friends and doesn't want to make new ones, especially not with her chatty new neighbour, Tenny.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne night, under a full moon, Bones accidentally resurrects the skeleton of a baby bird. Bird wants to return to his natural (dead) state, so Bones agrees to reverse the curse - not that she knows how. As she and Bird work out the secrets of the magic, Bones remembers what it's like to have a friend. How can she let Bird go when she doesn't want to say goodbye?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith gorgeous greyscale illustrations of Bones's collected items scattered throughout, this book is perfect for big-hearted readers of Karen Foxlee and Zana Fraillon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublished: 4th March 2025\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFormat: Paperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLanguage: English\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAudience: Children\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublisher: University of Queensland Press\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDimensions (cm): 19.7 x 12.9 x 1.1\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight (kg): 0.23\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Larrikin House","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45972604616945,"sku":"9780702268878","price":15.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0604\/5368\/3441\/files\/LittleBone.jpg?v=1741050747"},{"product_id":"spirit-of-the-crocodile","title":"Spirit of the Crocodile","description":"\u003cp\u003eBy: Michelle Scott Tucker, Lyn White (Editor), Aaron Fa'Aoso\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn inspiring story of courage, resilience and hope, set in the Torres Strait Islander community as climate change threatens culture, tradition and connection to place, co-written by Michelle Scott Tucker and proud Torres Strait Islander creator, actor, producer and director Aaron Fa'Aoso.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe crocodile's eyes were yellow, slit by a vertical pupil. The creature remained perfectly still, but it throbbed with life. Ezra felt goosebumps in spite of the afternoon heat, and took a few steps back.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'Is that thing looking at you?' asked Mason.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'Nah. How could it be?'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwelve-year old Ezra is an ordinary boy who lives on Saibai, an extraordinary Australian island. He loves a laugh, he loves his family, and - almost more than anything - he loves a dare.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut when one of his dares goes wrong, Ezra realises he needs to make some decisions about helping out and measuring up. He learns that there's more than one way to look at, well, nearly everything.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd as ever-increasing climate disasters threaten Saibai, Ezra and his best mate Mason must draw on their resilience and courage to help the community survive a massive out-of-season storm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSet in today's Torres Strait, Spirit of the Crocodile is a captivating novel that explores the importance of culture, community and place to a carefree kid on the cusp of growing up.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublished: 4th March 2025\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFormat: Paperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLanguage: English\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNumber of Pages: 256\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor Ages: 11 - 14 years old\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublisher: A\u0026amp;U Children's\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDimensions (cm): 19.8 x 12.8\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight (kg): 0.21\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Larrikin House","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45972692599025,"sku":"9781743317099","price":15.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0604\/5368\/3441\/files\/SpiritoftheCrocodil.jpg?v=1741057922"},{"product_id":"inked-a-graphic-novel","title":"Inked: A graphic novel","description":"\u003cp\u003eBy: Karen Wasson, Jake A Minton (Illustrator)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor fans of Remy Lai's Pawcasso and Raina Telgemeier's Drama comes this hilarious enemies-to-besties graphic novel, about a kid who just wants to blend in and an opera-singing octopus who loves to stand out!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen 12-year-old Sid discovers a talking octopus in his family's fish shop, he is NOT happy. Sid is trying to keep a low profile from the bullies at school while he waits to get into the art school of his dreams – so the last thing he needs is a pesky, know-it-all, opera-singing octopus called Otto following him around!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut when auditions open in town for a new TV talent show, Sid and Otto have the chance to win enough prize money to solve all their problems. Can these frenemies work together to win so that they can go their separate ways, or will it all end in a full-blown televised disaster?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOr even worse … will Sid and Otto realise they actually make a pretty great team?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublished: 1st April 2025\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFormat: Paperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLanguage: English\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNumber of Pages: 304\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAudience: Children\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor Ages: 8 - 12 years old\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEdition Number: 1\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDimensions (cm): 21.0 x 13.5\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight (kg): 0.46\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Larrikin House","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46041551438065,"sku":"9781761212475","price":16.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0604\/5368\/3441\/files\/Inked-Agraphicnovel.jpg?v=1743470128"},{"product_id":"the-paperbark-tree-committee","title":"The Paperbark Tree Committee","description":"\u003cp\u003eBy: Karys McEwen\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA delightful, warm and moving story about Art, a thoughtful boy who learns to celebrate his individuality and uniqueness. From the CBCA Victorian vice president and beloved author of All The Little Tricky Things.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwelve-year-old Art and his younger brother Hilary are great friends, best friends.