The shortlist for the 2012 LIANZA Children’s Book Awards were announced last week.  Awarded by Librarians for outstanding children’s literature in New Zealand, the LIANZA Awards are for excellence in junior fiction, young adult fiction, illustration, non-fiction and te reo Māori.  There are a great bunch of finalist books this year including some fantastic books that weren’t on the NZ Post Children’s Book Awards shortlist.  I was especially pleased to see Des Hunt’s The Peco Incident, Susan Brocker’s The Wolf in the Wardrobe, and Juliette MacIver and Sarah Davis’ Marmaduke Duck and Bernadette Bear in the shortlist.  What are your favourites?

LIANZA Junior Fiction Award – Esther Glen Medal

• The Travelling Restaurant by Barbara Else
• The Peco Incident by Des Hunt
• The Wolf in the Wardrobe by Susan Brocker
• Super Finn by Leonie Agnew
• The Flytrap Snaps; Book One in The Fly Papers by Johanna Knox

LIANZA Young Adult Fiction Award

• The Shattering by Karen Healey
• Pyre of Queens by David Hair
• Dirt Bomb by Fleur Beale
• The Bridge by Jane Higgins
• Recon Team Angel: Assault by Brian Falkner

LIANZA Illustration Award – Russell Clark Award

• Rāhui (Māori ed) by Chris Szekely and Malcolm Ross
• The Call of the Kokako by Maria Gill and Heather Arnold
• Fantails Quilt by Gay Hay and Margaret Tolland
• Bruiser by Gavin Bishop
• Marmaduke Duck and Bernadette Bear by Juliette MacIver and Sarah Davis
• Waiting for Later by Tina Matthews

LIANZA Non Fiction Award – Elsie Locke Medal

• Digging up the Past: Archaeology for the Young & Curious by David Veart
• Nice Day for a War by Chris Slane and Matt Elliott
• The Call of the Kokako by Maria Gill and Heather Arnold
• New Zealand Hall of Fame: 50 Remarkable Kiwis by Maria Gill and Bruce Potter

Te Kura Pounamu (te reo Māori)

• Rāhui (Māori ed) by Chris Szekely and Malcolm Ross, translated by Brian Morris 
• Te Poiwhana by Te Kauhoe Wano and Andrew Burdan
• Ihenga by Aunty Bea – Piatarihi Tui Yates and Katherine Quin Merewether
• Kei Wareware Tātou by Feana Tu’akoi and Elspeth Alix Batt, translated by Katerina Mataira
• Nga Taniwha i Te-Whanga-nui-a-Tara by Moira Wairama and Bruce Potter