StoryLinks reviews the 2026 CBCA Older Reader Shortlist

By Alison McCaffrey who has reviewed all six titles in the Older Reader category of  the 2026 CBCA  Book of the Year.

The pinnacle for many Australian children’s authors is to be awarded one of the lauded prizes reserved for works of excellence; heart-opening emotional connection, breath-catching story, characters we will carry with us, and overall literary merit. The Children’s Book Council of Australia hands out such an award each year, selecting a Book of the Year in several categories, including Older Readers. The 2026 shortlist consists of books published between 1 January and 31 December 2025, all creators (authors and illustrators) must be Australian residents or citizens, and the Older Readers category is for books with a readership aged 13-18 years,

The books on the list this year broadly through YA sub-genres, from Horror to Contemporary Fiction, Dark Academia to Adventure to Fantasy. Each book offers readers something different: dark humour, high-adrenaline stakes, swoon-worthy characters, an intimately portrayed perspective on life. And though they vary so much in so many ways, the common thread these six books carry is the talent of the authors who created the places, characters and stories I found myself so utterly enthralled by.

Click on the image to read the review: