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LIANZA is thrilled to announce the finalists in the five categories of its long-running Children’s and Young Adults Book Awards this year.

Out of more than 100 entries, the four judges managed to whittle their list down to five outstanding finalists in each award category.

LIANZA is thrilled to announce the finalists in the five categories of its long-running Children’s and Young Adults Book Awards this year.

Out of more than 100 entries, the four judges managed to whittle their list down to five outstanding finalists in each award category.

Pamela Jones, the convenor of the awards says ‘trying to find a winner or even decide on the five finalists is very difficult. While some books are stand-outs, we spent a lot of time debating back and forth on 5-6 books that were really good, too.” 

This year the judges decided to add a longlist of books that can be seen on the LIANZA website as there were so many really enjoyable and quality reads. Jones adds, “the awards continue to highlight how great our New Zealand authors and illustrators are – they just keep getting better and better!”

But according to John McIntyre from Wellington’s The Children’s Bookshop, a great story doesn’t necessarily make the book an award winner”. The LIANZA judges look for books that will touch the hearts of children, and stay with them for a long time. Jones looks for books that she “can’t put down, and can’t wait to put in a child’s hands”. Next year LIANZA hopes to see more books written in Te Reo Maori.

Winners of the LIANZA Children’s Book Awards will be announced June 15 at the awards ceremony at The National Library in Wellington. Meanwhile, Hell Pizza, the major sponsor of the awards, will be dishing up 100,000 free pizzas to Kiwi kids across New Zealand as their LIANZA reading challenge – part of the Children’s Book Awards – ramps up for the year.

Russell Clark Illustration Award Finalists

• Marmaduke Duck on the Wide Blue Seas by Juliette MacIver and Sarah Davis – Scholastic
• Jim’s Letters by Glyn Harper and Jenny Cooper – Penguin Random House
• Have you seen a monster? by Raymond McGrath – Penguin Random House
• So Many Wonderfuls by Tina Matthews – Walker Books
• Mrs Mo's Monster by Paul Beavis - Gecko Press

LIANZA Young Adult Finalists

• I am Rebecca by Fleur Beale – Penguin Random House
• The Red Suitcase by Jill Harris – Makaro Press
• Singing Home the Whale by Mandy Hager – Penguin Random House
• Recon Team Angel: Vengeance by Brian Falkner – Walker Books
• Night Vision by Ella West - Allen and Unwin

Elsie Locke Nonfiction Finalists

• The Book of Hat by Harriet Rowland – Makaro Press
• A New Zealand Nature Journal by Sandra Morris – Walker Books
• Maori Art for Kids by Julie Noanoa and Norm Heke - Potton and Burton Publishing
• Motiti Blue and the Oil Spill: A Story from the Rena Disaster by Debbie McCauley – Mauao Publishing
• New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame: 25 Kiwi Champions by Maria Gill and Marco Ivancic – New Holland

Esther Glen Junior Fiction Finalists

• Monkey Boy by Donovan Bixley – Scholastic
• The Volume of Possible Endings (A Tale of Fontania) by Barbara Else – Gecko
• Conrad Cooper's Last Stand by Leonie Agnew - Penguin
• Trouble in Time by Adele Broadbent – Scholastic
• Letterbox Cat by Paula Green – Scholastic

Te Kura Pounamu (Te Reo Maori) Finalists

• Nga Ki by Sacha Cotter, Josh Morgan and Kawata Teepa - Huia
• Hui E! by various authors - Huia
• Tutewehi by Fred Te Maro - HuiaKimihia by Te Mihinga Komene and Scott Pearson - Huia
• An early Te Reo Reading Book Series by Carolyn Collis - Summer Rose Books

Media Release: LIANZA
25/03/2015