Calm, Sleepy, Joyful Books

Calm, Sleepy, Joyful Books Book Reviews by Joy in Books at PaperbarkWords blog Most of these picture books are calm or sleepy books that help children relax and unwind. There is also an empathetic book about a grandma with dementia and a Play School Christmas book. All the books are published by ABC Books, except one by HarperCollins. A […]

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Gus and the Starlight by Victoria Carless

Gus and the Starlight by Victoria Carless Published by HarperCollins Australia Guest author: Victoria Carless Victoria Carless writes about her wonderful middle-fiction novel, Gus and the Starlight for PaperbarkWords. Christmas gift idea Gus and the Starlight is a story about family, friendships and second chances. It’s set in a haunted drive-in movie theatre and features […]

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The Silver Moth by Carol Lefevre

The Silver Moth by Carol Lefevre When ‘The End’ is a Beginning:  writing a sequel to Elizabeth Goudge’s The Little White Horse Carol Lefevre As a child, when you truly bond with a book, some part of you never quite accepts that its final page is the end of the story. This was my experience […]

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Evie and Rhino

Evie and Rhino by Neridah McMullin, illustrated by Astred Hicks Published by Walker Books Australia Evie and Rhino is a beautifully written middle-fiction novel about a most unusual and significant friendship. Neridah McMullin tells us about Evie and Rhino and about her writing craft at PaperbarkWords: Why a Rhino? Until recently, rhinos weren’t really an […]

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The Jammer

The Jammer by Nova Weetman Published by University of Queensland Press “I run my fingers along the ridges, feeling the warmth of the rock. I wish I could pluck it free and take it with me in my box of special things as proof that even when something is gone, an image of it can […]

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Unnecessary Drama by Nina Kenwood

Unnecessary Drama by Nina Kenwood Published by Text Publishing Author Interview “I briefly fantasise about walking into the room with a cute guy and letting them think I’ve just met him, or, no, that we know each other from uni maybe, and I’m taking him back to the house to hook up – there’s a […]

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100 Remarkable Feats of Xander Maze

100 REMARKABLE FEATS OF XANDER MAZE by Clayton Zane Comber (HarperCollins) The 2022 Prime Minister’s Literary awards shortlisted books were announced this week. As a judge in prior years I appreciate how much work and expertise is required by the judges, and work and liaison by coordinators and those submitting books for awards. Congratulations to […]

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The Edge of Limits by SJ Gervay

Guest Post about The Edge of Limits by Susanne Gervay for PaperbarkWords blog Susanne Gervay writes important, ground-breaking books. Her new YA novel The Edge of Limits is hard-hitting and enlightening about a number of issues, particularly that of consent. Timely indeed. The Edge of Limits cements Susanne’s position as one of our leading agitators […]

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THE SUN WALKS DOWN

THE SUN WALKS DOWN by Fiona McFarlane (Allen & Unwin) Literary fiction review I was privileged to write an advance review about The Sun Walks Down for Books + Publishing (content now unlocked). Here is my additional review for PaperbarkWords blog, with a focus on sun gods, colonisation and art. The Sun Walks Down by […]

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