Matt Ottley and his Books

Matt Ottley and his books Interview with Matt Ottley at PaperbarkWords I have been a long-time admirer and collector of Matt Ottley’s work. Matt has an exceptional reputation for his artistic and sophisticated picture books. There are too many to list but include Teacup (written by Rebecca Young), Mrs Millie’s Painting, What Faust Saw, Luke’s […]

The Prison Healer trilogy by Lynette Noni

The Prison Healer trilogy by Lynette Noni Author Interview “You say you became the darkness, that it consumed you … but … I’ve never met anyone who shines as brightly as you do.” (The Gilded Cage) Lynette Noni has written exceptionally popular and high-selling fantasy series, the Medoran Chronicles and the Whisper duology. Here I’ll […]

Not Like in the Movies by Kanako Okiron

15-year-old Tasmanian author Kanako Okiron writes with honesty and humour about her fresh and entertaining debut novel, Not Like in the Movies for PaperbarkWords. Kanako writes: Over the course of my childhood, like anyone, I have had my fair share of obsessions. Like anything temporarily interesting for a child, they come and go quickly as […]

Fish Out Of Water by Kate Hendrick

I enjoyed Kate’s previous YA novels The Accident and The Finder and so was very keen to read her new book Fish Out of Water (published by Text). Kate speaks about it here at PaperbarkWords. Kate Hendrick on Fish Out of Water: At fifteen, Finn knows exactly who he is. He’s Finn the swimmer, who […]

Banjo Tully by Justin D’Ath

Author Interview Justin D’Ath writes about Banjo Tully, his new novel for middle readers for PaperbarkWords: Banjo Tully is my lockdown novel. I wrote it in 2020 when I needed a project to put some structure into my days. It isn’t about the pandemic, but that’s what gave me the idea. Remember how everything […]

Girls in Boys’ Cars by Felicity Castagna

Inside the 2022 CBCA Shortlist Author Interview “Girls don’t go out into the world and take whatever they want. Girls have to compromise. Or maybe they don’t. I guess I didn’t in the end.” (Girls in Boys’ Cars) I can only write superlatives about Felicity Castagna’s second YA novel Girls in Boys’ Cars. It […]

Medusa by Jessie Burton, ill. Olivia Lomenech Gill

Medusa by Jessie Burton, ill. Olivia Lomenech Gill My book review of Medusa, written by Jessie Burton (author of The Miniaturist, The Muse and The Confession for adults and The Restless Girls (illustrated by Angela Barrett) for children, illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill, published Bloomsbury is in Magpies magazine now – November 2021. (See review […]

Gilded by Marissa Meyer

Gilded by Marissa Meyer Author Interview “Serilda’s stories take our dull existence and transform it into something special. It’s like … like spinning straw into gold.” (Gilded) Gilded by Marissa Meyer (Text Publishing) is a fantasy retelling of a fairy tale. It is a YA novel that will be relished by adults as well. It […]

It’s Not You, It’s Me by Gabrielle Williams

It’s Not You, It’s Me by Gabrielle Williams Author Interview “She wished she’d appreciated it more the first time around – when she was living her own sixteen-year-old life, rather than someone else’s.” I am truly excited to interview Gabrielle Williams after being intrigued and indeed flabbergasted by her YA novels over the years. Gabrielle […]

Rainfish by Andrew Paterson

Rainfish by Andrew Paterson Author Interview “Outside, we ran, leaving the church behind us like a gigantic iceberg. I almost cried with relief to be in day-light with the birds and the wind rustling the branches of the trees.” (Rainfish) Rainfish is a beautifully crafted debut novel for middle-grade by Andrew Paterson, published by Text […]