ASLA DANZ Book Awards - Announcing the 2025 Shortlists!

***THE ASLA DANZ CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD 2025 SHORTLISTS ARE ANNOUNCED***

Graphic Novels

Ghost Book by Remy Lai
(Allen & Unwin)

Neverlanders by Tom Taylor and Jon Sommariva
(Penguin Random House)

The Sweetness Between Us by Sarah Winifred Searle
(Allen & Unwin)

Non-Fiction

Our Mob by Taylor Hampton & Jacinta Daniher and illustrated by Seantelle Walsh
(Ford Street Publishing)

Looking After Country with Fire by Victor Steffensen and illustrated by Sandra Steffensen
(Hardie Grant Explore)

The Trees by Victor Steffensen and illustrated by Sandra Steffensen
(Hardie Grand Explore)

Poetry

Pasifika Navigators by 52 Pasifika Student Authors
(Mila’s Books)

It’s the Sound of the Thing by Maxine Beneba Clarke
(Hardie Grant Children's Publishing)

Young Adult

Catch a Falling Star by Eileen Merriman
(Penguin Random House New Zealand)

Into the Mouth of the Wolf by Erin Gough
(Hardie Grant)

Inkflower by Suzy Zail
(Walker Books Australia)
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Congratulations to all the authors, illustrators, contributors, and publishing teams for wowing our young judges with these stunning and entertaining books!

Winners will be crowned at a glamorous awards event at the ASLA Conference on Friday, May 30th at Higher Mark, GMHBA Stadium, Geelong. The incredible Joel McKerrow will be the host and tickets are now available for purchase. Please contact us asap should you be interested in coming along or sponsoring the event. 

The ASLA DANZ Awards celebrate diverse children’s fiction published in Australia and New Zealand. The awards honours books that challenge stereotypes, push boundaries, and highlight diverse and marginalised communities, including those representing disability, culture, LGBTQI+, race and religion. 
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Be sure to check out the 2025 longlist here - celebrating authentically diverse Australian & NZ children's literature, they are also a wonderful collection development tool for school library staff.

If you would like to support our valuable and much-needed award, which spotlights and rewards authentic diverse people, lives, and experiences, we would love to hear from you. With you and the generosity of those already onboard, we allow all children from all backgrounds to be seen, accepted, and celebrated. 

Please reach out to Kate at [email protected] or Martha at [email protected] to discuss how you can be involved. 

Thank you for joining us in celebrating these wonderful books. 

Best,
The DANZ Committee

www.thedanzchildrensbookaward.com
@DANZCBA