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen they move to Melbourne from a small town in Queensland things seem to be easy for Hilary, who is still in primary school, but Art struggles to fit in, and he's become a target for school bully Jack. His dad is too busy to give him much attention, but Art has his stepmum, Sally, who is always ready to listen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd there's paperbark tree. Art and Hilary climb into its branches and hold a secret meeting whenever they need to sort things out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe only problem is Art's not sure he still wants to be part of the paperbark tree committee. He's getting older and he thinks he needs to solve his problems on his own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublished: 1st April 2025\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFormat: Paperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLanguage: English\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAudience: Children\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublisher: The Text Publishing Company\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDimensions (cm): 19.6 x 12.8 x 1.5\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeight (kg): 0.19\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Larrikin House","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46041742213361,"sku":"9781922790705","price":14.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0604\/5368\/3441\/files\/ThePaperbarkTreeCommittee.jpg?v=1743480100"},{"product_id":"something-terrible-tim-tie-your-shoelaces","title":"Something Terrible: Tim Tie-Your-Shoelaces","description":"\u003cp\u003eBy: Sally Barton, Christopher Nielsen (Illustrator)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTim Mulligan lives at 25 Rufus Street. You might be surprised to know that is his name, because most people think his name is Tim Tie-your-shoelaces. But no matter how many people tell him, or how often, Tim never ties his shoelaces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne morning, just as Tim was leaving for school, his mum called, ‘Tim! Tie your shoelaces. Something terrible could happen!’\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the story of the something terrible that did.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSally Barton weaves a tale of mayhem, mess and beasties, in this flip-flappin’ street-slappin’ first installment of the terrible things that happen in Rufus Street.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeries: Something Terrible\u003cbr\u003ePublished: 1st April 2025\u003cbr\u003eFormat: Paperback\u003cbr\u003eLanguage: English\u003cbr\u003eFor Ages: 6 - 10 years old\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Walker Books Australia\u003cbr\u003eCountry of Publication: AU\u003cbr\u003eDimensions (cm): 19.8 x 12.9\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Larrikin House","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46046355128561,"sku":"9781760658564","price":13.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0604\/5368\/3441\/files\/SomethingTerrible-TimTie-Your-Shoelaces.jpg?v=1743575312"},{"product_id":"run","title":"Run","description":"\u003cp\u003eBy Sarah Armstrong\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFor fans of Tristan Bancks and Katherine Rundell comes this electrifying middle-grade novel about a twelve-year-old\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003ecalled Cas, who runs away to avoid a reunion with his estranged father. Cas soon finds himself lost in the wilderness, completely alone and without help. Or is he?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCas thought running away from home would solve all his problems. But he didn’t count on getting hopelessly lost in the tangled Australian bush. Alone and afraid, Cas has given up all hope of rescue when he stumbles upon a strange family hiding out in the wilderness. He won’t survive without their help. But when he discovers they’re also on the run – from something so big, they won’t even talk about it – he realises his problems are just beginning …\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eHatchet\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e meets \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eStand By Me\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e in this brilliantly suspenseful novel from the acclaimed author of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eBig Magic\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eMagic Awry. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWith a spiky, memorable cast, gripping twists and turns and thorny moral dilemmas, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eRUN\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is perfect for fans of Bren MacDibble and Nat Amoore – and it will keep readers glued to the page all night.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePerfect for:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReaders aged 9–14 who love high-stakes adventure set in the real world.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSuspense\/thriller fans who want high-stakes\/high intrigue plots without too much grit or violence.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFans of suspenseful novels such as Tristan Bancks's\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eScar Town\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand Bren Macdibble's\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Dog Runner.\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBook clubs, teachers and educators wanting a page-turner that also has meaningful themes for discussion\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRead all of Sarah Armstrong's novels for young readers:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ci\u003eBig Magic\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ci\u003eMagic Awry\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eRun\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col-12 col-md-6\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"row mb-1\" data-testid=\"isbn\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col-6 mb-0 supply-data--label\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"supply-data--label__text\"\u003eISBN:  \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"col supply-data--value\"\u003e9781761214561\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"supply-data--label__text\"\u003eFormat: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"supply-data--label__text\"\u003ePublished: 29 Jul 2025\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cb class=\"col supply-data--value\"\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col-12 col-md-6\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"row mb-1\" data-testid=\"supplier\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col-12\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"supply-data--label__text\"\u003eImprint: Hardie Grant Publishing\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cb class=\"col supply-data--value\"\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan class=\"supply-data--label__text\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Larrikin House","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46624267862257,"sku":"9781761214561","price":15.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0604\/5368\/3441\/files\/run_2.jpg?v=1751327464"}],"url":"https:\/\/larrikinhouse.com.au\/collections\/cbca-shortlist-2026-younger-readers.oembed","provider":"Larrikin House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}