Scar Town & Tristan Bancks

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki

Book Review: The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki “Stories never start at the beginning, Benny. They differ from life in that regard. Life is lived from birth to death, from the beginning into an unknowable future. But stories are told in hindsight. Stories are life lived backward.” (The Book of Form and…

When We Say Black Lives Matter by Maxine Beneba Clarke

Book Review Much of Maxine Beneba Clarke’s writing is poetic, and often throws unforgettable diamond-honed punches. I have read and valued a number of her books, beginning with her short fiction Foreign Soil, in which the first story refers to a bike that evokes searing memories as well as a mention of patchwork bikes. Her…

CBCA 2021 Winners

The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) winners and honour books for 2021 have been announced. Follow the links to those I have already reviewed or interviewed the author or illustrator on the blog. Congratulations to those creators who have been commended in this way. Older Readers WINNER The End of the World is Bigger […]

Starting Secondary School: The Essential Handbook for every Australian family by Michael Carr-Gregg & Sharon Witt

Starting Secondary School (Penguin Random House Australia) by child and adolescent psychologist and founder of Canteen, Michael Carr-Gregg and experienced teacher and founder of the Resilient Kids Conference, Sharon Witt is a practical, easy-to-read guide. It is aimed at parents with a child entering Year 7 in secondary school but is also useful for parents…

CBCA Book Week 2020

Inside the CBCA Shortlist Traditionally held in August, the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book Week will be held in October 17-23 in 2020. The CBCA awards are prestigious and influential and now is a great time to have a closer look at the Australian books for young people shortlisted in 2020. They are deemed…

Books for Young Children from Magabala

Counting our Country by Jill Daniels Counting our Country is a counting book written in both English and the Aboriginal Ritharrŋu language, which is part of the Yolŋu language family from South-East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. It is formatted as a board book for very young children and is illustrated in bold, bright […]