The NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults are a unique celebration of the contribution New Zealand’s children’s authors and illustrators make to building national identity and cultural heritage.
Awards in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults are made in six categories. All awards carry prize money of $7,500. In addition, the judges may decide to award a best first book prize of $2,000 to a previously unpublished author or illustrator. The overall prize, the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year award, carries a prize of $7,500. The awards are judged by a panel of five*, and Te Kura Pounamu is judged by a separate panel of judges. This year's winners will be announced at an event in Wellington on 14 August.
Congratulations to the finalists for 2017 ...
THE PICTURE BOOK AWARD FINALISTS
Fuzzy Doodle
By Melinda Szymanik
Illustrated by Donovan Bixley
Published by Scholastic NZ
RRP $27.00 (hardback); $17.99 (paperback)
Gwendolyn!
By Juliette MacIver
Illustrated by Terri Rose Baynton
Published by HarperCollins Publishers (ABC)
RRP $29.99 (hardback)
My Grandpa is a Dinosaur
By Terry Jones
Illustrated by Richard Fairgray
Published by Penguin Random House (Puffin)
RRP $19.99 (paperback)
That's Not a Hippopotamus!
By Juliette MacIver Illustrated by Sarah Davis Published by Gecko Press RRP $29.99 (hardback) $19.99 (paperback) A day in the life of Juliette MacIver
The Singing Dolphin/Te Aihe i Waiata
Written and illustrated by Mere Whaanga Published Scholastic NZ RRP $27.99 (hardback) $19.99 (paperback)
THE JUNIOR FICTION (ESTHER GLEN AWARD) FINALISTS
Helper and Helper
By Joy Cowley
Illustrated by Gavin Bishop
Published by Gecko Press
RRP $29.99 (hardback), $22.99 (paperback)
My New Zealand Story: Bastion Point
By Tania Roxborogh Published by Scholastic NZ RRP $17.99 (paperback)
Sunken Forest
By Des Hunt
Published by Scholastic NZ
RRP $17.99 (paperback)
The Discombobulated Life of Summer Rain
By Julie Lamb
Published by Mākaro Press (Submarine)
RRP $25.00 (paperback)
The Impossible Boy
By Leonie Agnew Published by Penguin Random House (Puffin) RRP $19.99 (paperback)
THE NON-FICTION (ELSIE LOCKE AWARD) FINALISTS
From Moa to Dinosaurs
By Gillian Candler
Illustrated by Ned Barraud
Published by Potton & Burton
RRP $29.99 (hardback), $19.99 (paperback)
Jack and Charlie: Boys of the Bush
By Josh James Marcotte and Jack Marcotte Published by Penguin Random House (Puffin) RRP $37.00 (paperback)
The Cuckoo and the Warbler
By Kennedy Warne Illustrated by Heather Hunt Published by Potton & Burton RRP $29.99 (hardback), $19.99 (paperback)
The Genius of Bugs
Simon Pollard Published by Te Papa Press RRP $24.99 (paperback)
Torty and the Soldier
By Jennifer Beck Illustrated by Fifi Colston Published by Scholastic NZ RRP $27.99 (hardback) $17.99 (paperback) Crafts with Fifi: tiny walnut tortoises Torty and the Soldier reviewed
THE YOUNG ADULT FICTION (COPYRIGHT LICENSING NZ AWARD) FINALISTS
Coming Home to Roost
By Mary-anne Scott Published by Penguin Random House (Longacre) RRP $19.99 (paperback)
Kiwis at War: 1916 - Dig for Victory
By David Hair Published by Scholastic NZ RRP $18.99 (paperback)
Like Nobody's Watching
By L.J. Ritchie Published by Escalator Press RRP $24.99 (paperback)
Shooting Stars
By Brian Falkner Published by Scholastic NZ RRP $18.99 (paperback)
The Severed Land
By Maurice Gee Published by Penguin Random House (Penguin) RRP $19.99 (paperback) The Severed Land reviewed
THE ILLUSTRATION (RUSSELL CLARK AWARD) FINALISTS
Fuzzy Doodle
Illustrated by Donovan Bixley
Written by Melinda Szymanik
Published by Scholastic NZ
RRP $27.00 (hardback); $17.99 (paperback)
Gladys Goes to War
Illustrated by Jenny Cooper Written by Glyn Harper Published by Penguin Random House (Puffin) RRP $19.99 (paperback)
If I Was a Banana
Illustrated by Kieran Rynhart Written by Alexandra Tylee Published by Gecko Press RRP $29.99 (hardback)
Snark
Illustrated and written by David Elliot (after Lewis Carroll) Published by Otago University Press RRP $59.99 (hardback)
The Day the Costumes Stuck
Illustrated and written by Toby Morris Published by Beatnik Publishing RRP $20.00 (paperback)
TE REO MĀORI (TE KURA POUNAMU AWARD) FINALISTS
Ngā Manu Tukutuku e Whitu o Matariki
By Calico McClintock
Illustrated by Dominique Ford
Translated by Ngaere Roberts
Published by Scholastic NZ
RRP $17.99 (paperback)
Ngārara Huarau
By Maxine Hemi Illustrated by Andrew Burdan Published by Huia Publishers RRP $20.00 (paperback)
Te Haerenga Māia a Riripata i Te Araroa
By Maris O'Rourke Illustrated by Claudia Pond Eyley Translated by Āni Wainui Published by David Ling Publishing Limited (Duck Creek Press) RRP $19.99 (paperback)
Te Kaihanga Māpere
By Sacha Cotter Illustrated by Josh Morgan Translated by Kawata Teepa Published by Huia Publishers RRP $20.00 (paperback)
Tuna rāua ko Hiriwa
By Ripeka Takotowai Goddard Illustrated by Kimberly Andrews Published by Huia Publishers RRP $20.00 (paperback)
THE BEST FIRST BOOK AWARD FINALISTS
Awatea's Treasure
By Fraser Smith Published by Huia Publishers RRP $25.00 (paperback) The whakapapa of Awatea's Treasure
Like Nobody's Watching
By L.J. Ritchie Published by Escalator Press RRP $24.99 (paperback)
The Discombobulated Life of Summer Rain
By Julie Lamb Published by Mākaro Press (Submarine) RRP $25.00 (paperback)
The Mouse and the Octopus
By Lisala Halapua Published by Talanoa Books Ltd (Talanoa Books) RRP $21.00 (paperback)
Wars in the Whitecloud: Wairau, 1843
By Matthew H. McKinley Published by Kin Ltd (Kin Publishing) RRP $26.99 (paperback)
* One of this year's judges is Sarah Forster, otherwise known as one of the two editors of The Sapling! Thanks to her discretion, Jane (the other editor) hasn't known a thing about the judging process or Sarah's thoughts about any of the books that were submitted for consideration. All of our coverage about eligible and shortlisted books has been, and will be, commissioned by Jane, so you won't be able to read into any of our finalist coverage to find hidden signs or pick the winners, because Jane won't know who they are until the prizegiving!