INSIDE THE CBCA 2026 WINNERS The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Winning and Honour Books for 2026 have been announced. Congratulations to everyone involved. Follow the links to those books I have already reviewed, or interviewed the author or illustrator, at PaperbarkWords blog. Book of the Year: OLDER READERS WINNER Darkest Night, Brightest Star, Barry Jonsberg (Allen & […]
Read More INSIDE THE CBCA 2026 WINNERSDerek by Anne Donaldson, illustrated by Matt Shanks (Little Hare, Hardie Grant) “Derek was a fish with many questions.” (Derek) INSIDE THE CBCA 2026 SHORTLIST Derek is the humorously perceptive Honour-awarded picture book in the Early Childhood category of the 2026 CBCA awards. It is also the Early Childhood Shadow Judging winner. Interview with Derek creators Anne […]
Read More Derek by Anne Donaldson, illustrated by Matt ShanksDarkest Night, Brightest Star by Barry Jonsberg (Allen & Unwin) INSIDE THE CBCA 2026 SHORTLIST “ ‘Think about this,’ Dad said. If you are to be the brightest star, like Diego Maradona, then you must go through the dark bits first. The practice. Working hard even when you don’t want to. You understand?’” (Darkest Night, […]
Read More Darkest Night, Brightest Star by Barry JonsbergThe Emperor’s Egg written & illustrated by Rae Tan Published by Lothian Children’s Books, Hachette Australia Picture Book review & how to use the book by Joy Lawn (Joy in Books) at Paperbark Words blog “ ‘All the creatures are out except mine.’ ‘It’s all right, Ren,’ Papa says, ‘You’ve given Bao Bao all your love and […]
Read More The Emperor’s Egg by Rae TanA Loo of One’s Own: A Mostly True Tale of Australia’s First Female Parliamentarians written and illustrated by Eleri Harris (Allen & Unwin) “Our story starts eighty years ago in Canberra, where all the cool stuff happens… On the first day of school … Wait! Parliament! Two women walked into Australia’s Parliament House. And came […]
Read More A Loo of One’s Own by Eleri HarrisPeculiar Parents by Stephanie Owen Reeder and Ingrid Bartkowiak (NLA Publishing) Peculiar Parents is shortlisted in the Eve Pownall non-fiction category of the 2026 CBCA awards. Author Dr Stephanie Owen Reeder writes about her well-named and impeccably researched and compiled book, Peculiar Parents, for Paperbark Words blog: Stephanie Owen Reeder on Peculiar Parents Peculiar Parents explores […]
Read More Peculiar Parents by Stephanie Owen Reeder and Ingrid BartkowiakWe Saw What You Started & We Did It Anyway by Carla Salmon INSIDE THE CBCA 2026 SHORTLIST (Pan Macmillan Australia) “I’d assumed Jasper was joking, since it’s impossible to tell when he’s being serious or sarcastic. His thick Aussie drawl means all his sentences end with a cheerful upward inflection. But breaking into the […]
Read More We Saw What You Started & We Did It Anyway by Carla SalmonBeing Indy by Zoe Gaetjens & Estee Sarsfield Published by WestWords Children’s But Percival had rules. He couldn’t let just anyone cross the bridge. Only certain types were allowed. If folks were too different, there would be chaos. They would squabble. Tease. Bicker. (Being Indy) Being Indy by Zoe Gaetjens, illustrated by Estee Sarsfield is […]
Read More Being Indy by Zoe Gaetjens & Estee SarsfieldThe Thylacine and the Time Machine by Renée Treml The Thylacine and the Time Machine: a wild ride through the past and possible future of the Tasmanian Tiger written and illustrated by Renée Treml (Allen & Unwin) The Thylacine and the Time Machine is a graphic novel shortlisted in the Eve Pownall non-fiction category of […]
Read More The Thylacine and the Time Machine by Renée TremlOf Flame and Fury by Mikayla Bridge INSIDE THE CBCA 2026 SHORTLIST (Macmillan Australia) “Though she’d loved those stories, they weren’t the real reason she’d latched on to Savita – at least, not in in recent years. Something about Savita’s immortality made Kel feel safe in a way that nothing else could. No matter what […]
Read More Of Flame and Fury by Mikayla Bridge
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