AustLit logo

AustLit

Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards
Subcategory of Awards Australian Awards
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

History

Established in 2003, Speech Pathology Australia’s Book of the Year Awards reward authors for excellence in promoting children’s speech, language and literacy skills.

Up to and including 2013, awards were given for the best book of the year for language development in three categories:

— Young Children (2 to 5 years)

— Lower Primary (5 to 8 years)

— Upper Primary (9 to 12 years)

In 2011, an award was added for:

— Indigenous Children

From 2014 onwards, four age-based categories replaced the original three, as follows:

— Birth to 3 years

— Three to 5 years

— Five to 8 years

— Eight to 10 years

From 2018 onwards, the categories were part of the Book of the Year Awards. Prior to 2018, the categories were a part of the 'Best Book for Language and Literacy Development'.

Each award is based on the book’s appeal to children, its interactive quality, and its ability to assist speech pathologists and parents in communication and literacy development.

Source: http://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/spa-news-a-events/book-of-the-year-awards Sighted: 3/12/2013, 14/10/2014.

Notes

  • The Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards are announced annually as part of Speech Pathology Week. The Awards acknowledge excellence in the education value of children's books in relation to the development of children's speech, language and literacy skills.

Latest Winners / Recipients (also see subcategories)v1418

Year: 2013

winner (Young Children) y separately published work icon Seadog Sea Dog Claire Saxby , Tom Jellett (illustrator), North Sydney : Random House Australia , 2013 6020602 2013 single work picture book children's

'Not since Harry the Dirty Dog has there been such a lovable puppy with such an aversion to pet grooming. A beautiful picture book about a lovable, but scruffy dog.

'Our dog is not a clean dog,

a shiny or a fluffy dog.

Our dog is a seadog' (Publisher's blurb)

winner (Lower Primary) y separately published work icon Sophie Scott Goes South Alison Lester , Alison Lester (illustrator), Melbourne : Viking , 2012 Z1865932 2012 single work picture book children's 'I'm going to Antarctica and I can't wait!

Sophie Scott is only nine years old, but she's going to Antarctica on an icebreaker with her dad, the ship's captain. During the voyage to Mawson Station and back, Sophie keeps a diary. She sees icebergs, penguins, seals and whales. She makes new friends, experiences the southern lights and even becomes stranded in a blizzard!' (Publisher's blurb)
winner (Upper Primary) y separately published work icon After Morris Gleitzman , Camberwell : Penguin , 2012 Z1876629 2012 single work children's fiction children's 'In the fourth part of Felix's story, continuing his adventures in World War Two, he faces perhaps his greatest challenge - to find hope when he's lost almost everything, including his parents. As Europe goes through the final agonizing stages of the war, Felix struggles to reconcile hatred and healing. He's helped by a new friend, but if he should lose her as well...' (Publisher's blurb)

Works About this Award

Lifetime Achievement Award for Base 2012 single work column
— Appears in: Bookseller + Publisher Magazine , Summer 2012/13 vol. 92 no. 3 2012; (p. 7)
Books Awarded for Help with Language Development 2005 single work column
— Appears in: Australian Bookseller & Publisher , September vol. 85 no. 3 2005; (p. 11)
X