• Lady Cutler Award for Services to Children's Literature, 1997
• Children's Book Council of Australia
• International Awards
• NSW Premier's Literary Awards
• Victorian Premier's Awards
• South Australian Literary Awards
• Prime Minister's Multicultural Awards
• Children's Literature Peace Prize
• Young Australian Readers Award (YARA)

Lady Cutler Award for Services to Children's Literature, 1997

Children's Book Council of Australia.

• Fiction for Older Readers
  • Eleanor, Elizabeth Highly Commended, 1985
  • I am Susannah Honour Book 1988
  • Love Me, Love Me Not Short listed 1994

• Fiction for Younger Readers
  • Hannah Plus One Book of the Year 1997
  • Queen of the Universe Short listed 1998
  • Hannah and the Tomorrow Room Honour Book 2000

• Picture Books
  • Shutting the Chooks In Honour Book 2004
  • An Ordinary Day Picture Book of the Year 2002
  • Where's Mum? Honour Book 1993
  • The Great Bear Short listed 2000

• Early Childhood Books
  • Amy and Louis Early Childhood Winner 2007
  • Shutting the Chooks In Shortlisted Early Childhood Book of the Year 2004

International Awards

• IBBY: International Board of Books for Young People
  • Dodger 1991

• Bologna Ragazzi Award in Fiction for Infants Category 2000
  • The Great Bear illus Armin Greder

NSW Premier's Literary Awards

• Shutting the Chooks In Short listed 2004
• Eleanor, Elizabeth Short listed 1985
• Hannah and the Tomorrow Room Short listed 2000

Victorian Premier's Awards

• I am Susannah Short listed 1988

South Australian Literary Awards

• Eleanor, Elizabeth Short listed, 1985

Prime Minister's Multicultural Awards

• Big Dog Winner in Picture Book Category, 1992
• Mum Goes to Work Short listed, Picture Book Category, 1993

Children's Literature Peace Prize

• Dodger Winner, 1992

Young Australian Readers Award (YARA)

• Dear Writer Winner, 2002