2026 YABBA Awards Shortlist.

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Sign up below and be the first to know about the Shortlist! 〰️

The nominations are in…

Thank you to everyone who nominated their favourite Australian books for the 2026 YABBA Awards.

Students are encouraged to read as many of these books across Term 2 and Term 3 as they can. All this reading leads to each student rewarding their very favourite book during the voting process that starts in early Term 4.

The 2026 YABBA Shortlist

Picture Story Books

  • Bigfoot vs. Yeti: A Love Story
    James Foley

  • Bob and Dob
    Sean E Avery

  • Dropbear
    Philip Bunting

  • Emmie Builds Something New
    Marjory Crosby-Fairall

  • Happy Barry Capybara: Gone Bananas
    James Foley

  • Mum for Sale
    Zannie Louise and Philip Bunting

  • O.M.G: Oh My G.O.A.T! (G.O.A.T #3)
    Kate and Jol Temple, and Rebel Challenger

  • Shmoof
    Heidi McKinnon

  • Spiro
    Anna McGregor

  • Valerie: Australia's Bravest Sausage Dog
    Lucinda Gifford

Fiction for Older Readers

  • Perfect Score (Ella at Eden #9)
    Laura Sieveking

  • Painted Dogs & Doom Cakes (Exploding Endings #1)
    Tim Harris

  • The Girl and the Ghost
    Jacqueline Harvey

  • Hatman
    Adam Wallace

  • The Wicked Ship (Oceanforged #1)
    Amelia Mellor

  • The Peak (Spy Academy #1)
    Jack Heath

  • The Goodbye Year
    Emily Gale

  • The Thing About Oliver
    Deborah Kelly

  • Mim and the Baffling Bully (The Travelling Bookshop #1)
    Katrina Nannestad & Cheryl Orsini

  • Wandi
    Favel Parrett

Fiction for Younger Readers

  • You Choose Mega: Prehistoric Peril
    George Ivanoff and James Hart

  • You & Me and the Peanut Butter Beast
    Andy Griffiths and Bill Hope

  • Worst Week Ever! Friday
    Eva Amores and Matt Cosgrove

  • Shower Land #1: Break the Curse
    Nat Amoore and James Hart

  • Rosie the Twilight Dragon (Dragon Girls #7)
    Maddy Mara

  • Invisible Ninja! (Ninja Kid #17)
    Anh Do and Mario Gonzalez

  • Hello Twigs, Look Who's Grumpy
    Andrew McDonald and Ben Wood

  • Popstar Power (Ella Diaries Super Special #4)
    Meredith Costain and Danielle McDonald

  • Cat on the Run in Hidden Layers! (Cat on the Run #3)
    Aaron Blabey

  • Billie B Brown: Billie's Super Stories
    Sally Rippin and Aki Fukuoka

Fiction for Years 7-9

  • Andromache Between Worlds (Andromache #1)
    Gabriel Bergmoser

  • Drift
    Pip Harry

  • The Midwatch
    Judith Rossell

  • Respawn (Villain Book #2)
    Adrian Beck

  • Romeo v Juliet
    R.A. Spratt

  • Run
    Sarah Armstrong

  • Silver Linings
    Katrina Nannestad

  • The 113th Assistant Librarian
    Stuart Wilson

  • Villain
    Adrian Beck

  • Waiting for the Storks
    Katrina Nannestad

Get reading and get ready to vote for your favourite book