CBCA Shortlist 2007

I mentioned some months ago that 2007 was a particularly strong year for fantastic YA novels about young women, and it's good to see a couple of them honoured in the Older Readers shortlist, but so many really wonderful books aren't there—and one isn't even a Notable. I've commented over and over over the years how books about boys have dominated the Older Readers category for well over a decade—I'm glad to see a move away from that trend, but I do think these books remain underrated—as the female experience has long been in literature and awards.

I am delighted that the incomparables, Margo Lanagan and Ursula Dubosarsky, are listed—long, long overdue for Margo, who has been horribly overlooked by the CBCA over the years. Maybe her international success has made people here start to take a bit more notice...

So, which books am I sorry didn't make the list?

Little Wing by Joanne Horniman

Bye, Beautiful by Julia Lawrinson

Notes from the Teenage Underground by Simmone Howell

His Name in Fire by Catherine Bateson (a much stronger book than her shortlisted junior novel Being Bee, but congrats anyway Catherine!)

Lonesome Howl by Steven Herrick

Monica Bloom by Nick Earls (CBCA doesn't seem to like Nick when he's not being funny!)

Falling from Grace by Jane Godwin

At least these books were made Notables. Where, or where is:

On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta (Not Alibrandi enough for the judges?)

The Betrayal of Bindy McKenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty

Can't comment so much on the younger readers list—haven't read too many of them, but it does seem reasonably varied, but as I've also noted before, we really are lacking substantial novel-length fiction for this age group, and both the notables list and the younger readers shortlist seems to confirm this.

As for the picture books—what the hell is Shaun Tan's The Arrival doing there? It's not a picture book—it's a graphic novel and is really more at home in the older readers' category. There has been plenty of precedent (not always welcome, it has to be said) of picture books being shortlisted by age appropriateness rather than by format. I suppose I am contradicting myself here—I have been very annoyed by longer fiction being displaced in the "novel" categories before, but how can The Arrival be fairly judged against Brian Banana Duck Sunshine Yellow or Home? I've always felt that having a mix of age- and format-based categories in the awards is a problem, and every few years or so it throws up an anomoly like this. I'm sure the judges grappled with this issue, and are bound by the (probably outdated) awards guidelines, but when you consider that the graphic novel American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang won this year's Printz award, we do start to look a bit out of touch with publishing trends.

My pick for Picture Book of the Year? Tan's undoubtedly superb The Arrival is likely to win, but here's a vote for Margaret Wild and Anne Spudvilas's Woolvs in the Sitee, and Narelle Oliver's gorgeous and artistically ambitious Home.

The Early Childhood books are lovely, one and all. Lyn Lee and Kim Gamble's Eight is my favourite. The Eve Pownall Award for information books looks like a strong and varied list as well—Rachel Tonkin's Leaf Litter must surely b a shoe-in here.

And so, with all good will, congratulations to all the shortlistees—and let the debate begin!