The Foal in the Wire by Robbie Coburn

The Foal in the Wire by Robbie Coburn Hachette, Australia Finding a Wounded Foal by Robbie Coburn I have often read that the first novel an author writes is largely autobiographical; in our lives, we have arrived at a point where we can explore our history through the lens of our characters. I have been […]

Hey Zazou! by Tony Thompson

Hey Zazou! by Tony Thompson Published by Ford St Guest author post by Tony Thompson for Paperbark Words Hey, Zazou! is my new novel. It is set in Paris during the Second World War. To introduce it, I thought I would answer some questions that I’ve been asked over the years at schools, libraries, and […]

Emily Rodda Interview: Landovel & other books

Emily Rodda Interview: Landovel & other books Landovel is published by Allen & Unwin 2025 CBCA Notable Books “There’s more than one way to be a hero”. (Landovel: The Truth Teller) Congratulations on Landovel, your three-book fantasy masterwork, being announced as a 2025 CBCA Notable and thank you for speaking with me, Emily. I’ve read […]

A Farm by the Sea by Jillian Packer

A Farm by the Sea by Jillian Packer Published by Berbay Books Jillian Packer writes about her tender, timeless picture book, A Farm by the Sea, to describe how childhood, and the place where you live, grows you into the person you become. Many of her illustrations artfully pay homage to ‘millefleur’ – design style […]

Saturation by William Lane

Saturation by William Lane Saturation by William Lane (Transit Lounge) is a gripping, easy-to-read dystopia for adults that explores issues of climate and other anxieties. On writing Saturation by William Lane It seems every second person wrote a novel during the Covid lockdowns. Saturation is one of these novels. The Covid crisis, along with the […]

How to Survive 1985 by Tegan Bennett Daylight

How to Survive 1985 by Tegan Bennett Daylight (Simon & Schuster) “ ‘There’s a lot more buildings in 2025,’ I said to Julia as we walked along the Quay to the bottom of George Street. It was such a weird feeling, like the twenty-first century was a kind of hologram hanging over the 1980s.” (How […]

The Right Book for the Right Reader by Karys McEwen

We welcome Karys McEwen and The Paperbark Tree Committee, her new middle-fiction novel to Paperbark Words. You can see that there’s a perfect synergy between the book’s title and setting and the blog. Karys’s protagonist is even called ‘Art’! Karys also shares her valuable expertise about the right book for the right reader. The right […]

Higher Ground by Tull Suwannakit

Higher Ground by Tull Suwannakit Author/illustrator Interview at PaperbarkWords “There was no one. Just us. ‘Never lose hope,’ Grandma said. ‘Life can be meaningful even in the darkest of days.’ “ (Higher Ground) New Frontier Publishing Thank you for speaking to ‘Joy in Books’ at PaperbarkWords, Tull. You must be thrilled with the final […]

How to Sail to Somewhere by Ashleigh Barton

How to Sail to Somewhere by Ashleigh Barton Lothian Children’s Books (Hachette Australia) Author Interview with Ashleigh Barton about How to Sail to Somewhere ‘I have used to go there with my mum. She loved books. She said they were the adventure you could have when you couldn’t have an adventure. Whatever that means.’ (How […]

Inside The CBCA 2025 Shortlist & Winners

INSIDE THE CBCA 2025 SHORTLIST & WINNERS The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Shortlisted Books for 2025 have been announced. Follow the links to those books I have already reviewed, or interviewed the author or illustrator, at PaperbarkWords blog. I will add to this list until the winners are announced in August. Congratulations to those creators who […]