The Worlds We Leave Behind by A.F. Harrold & Levi Pinfold

The Worlds We Leave Behind by A.F. Harrold, illustrated by Levi Pinfold (published by Bloomsbury) Author interview with A.F. Harrold ‘As the day had gone by he’d been a bottle caught in the river current, bobbing and vanishing and twirling this way and that, yes and no, peace and anger, forgiveness and revenge.’ (The Worlds […]

A Walk in the Dark Jane Godwin

A Walk in the Dark by Jane Godwin A Walk in the Dark by Jane Godwin (Lothian Children’s Books) is my favourite of Jane’s excellent novels. It is genuinely exciting and high stakes, in a realistic way. It is also layered and meaningful as the group of Year Nine students tackle the ‘dropping’, a prepared […]

Kate Gordon Whalesong

Whalesong by Kate Gordon (published by Riveted Press) Author interview with Kate Gordon “Threads. All the way through the ages. Binding us together. Threads made of blood and history and bearing hearts. And hope. That is what we are, Aberdeen. We are hope. Young people, young women, like you and me. We are hope. You […]

THE WINTRISH GIRL by Melanie La’Brooy

THE 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 […]

No Words by Maryam Master

No Words by Maryam Master “Words have power.” (No Words by Maryam Master) Maryam Master’s debut children’s novel Exit Through the Gift Shop (illustrated by Astred Hicks) is shortlisted for the 2022 CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers category. No Words, her new children’s /middle-fiction novel is equally important and powerful. Not a memoir […]

August & Jones by Pip Harry

August & Jones by Pip Harry Pip Harry is the much-loved and awarded author of ground-breaking YA (Because of You, Head of the River and I’ll Tell You Mine) and middle-fiction (The Little Wave and Are You There, Buddha?). Her books are original, thought-provoking and beautifully crafted. Her lovely new middle-fiction novel August and Jones […]

The Detective’s Guide to Ocean Travel by Nicki Greenberg

The Detective’s Guide to Ocean Travel by Nicki Greenberg Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2022 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2022 CBCA Notable Books Author Interview “She slunk off to the library. The room was deserted, as it had been every time she had looked in. She wandered listlessly among the armchairs and sofas and […]

All the Little Tricky Things by Karys McEwen

All the Little Tricky Things by Karys McEwen “I don’t want to be ungrateful about being sent to a good school in the city. I know I’m lucky. It just adds to my weird tummy feelings about being an in-betweener. I won’t belong with the Merri kids anymore, but at the end of each day, […]

How to Spell Catastrophe by Fiona Wood

How to Spell Catastrophe by Fiona Wood “Our word of the week is participation. More like ‘exclusion’ for me, not that anyone seems to care.” (How to Spell Catastrophe) Fiona Wood is one of Australia’s best contemporary writers of YA literature, evinced by the many awards her books have won. In fact, her three most […]

Inside the 2022 CBCA Shortlist

Inside the CBCA Shortlist The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Shortlisted Books for 2022 has been announced. Follow the links to those I have already reviewed or interviewed the author or illustrator on the blog. I will add to this list until the winners are announced in August. Congratulations to those creators who have […]