The COOL Awards is an annual children's choice award voted on by students in Canberra, the Australian Capital Territory, Australia.[1] Children are encouraged to read and vote for their favourite books. The votes are tallied and the awards made.

The COOL Award name is an acronym, standing for Canberra’s Own Outstanding List.

The ACT Public Library currently convenes the awards and they are administered by a committee representing ACT Government, Catholic and Independent Schools, the ACT Public Library and the Children's Book Council of Australia, ACT Branch.[1] The award was first made in 1991.[2]

Award categories and descriptions

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There are four categories of the COOL awards:

  • for most popular Picture Book
  • for most popular Fiction for Younger Readers
  • for most popular Fiction for Older Readers
  • for most popular Fiction for Years 7–9 (commenced in 2007)

List of COOL Award winners

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Picture Book Award

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Year Author Book Citation
1993 Jeannie Baker Window Winner
1994 Mem Fox Possum Magic Winner
1995 Margaret Wild Toby Winner
1996 Jessica Carroll Billy the Punk Winner
1997 Jessica Carroll Billy the Punk Winner
1998 Margaret Wild The Midnight Gang Winner
1999 Rod Clement Grandad’s Teeth Winner
2000 David Legge Bamboozled Winner
2003 Jackie French Diary of a Wombat Winner
2004 Pamela Allen Mr McGee and the Biting Flea Winner
2005 Stephen Michael King Mutt Dog! Winner
2006 Matt Dray Dougal the Garbage Dump Bear Winner
2007 Deborah Niland Annie's Chair Winner
2008 Mem Fox, illus by Judy Horacek Where is the Green Sheep? Winner
2009 Graeme Base Jungle Drums Winner
2010 Colin Thompson Fearless Winner
2011 Leigh Hobbs Mr Chicken Goes to Paris Winner
2012[3] Ursula Dubosarsky, illus by Andrew Joyner The Terrible Plop Winner
2013[4] Jeannie Baker Mirror Joint Winners
Nick Bland The Very Cranky Bear
2014[5] Bob Graham A Bus Called Heaven Winner

Fiction for Younger Readers Award

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Year Author Book Citation
1991 Paul Jennings Round the Twist Winner
1992 Paul Jennings The Cabbage Patch Fib Winner
1993 Paul Jennings Unreal! Winner
1994 Graeme Base The Eleventh Hour Winner
1995 Paul Jennings The Gizmo Winner
1996 Morris Gleitzman Belly Flop Winner
1997 Morris Gleitzman Belly Flop Winner
1998 Paul Jennings Wicked Winner
1999 Morris Gleitzman Bumface Winner
2000 Emily Rodda Bob the Builder and the Elves Winner
2003 Emily Rodda Deltora Quest 2 series Winner
2004 Emily Rodda Deltora Quest 3 series Winner
2006 Anna Fienberg Tashi and the Forbidden Room Winner
2007 Andy Griffiths The Cat on the Mat is Flat Winner
2008 Andy Griffiths Just Shocking! Winner
2009 Kathy Castle Go Girl! Two Sides: #1 Track Stars! Winner
2010 Andy Griffiths The Big Fat Cow Goes Kapow Winner
2011 Andy Griffiths The Very Bad Book Winner
2012[3] Anna Fienberg, Barbara Fienberg and Kim Gamble Tashi and the Golem Winner
2013[4] Morris Gleitzman Pizza Cake Winner
2014[5] Felice Arena Andy Roid and the Tracks of Death Winner

Fiction for Older Readers Award

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Year Author Book Citation
1991 Robin Klein People Might Hear You Winner
1992 Robin Klein Came Back to Show You I Could Fly Winner
1993 Victor Kelleher Del-Del Winner
1994 Ruth Park Playing Beatie Bow Winner
1995 John Marsden Tomorrow, When the War Began and So Much to Tell You (tied) Winner
1996 Paul Jennings Paw Thing Winner
1997 Paul Jennings Paw Thing Winner
1998 John Marsden The Dead of the Night Winner
1999 John Marsden The Third Day, the Frost Winner
2000 John Marsden The Night is for Hunting Winner
2003 Andy Griffiths Just Disgusting! Winner
2004 Andy Griffiths Zombie Bums from Uranus Winner
2005 Andy Griffiths The Bad Book Winner
2006 Andy Griffiths Bumageddon: The Final Pongflict Winner
2007 Andy Griffiths Zombie Bums from Uranus Winner
2008 Paul Jennings Spookiest Stories Winner
2009 Morris Gleitzman Give Peas a Chance Winner
2010 Emily Rodda The Battle of Rondo Winner
2011 John Flanagan Ranger's Apprentice Winner
2012[3] Andy Griffiths, illus by Terry Denton The 13-Storey Treehouse Winner
2013[4] Andy Griffiths, illus by Terry Denton The 26-Storey Treehouse Winner
2014[5] Andy Griffiths, illus by Terry Denton The 39-Storey Treehouse Winner

Fiction for Years 7-9 Award

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Year Author Book Citation
2007[6] Sonya Hartnett The Silver Donkey Winner
2008[7] Carole Wilkinson Dragon Moon Winner
2009[8] Emily Rodda The Wizard of Rondo Winner
2010[9] Morris Gleitzman Boy Overboard Winner
2011[9] Morris Gleitzman Now Winner
2012[3] Chris Morphew The Phoenix Files: Arrival Winner
2013[4] Morris Gleitzman After Winner
2014[5] James Phelan 13: The Last Thirteen Winner

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b "Cool Awards - Children's Choice Book Awards in Canberra". ACT Library and Information Services. Archived from the original on 10 August 2007. Retrieved 10 August 2007.
  2. ^ Robert Hefner (27 October 1994). "Old is COOL, say our young book worms" (scan). The Canberra Times. p. 6. Retrieved 2 September 2021 – via Trove.
  3. ^ a b c d "2012 COOL Awards winners announced". Books+Publishing. 20 November 2012. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d "COOL Awards 2013 winners announced". Books+Publishing. 25 November 2013. Archived from the original on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d "COOL titles a must read for young Canberrans". Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate. 11 November 2014. Archived from the original on 16 August 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  6. ^ "The Silver Donkey". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  7. ^ "Dragon Moon (Dragon Keeper, #3)". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  8. ^ "The Wizard of Rondo (Rondo, #2)". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  9. ^ a b "COOL Award – Fiction for Years 7-9". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.

References

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