The main objective of the Children’s Book Council of Australia is the encouragement of children’s reading, and the most widely known aspect of this is the support of quality literature through the Children’s Book of the Year Awards. The National Executive is responsible for administering the Awards, and appoints a Judge’s Secretary to carry this out.

Each state appoints one judge for a two year term. Half the judges retire each year, thus ensuring that the panel always includes some experienced judges. States appoint as judges people who have a wide knowledge of and interest in children’s literature. Whilst some of the judging procedures have varied over the years, the fundamental aim of selecting children’s books of high literary and artistic quality has remained the same.