Our Story

YABBA is a not-for-profit volunteer-run incorporated organisation working to bring Australian books alive for children.

Our ultimate goal is to have children Recommend, Read, Rate and Reward their favourite Australian books.

Watch this video and learn all about YABBA.

The Young Australians Best Book Awards (YABBA) were established in 1985 by a group of Victorians keen to see children engage in reading Australian books. Run by a volunteer committee, our goal after all these years is still the same.
We seek to give children a voice within the Australian children’s book industry.
The YABBA Awards encourages children to recommend recently published Australian books, read all the recommendations for their peers, rate them against all others, and finally reward the book they feel is best.
Our final goal is that whilst engaging children in this process, the wider children’s book industry hears the voice of the very people they are writing for – the children! We facilitate this message delivery through the connection of authors and illustrators to the children via shortlist announcements and the annual awards ceremony.

Meet the YABBA Council

Michelle Nye

PRESIDENT
Michelle has been a member of the YABBA Council for 8 years and president for 4 years. Michelle is a believer in the power of student voice and YABBA gives our young readers exactly that! As a passionate educator, she has spent twenty-four years helping her students to develop an awareness of Australian authors and illustrators.
Michelle Bentley

CO-PRESIDENT | MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR | CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER
Michelle is an IT consultant specialising in change, she lives for finding the best ways to make technology work for everyone. Science fiction is her favourite reading and she tries her best every day to put science fiction references in to meetings and PowerPoint presentations.
Matthew Zbaracki

TREASURER | AWARDS CONVENOR | PROGRAM CO-ORDINATOR
Matthew is the State Head of Victoria in the National School of Education with Australian Catholic University. He loves being a part of YABBA—seeing what books children choose and working with different authors and illustrators. He also loves reading humorous children’s literature.
Maria Carnovale

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
Maria is a communications professional with a passion for storytelling. Her love of children’s books began when she had her son and realised the importance of reading to children from a young age, and with them as they develop. Her goal is to see as much of the world as possible and to one day write her own children’s book.
Abigail Cini

SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR
Abigail Cini is a Publishing Assistant and Editor in children’s book publishing. As a part of YABBA, she delights in seeing what books children are reading and their favourite picks. In her free time, Abigail likes to bake, go to the cinemas and explore walking trails.
Sue Warren

SECRETARY
Sue Warren has had a long and varied career as a teacher-librarian for over 25 years. She is a passionate advocate and supporter of children’s literature, particularly Australian, and keenly seeks out work that allows diverse children to see themselves in books.
She has had a very successful and popular review blog for over a decade, and has established a wide network of friends in the creative and publishing industries. Now as she winds down her active teaching career, she is in demand to write teaching notes and other professional material for both companies and individuals.
You can see examples of both her reviews and teaching guides at Just So Stories.

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Join or Donate to show your support.

As a membership-based not-for-profit organisation, we seek the support of schools and libraries across Victoria in providing the financial resources necessary for this vital work.
Join or donate today to show your support!

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From the Authors

“I love the YABBA Awards! They're the thing I look forward to the most."

Andy Griffiths
“It's a huge,huge reward to be acknowledged by the actual readers you are writing for!"

Felice Arena

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YABBA Past Presidents

Being the YABBA President is both an honour and an enormous workload. We acknowledge these people's incredible contributions and dedication as past YABBA Presidents.

BEATRICE FINCHER
President: 1985 – 1992

GRAHAM DAVEY
President: 1993 – 2013

DAVID LINKE
President: 2013 – 2020