Author: joylawn

Book advocate. Joy Lawn is a freelance book reviewer and book judge specialising in literary fiction and children's and YA literature. She has recently judged the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, Qld Literary Awards - Fiction & Non-Fiction Book Award (chair), IBBY Australia Honour Books for Writing & Illustration, and has judged the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, Russell Prize for Humour Writing, CBCA, Davitt Women's Crime Book awards & Aurealis Awards. Joy loves moderating sessions at Writers’ Festivals, including Brisbane, Byron, Sydney & Central Coast, reviews theatre & books for ArtsHub, books for Books + Publishing & writes the editorial and feature articles for Magpies magazine. Joy promotes Australian literature here and overseas. 'A great book compels you to reread your own soul.' — Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep North

Lenny’s Book of Everything by Karen Foxlee

Inside the CBCA Shortlist I have read all of Karen Foxlee’s books as they’ve been published, beginning with her novels for adults and young adults, The Anatomy of Wings and the stunning The Midnight Dress, a tale of a teenage girl’s murder where tension simmers exquisitely. It is an alluring, mesmeric mystery with a finely […]

The Bogan Mondrian by Steven Herrick

Inside the CBCA Shortlist Steven Herrick has a stunning list of verse novels, poetry and prose for children and young adults. His books have been shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council of Australia awards multiple times and my favourite of his works, The Spangled Drongo, won the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards for children’s literature. I […]

Raising Readers by Megan Daley

Raising Readers Megan Daley is a champion of Australian children’s literature and the authors and illustrators who create these quality Australian books. She is well-known as a blogger – Children’s Books Daily – and has won several awards, including the national Dromkeen Librarian’s Award. Her first book Raising Readers: How to nurture a child’s love […]

Chalk Boy by Margaret Wild & Mandy Ord

During the next few months leading up to Book Week in August I will be writing about the 30 CBCA shortlisted books. Congratulations to all the authors, illustrators and publishers who have been shortlisted. A thought-provoking picture book is Chalk Boy by Margaret Wild, illustrated by Mandy Ord (Allen & Unwin). Barnaby is a pavement […]

Any Ordinary Day by Leigh Sales

Leigh Sales is a prominent Australian journalist. She is uncompromising in her interview style but clearly has a soft heart and is affected by many of the stories she presents. In her latest book Any Ordinary Day (Hamish Hamilton, Penguin Books) she grapples with people’s reactions to severe trauma – death of a close loved […]

Gravity is the Thing by Jaclyn Moriarty

Gravity is the Thing (Pan Macmillan Australia) is now in a bookshop or street library near you. Anything is possible in a Jaclyn Moriarty novel. You never know where she will take you. Remember the audacious Betrayal of Bindy Mackenzie, one of the ‘Ashbury/Brookfield’ books for young adults; the unique, colourful world of the […]