Inside the 2026 CBCA Notable Books

The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Notable Books for 2026 have been announced. Follow the links to those books I have already reviewed or interviewed the author or illustrator at PaperbarkWords blog. NB I will add reviews and interviews here and on the Inside the 2026 Shortlist page on the blog (once the shortlist is announced) until the […]

Dr Lilly Brown CEO Magabala Books

Interview with Dr Lilly Brown CEO Magabala Books Congratulations to Gumbaynggirr woman Dr Lilly Brown who is the new CEO of the seminal Magabala Books. Magabala’s role in publishing and promoting books by First Nations’ creators cannot be overstated. Over the years I have consistently recommended books published by Magabala and some of my personal […]

Inside The CBCA 2025 Shortlist & Winners

INSIDE THE CBCA 2025 SHORTLIST & WINNERS The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Shortlisted Books for 2025 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. Congratulations to those creators who […]

South with the Seabirds by Jess McGeachin

South with the Seabirds by Jess McGeachin Author/illustrator Interview at PaperbarkWords “They came at last to an island at the edge of the world.” (South with the Seabirds) South with the Seabirds is another excellent book by Jess McGeachin. It tells a surprising tale about Macquarie Island and its history. Distinguished by Jess’s research, […]

Secret Sparrow by Jackie French

Secret Sparrow by Jackie French Secret Sparrow by national treasure Jackie French (HarperCollins Australia) has just been shortlisted for the 2024 ARA Historical Prize alongside Two Sparrowhawks in a Lonely Sky by Rebecca Lim(Allen & Unwin) and Spies in the Sky by Beverley McWilliams (Pantera Press) in the Children and Young Adult category. The winner will […]

Close to the Subject: Selected Works by Daniel Browning

Close to the Subject: Selected Works by Daniel Browning (Magabala Books) Close to the Subject: Selected Works by Daniel Browning is the intelligent, honest WINNER of the 2024 Prime Minister’s Literary award for Non-Fiction. “My stories are always collaborative, and I try to produce content that represents not simply the who, what and why – […]

Inside the CBCA 2024 Winners

Inside the CBCA 2024 Winners As I have done every year for almost thirty years now, this year I’m again actively, and in depth where possible, writing about and promoting the CBCA Shortlist and Winners. Inside the 2024 CBCA Shortlist 2024 CBCA Winners & Honour Books CBCA Winner, Honour & Shadow Judging announcement The winners […]

Grace Notes by Karen Comer

Grace Notes by Karen Comer (Lothian Children’s Books, Hachette Australia) Grace Notes by Karen Comer is the outstanding WINNER of the CBCA 2024 Book of the Year: Older Readers category. “This song has a grace note, a tiny note that’s there for embellishment but can easily be ignored, not played. Tonight, I add it in […]

The Bell of the World by Gregory Day

The Bell of the World by Gregory Day Author Interview at PaperbarkWords “The world is a bell that sometimes only rings after long intervals: indeed it is often in the intervals where the suffering, and therefore the wisdom, lies.” (The Bell of the World) Gregory Day is the awarded author of The Patron Saint of […]

The Space Between by Jess McGeachin

The Space Between by Jess McGeachin Published by Penguin Books It is Jess McGeachin’s time. His picture books Fly, The Lost Library, Frankie and the Fossil, The Tree at Number 43, Kind and others are steadily garnering a following as well as awards. Jess is a thoughtful and assured author-illustrator who prizes the imagination. He […]