Congratulations to Katrina Nannestad whose book All the Beautiful Things published by Harper Collins has won this year’s Book Links Award for Children’s Historical Fiction.
This is the third time that she has won this award having won in 2023 with Waiting for the Storks and in 2021 for We Are Wolves.
In each one of these novels, she takes a little-known aspect of WW2 and shows how it impacts children, who are powerless victims struggling to survive, often at intense personal cost. She has tackled Wolfskinder, child soldiers, Himmler’s Lebensborn program and now in All the Beautiful Things she writes about the impact of Aktion T4, the Nazi program for involuntary euthanasia, inspired by their vision for a strong, pure German race.
Congratulations to Katrina and thank you to all who entered the award for supporting our mission to increase the understanding and appreciation of history by children through enjoyable and accessible fiction.
2025 Shortlist
Congratulations to the 3 finalists.
The winner will be announced online on August 2, 2025.
Longlist 2025
The aim of this award is to increase the understanding and appreciation of history by children. These seven titles are outstanding works of historical fiction for children, demonstrating literary merit, historical accuracy, and appeal to young readers.
Topics range widely but the influence of war on children and families and the struggle to come to terms with conflict, dislocation and loss are recurring themes, one still current today. This year’s list has some excellent titles exploring Australian history. It is interesting to note that many entries feature girl protagonists and all of the shortlisted authors this year are women.
These are all wonderful stories of courage and hope that children will enjoy reading. All are worthy additions to any library.
Congratulations to all these fabulous authors whose inspiring stories bring history to life.
11 Ruby Road 1925 by Charlotte Barkla, Walker Books Australia
All the Beautiful Things by Katrina Nannestad, ABC Books
Hester Hitchins and the Falling Stars by Catherine Norton, HarperCollins AU
Marion and the Forty Thieves by Sarah Luke, National Library of Australia
Ming and Ada Spark the Digital Age (The Girls Who Changed the World #4) by Jackie French, HarperCollins AU
Outlaw Girls by Emily Gale & Nova Weetman, Text Publishing
Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger by Jackie French, HarperCollins AU
