GLIMPSE by jane higgins

GLIMPSE by Jane Higgins ‘FINDING THE WORLD OF GLIMPSE‘ Guest author post at PaperbarkWords blog by Jane Higgins Glimpse is a story about earthquakes and what might happen if some of us could see them coming. The world of Glimpse comes from my own experience of a series of earthquakes that rocked my city of […]

Read More GLIMPSE by jane higgins

inside the cbca 2023 shortlist

INSIDE THE CBCA 2023 SHORTLIST The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Shortlisted Books for 2023 has been announced. Follow the links to those books 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. Also see the 2023 […]

Read More inside the cbca 2023 shortlist

Nightbirds by Kate J. Armstrong

Nightbirds by Kate J. Armstrong Author Interview ‘I’ll tell you another secret … about Simta. Everyone in this city wears a mask. They pretend they’re someone braver, smarter, more cunning: whatever mask best suits them. Wear it well and no one will see you – not the real you. They’ll only see what you want […]

Read More Nightbirds by Kate J. Armstrong

Sensitive by Allayne L. Webster & IBBY

Book award season has begun! IBBY Australia congratulates Allayne L Webster and Asphyxia whose respective books Sensitive and Future Girl have been selected for the 2023 IBBY international catalogue of outstanding books for young people with disabilities. These books were selected from the following Australian nominations. The ten titles nominated by IBBY Australia are: The […]

Read More Sensitive by Allayne L. Webster & IBBY

SPICE ROAD by Maiya Ibrahim

SPICE ROAD by Maiya Ibrahim An epic Young Adult fantasy set in an Arabian-inspired land Debut author Maiya Ibrahim has written Spice Road (first in the Spice Road fantasy series), her fantastic #ownvoices story inspired by her heritage and the stories passed down to her from her parents, who fled Lebanon and resettled in Australia […]

Read More SPICE ROAD by Maiya Ibrahim

The Snow Laundry by Mette Jakobsen

The Snow Laundry by Mette Jakobsen Mette Jakobsen is an excellent writer of literary fiction (The Wingmaker is a standout and I am keen to read her earlier novels) and now has branched into YA with The Snow Laundry, the first in her Tower series (published HarperCollins Australia). Mette begins her guest author post at […]

Read More The Snow Laundry by Mette Jakobsen

Unnecessary Drama by Nina Kenwood

Unnecessary Drama by Nina Kenwood Published by Text Publishing Author Interview “I briefly fantasise about walking into the room with a cute guy and letting them think I’ve just met him, or, no, that we know each other from uni maybe, and I’m taking him back to the house to hook up – there’s a […]

Read More Unnecessary Drama by Nina Kenwood

100 Remarkable Feats of Xander Maze

100 REMARKABLE FEATS OF XANDER MAZE by Clayton Zane Comber (HarperCollins) The 2022 Prime Minister’s Literary awards shortlisted books were announced this week. As a judge in prior years I appreciate how much work and expertise is required by the judges, and work and liaison by coordinators and those submitting books for awards. Congratulations to […]

Read More 100 Remarkable Feats of Xander Maze