INSIDE THE CBCA 2024 SHORTLIST The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Shortlisted Books for 2024 have been announced. Follow the links to those books I have already reviewed, or interviewed the author or illustrator, at PaperbarkWords blog. I will add to this list until the winners are announced in August. Also see the 2024 NOTABLE BOOKS at […]
Read More INSIDE THE CBCA 2024 SHORTLISTSally Rippin Australian Children’s Laureate 2024-2025 Enormous congratulations to Sally Rippin who is the new Australian Children’s Laureate for 2024-2025. This is a mighty and well-deserved achievement and Sally will be an inspirational Laureate. I promoted many of Sally’s books, amongst them Billie B Brown, Hey Jack! and the Polly and Buster series, as a […]
Read More Sally Rippin Australian Children’s LaureateThe Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet by Jaclyn Moriarty (Allen & Unwin) “ ‘And what is this world?’ I asked. ‘It’s called the Kingdoms and Empires. It’s like our world, only more old-fashioned. Plus they have magic. The main thing to remember is that Shadow Mages are good and Spellbinders can bind Shadow Magic. Genies […]
Read More The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet by Jaclyn MoriartyAsk Aunty: Seasons (An introduction to First Nations Seasons) By Aunty Munya Andrews Illustrated by Charmaine Ledden-Lewis Published by Hardie Grant Explore Ask Aunty: Seasons by Aunty Munya Andrews with illustrations by Charmaine Ledden-Lewis is published by Hardie Grant Explore. Available in stores nationally from 15 November, RRP $24.99. “I love my culture and I love […]
Read More Ask Aunty: Seasons (An introduction to First Nations seasons)Dirrarn by Carl Merrison & Hakea Hustler Illustrated by Dub Leffler Published by Magabala Books “Mia felt so far from home. Growing up in a remote outback community, she had still faced her share of bullies. She’s dealt with it in her own way then. Telling a teacher sometimes worked, other times a big brother […]
Read More Dirrarn by Carl Merrison & Hakea HustlerHello Twigs by Andrew McDonald & Ben Wood “Nature stuff is TREASURE!” (Hello Twigs: Let’s Find Treasure) The new Hello Twigs series of lively, humorous graphic novels for children has great appeal because of its familiar and yet unpredictable stories based around four friends (the familiar) who are twigs (the unexpected) who all have an […]
Read More Hello Twigs by Andrew McDonald & Ben WoodA is for Australian Reefs by Frané Lessac Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 Notable Books A is for Australian Reefs by Frané Lessac (published Walker Books Australia) A is for Australian Reefs is the latest in Frané Lessac’s impressive body of picture books. Her books are distinctive for […]
Read More A is for Australian Reefs by Frané LessacItty Bitty Kittyby Maddy Mara, illustrated by Noémie Geonet Landry Itty Bitty Kitty 1 & 2 is published by Affirm Press Maddy Mara writes a Guest Author post for PaperbarkWords: Maddy Mara on creative collaborations, and the Itty Bitty Kitty series The first thing you should know about Maddy Mara is that ‘she’ is actually […]
Read More Itty Bitty Kitty by Maddy Mara, illustrated by Noémie Geonet LandryThe Wish Sisters by Allison Rushby, illustrated by Karen Blair, published by University of Queensland Press Allison Rushby is part of the famous Brisbane writing Rushby duo. Allison’s mother, Pamela Rushby, is the awarded author of When the Hipchicks Went to War, The Horses Didn’t Come Home and The Ratcatcher’s Daughter. Allison is the author […]
Read More The Wish Sisters by Allison RushbyTHE WINTRISH GIRL by Melanie La’Brooy Melanie La’Brooy writes about The Wintrish Girl, her debut novel for young readers for Joy in Books at PaperbarkWords blog. The Wintrish Girl explores high fantasy archetypes of identity, light and dark and the quest. It has moments of unexpected humour and layers of meaning that are perfectly integrated […]
Read More THE WINTRISH GIRL by Melanie La’Brooy
