I’m always happy when I come across new science book awards, and the Environment Award for Children’s Literature is no exception, bringing me face to face with a whole new range of children’s titles to share with you. The following nominations were recently released with the awards being given out in Melbourne, Australia on July the 28th. Finally some book awards I can attend!

The shortlisted books were selected for their ability to capture children’s imagination and inspire them, whilst encouraging them to treasure and protect Australia’s unique natural environment.

I’ll be featuring the nominees over the coming weeks. Make sure you check them out. Click here for more information.

Fiction 

Lulu Bell and the Sea Turtle by Belinda Murrell, illustrated by Serena Geddes

Lulu Bell is off on the adventure of a lifetime! Lulu and her family are setting off on an adventure a long way from home. Mum has been invited to visit an Aboriginal community to choose paintings for an art exhibition.  Lulu, Rosie and Gus are having lots of fun swimming and fishing with their new friends. But there is one thing Lulu would really like to see. Can wishing upon a star help her dream come true?

Those Eco-Pirate Kids by Jon Tucker

Ten year old Fin has always been passionate about responsible fishing, so when he discovers an illegal net full of undersized fish in Sydney’s northern waterways, his first reaction is to set them free. The subsequent events turn a joint Kiwi-Australian family holiday into a rather more complex experience which reinforces the importance of sustainability, as well as demonstrating that modern technology is not always invincible in the face of nature’s power.

Rescue on Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr, illustrated by Geoff Kelly

Nim lives on an island with her father, Jack, a marine iguana called Fred, a sea lion called Selkie, and their friend Alex Rover, the adventure writer. Nim’s island is the most beautiful place in the world, and she wouldn’t swap live anywhere else. When Jack invites a group of scientists to visit, they bring their children as well. But two of the scientists have plans other than studying algae… By the time Nim discovers what they really want, and what they will do to get it, the children are in grave danger. And so is the island! Nim must choose between saving a natural treasure and saving someone’s life.

The Vanishing Frogs of Cascade Creek by Emma Homes

The beautiful waterfall frogs have suddenly disappeared from their rainforest home, and Ruthie’s parents have been asked to solve the mystery. So now the whole family – two wildlife scientists, three kids, and a mischievous pet wombat, are off in their big green bus for a wildlife adventure in northern Australia. Will Ruthie and her family find out why the frogs are vanishing, before it is too late?

Picture fiction 

Zobi and the Zoox by Ailsa Wild, with Briony Barr and Gregory Crocetti, illustrated by Aviva Reed 

Zobi and the Zoox is an illustrated science-adventure story starring microbes, molecules and mucus – members of the tiny symbiotic society who live within a coral polyp named Darian. When their home is under threat Zobi (a brave Rhizobia bacterium), teams up with a family of slow but steady Zoox (zooxanthellae). The ocean gets too hot, the coral is gravely ill and the other bacteria go crazy…so Zobi and the Zoox have to work together to try and save the day.

The Duck and Darklings by Glenda Millard, illustrated Stephen Michael King

Grandpapa’s eyes shine when he remembers the beauty of the world, long-ago. Peterboy wants to find something wonderful to bring the light to Grandpapa’s eyes and keep it there. What he finds is a duck, wounded and broken, and Grandpapa mends her from top to tail; quack, waddle and wing! The Duck and the Darklings is a triumphant story, for children and adults, about the coming of hope in dark days, the warmth of friendship and the splendour of a new dawn.

Rivertime by Trace Balla

A tender and beautifully illustrated tale of a boy and his bird-watching uncle, on a paddling trip on Australia’s Glenelg River. A story about slowing down, growing up, and connecting with the land and its creatures.

Run Tree Run by Kelly Alsop, illustrated by Boris Silvestri

A gentle and wise old tree helps the animals of its rainforest to escape with their lives before the miners come to tear down their home. The animals featured include a Sugar Glider looking for a new home, a Rhinoceros Beetle desperate to get away and a Cassowary, a loyal friend of the tree’s. Written as a protest against a proposed $1.2billion bauxite mine near the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve at Cape York Peninsula, this children’s book has eighteen vibrant illustrations of the rainforest and its animals.

Nonfiction book 

Emu by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Graham Byrne

In the open forest, Emu gathers granite-green eggs under soft feathers. Emu will care for the eggs and protect the stripy chicks once they hatch. There are many hazards in the forest for this unusual family.

Our Class Tiger by Aleesah Darlison, illustrated by Antonia Stylianou

In Our Class Tiger, a group of school children help out a tiger who lives in Indonesia. The tiger cub has to grow up before he can be released into the wild.

Found and Made: The Art of Upcycling by Lisa Hölzl

Make a masterpiece from your rubbish! With eleven exciting projects to inspire you, Found and Made: The Art of Upcycling will help to turn your trash into treasure. A toilet roll holder and some papier-mâché can become a puppet king. A shoe box can transform into a treasure box. Ice-cream sticks, magazines, plastic bags, tin cans – are all waiting to be part of your art kit. Collect. Create. And upcycle!

[Image Credit: http://childrensbooksdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/WS1_large.jpg ]