“We’re like one of those fairy stories Mum used to read us at bedtime, Ashleigh. A princess and her prince brother in our beautiful tower… But we know nothing about the world out there … The real world.” (Catch Me If I Fall) Some of Barry Jonsberg’s early YA novels, The Whole Business with […]
Read More Catch Me If I Fall by Barry JonsbergShapes and Colours by John Canty Whose Bones? by Chihiro Takeuchi Sneaky Shadows by SC Manchild, illustrated by Sam Caldwell Readers, collectors, librarians and book aficionados will recognise John Canty’s beautifully designed and executed illustrations in his new book Shapes and Colours. The concept is deceptively simple but this picture book is a standout and […]
Read More Interactive Original Berbay BooksInside the CBCAShortlist “My cousins, Elsie, Omeo and I sit in these gatheringsby our parents’ sides,the garrall on my shoulder. Often, the Elders come to say wedayo to the budjan.” (Bindi) Bindi (Magabala Books) is an enlightening verse novel by Gunai Woman and award-winning poet and writer Kirli Saunders. It is a lovely blend of […]
Read More Bindi by Kirli Saunders & Dub LefflerBook Review Much of Maxine Beneba Clarke’s writing is poetic, and often throws unforgettable diamond-honed punches. I have read and valued a number of her books, beginning with her short fiction Foreign Soil, in which the first story refers to a bike that evokes searing memories as well as a mention of patchwork bikes. Her […]
Read More When We Say Black Lives Matter by Maxine Beneba Clarke“Be brave. Take risks. We’ll heal the bruises with love.” (Zoe, Max and the Bicycle Bus) Steven Herrick is a much-loved Australian writer. He is particularly well known for his verse novels for children and young adults and, although all his books are superb, his verse novel The Spangled Drongo is one of my […]
Read More Zoe, Max and the Bicycle Bus by Steven Herrick“Despite the heat she shivered. This wasn’t … foreboding anymore – the nervous feeling that warned her of trouble. It was the sense that she had already made a wrong turn somewhere, and was in deep trouble already.” (The Grandest Bookshop in the World) Amelia Mellor is an impressive new talent. Her first middle-fiction […]
Read More The Grandest Bookshop in the World by Amelia Mellor“I believe I’m a good person. But what if I’m not?” (Instant Karma) Marissa Meyer is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of my favourite international YA writers. She is based in Washington. I reviewed her novels Heartless and The Renegades trilogy in the Weekend Australian: Heartless is an excellent imagining of […]
Read More Instant Karma by Marissa MeyerWhere the Dragons Live is Serena Geddes’s new picture book. It is published by Aladdin (Simon & Schuster) and is a companion story to Rosie and Rasmus. Thank you for speaking to PaperbarkWords, Serena. You’re welcome and thank you for being so patient waiting for my reply. What is your background in children’s books, illustration […]
Read More Where the Dragons Live by Serena GeddesBook Review My lingering recollections of The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey (Text Publishing) are of place and the nature of the labyrinth. Erica finds a fibro shack on the sandy, salty, windswept coastline in the hamlet of Garra Nulla. It is a shambled labyrinth but its core is perfectly proportioned. Erica buys the house. “I […]
Read More The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey“Everything is quiet in the forest. For the first time in years, I don’t dream of falling when I close my eyes. No, I dream of flying.” (Ruby Tuesday) Ruby Tuesday is a thoughtfully composed tale about Ruby who lives in a forest near a small Australian town with her disabled mother. They are both […]
Read More Ruby Tuesday by Hayley Lawrence
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