Picture Book Finalists
Granny McFlitter The Champion Knitter, written by Heather Haylock, illustrated by Lael Chisolm (Puffin NZ)
I am Jellyfish, written and illustrated by Ruth Paul (Puffin NZ)
That's Not the Monster We Ordered, written by Richard Fairgray and Terry Jones, illustrated by Richard Fairgray (Puffin NZ)
The Gift Horse, written by Sophie Siers, illustrated by Katherine White (Millwood Press)
The Longest Breakfast, written by Jenny Bornholdt, illustrated by Sarah Wilkins (Gecko Press)
Junior Fiction Finalists
Lyla: Through My Eyes, written by Fleur Beale (Allen and Unwin)
The Thunderbolt Pony, written by Stacy Gregg (Harper Collins)
How to Bee, written by Bren MacDibble (Allen and Unwin)
My New Zealand Story: Dawn Raid, written by Pauline Vaeluaga Smith (Scholastic NZ)
How NOT to Stop a Kidnap Plot, written by Suzanne Main (Scholastic NZ)
Young Adult Finalists
Because Everything is Right but Everything is Wrong, written by Erin Donohue (Escalator Press)
Catch Me When You Fall, written by Eileen Merriman (Penguin NZ)
The Traitor and the Thief, written by Gareth Ward (Walker Books Australia)
In the Dark Spaces, written by Cally Black (Hardie Grant Egmont)
Sticking with Pigs, written by Mary-Anne Scott (One Tree House)
Non Fiction Finalists
Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story, written and illustrated by Gavin Bishop (Puffin NZ)
Explore! Aotearoa, written by Bronwen Wall, illustrated by Kimberley Andrews (Kennett Brothers)
New Zealand's Great White Sharks, written by Alison Ballance (Potton and Burton)
Sky High: Jean Batten's Incredible Flying Adventures, written by David Hill, illustrated by Phoebe Morris (Puffin NZ)
The New Zealand Wars, written by Philippa Werry (New Holland)
Illustration Award Finalists
I am Jellyfish, illustrated by Ruth Paul (Puffin NZ)
Bobby, the Littlest War Hero, illustrated by Jenny Cooper (Puffin NZ)
Giants, Trolls, Witches, Beasts, illustrated by Craig Phillips (Allen and Unwin)
Abel Tasman: Mapping the Southern Lands, illustrated by Marco Ivancic (Scholastic NZ)
Sky High: Jean Batten's Incredible Flying Adventures, illustrated by Phoebe Morris (Puffin NZ)
Te Kura Pounamu Te Reo Maori Finalists
Hineahuone, written and illustrated by Xoe Hall, translated by Sian Montgomery-Neutze (Teacher Talk)
Te Tamaiti me te Aihe, written and illustrated by Robyn Kahukiwa, translated by Kiwa Hammond (Little Island Press)
Tu Meke Tui, written by Malcolm Clarke, illustrated by Hayley King, translated by Evelyn Tobin (Little Love, Mary Egan Publishing)
Best First Book Award
Because Everything is Right but Everything is Wrong, written by Erin Donohue (Escalator Press)
Into the White, written by Joanna Grochowicz (Allen and Unwin)
My New Zealand Story: Dawn Raid, written by Pauline Vaeluaga Smith (Scholastic NZ)
Pieces of You, written by Eileen Merriman (Penguin NZ)
The Traitor and the Thief, written by Gareth Ward (Walker Books Australia)
There are lots of wonderful books here. For more in depth commentary and information (as I rewrote this all by hand and it took me ages so I am all out of opinions and descriptions and comprehensive award titles and accompanying cover thumbnails right now :) ) you can check out The Sapling and The Book Awards Trust
