Young voices are welcome here
Read what the Shadow Judges are saying ...What books would you like to judge?
Young voices are welcome here
The CBCA Book of the Year Awards connect young people to great literature. During CBCA Book Week we celebrate reading for pleasure and applaud our awarded books.
Our Sun Project: Shadow Judging is an exciting addition to our annual calendar. We invite young voices from groups across Australia to join the conversation about our annual Shortlist and choose their own winners. They will be announced at the end of CBCA Book Week at the first ever Shadowers’ Choice Awards (26 August).
Creating a group of ‘shadowers’ is a powerful way to connect young readers with the shortlisted books in a safe space where their opinions and responses can be heard.
Interested adults, classroom teachers, teacher librarians and public librarians are invited to take on the role of group facilitators to support these young voices in this exciting project.

Let’s get the conversation started.
Read what the Shadow Judges are saying …What is the Sun Project


A vibrant network of young readers, from emerging to young adult, will dive deeply into our Shortlist, express their opinions and share their responses as judges ‘shadowing’ our own CBCA judges. They will use the CBCA Book of the Year Awards criteria to reflect on literary values and to champion their choices. Within their groups they will collaborate and develop their own creative response to a chosen book then share this with the wider community.
Each group will focus on one of five categories: Older Readers, Younger Readers, Early Childhood, Picture Book, or the Eve Pownall Information Book. Every group, and their facilitator, will be supported by a mentor from their state-based CBCA branch. Registrations close for 2022 on June 1.
What is Shadow Judging?
Our Shadow Judging program is an exciting addition to our annual calendar. We are inviting young voices from across Australia to join the conversation about the books on our annual Shortlist and choose their winners to be announced at the end of CBCA Book Week at their own Shadowers’ Choice Awards.