inside the 2022 cbca notable books

The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Notable Books for 2022 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 on the Inside the 2022 Shortlist page on the blog until the winners are announced […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

If You’re Happy by Fiona Robertson

Fiona Robertson joins us at PaperbarkWords to talk about her debut short story collection, If You’re Happy (published by UQP). She has aptly titled this piece, ‘If You’re Happy to Travel‘ A few early readers of If You’re Happy have remarked on the number of countries depicted in the book. When I checked the contents […]

Big World, Tiny World: Forest by Jess Racklyeft

Jess Racklyeft speaks about her new picture book, Big World, Tiny World: Forest at PaperbarkWords: Jess Racklyeft on Big World, Tiny World: Forest Big World, Tiny World: Forest was inspired after watching the way my children would find a little universe in a tiny mossy garden – naming snails and building them houses – finding […]

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 […]