Inside the 2024 CBCA Notable Books

The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Notable Books for 2024 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 here and on the Inside the 2024 Shortlist page on the blog (once the shortlist is announced) until the […]

LIONEL AND ME by Corinne Fenton Illustrated by Tracie Grimwood

LIONEL AND ME Written by Corinne Fenton, Illustrated by Tracie Grimwood (published by New Frontier) Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 Notable Books Lionel and Me is a beautiful, warm story for young children. All dog lovers will adore it. On Writing LIONEL AND ME Guest author post by […]

INSIDE THE 2023 CBCA NOTABLE BOOKS

The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Notable Books for 2023 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 here and on the Inside the 2023 Shortlist page on the blog (once the shortlist is announced) until the winners […]

Evie and Rhino

Evie and Rhino by Neridah McMullin, illustrated by Astred Hicks Published by Walker Books Australia Evie and Rhino is a beautifully written middle-fiction novel about a most unusual and significant friendship. Neridah McMullin tells us about Evie and Rhino and about her writing craft at PaperbarkWords: Why a Rhino? Until recently, rhinos weren’t really an […]

All the Little Tricky Things by Karys McEwen

All the Little Tricky Things by Karys McEwen “I don’t want to be ungrateful about being sent to a good school in the city. I know I’m lucky. It just adds to my weird tummy feelings about being an in-betweener. I won’t belong with the Merri kids anymore, but at the end of each day, […]

How to Spell Catastrophe by Fiona Wood

How to Spell Catastrophe by Fiona Wood “Our word of the week is participation. More like ‘exclusion’ for me, not that anyone seems to care.” (How to Spell Catastrophe) Fiona Wood is one of Australia’s best contemporary writers of YA literature, evinced by the many awards her books have won. In fact, her three most […]

When the Waterhole Dries Up by Kaye Baillie, illustrated by Max Hamilton

When the Waterhole Dries Up by Kaye Baillie, illustrated by Max Hamilton Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2022 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2022 CBCA Notable Books Author & Illustrator Interview When the Waterhole Dries Up by Kaye Baillie, illustrated by Max Hamilton (Windy Hollow Books) is a cumulative, riotous tale about a small dusty […]

Robin Klein in Letters

Letters from Robin: a voyage around my author by Jon Appleton “I do hope you continue to write when you have a spare moment – I look forward to hearing about your life in the UK. Take care and God bless – love Robin K.” (Robin Klein to Jon Appleton in Letters from Robin) Many […]

If Not Us by Mark Smith

“Social licence … It’s what enables a company to operate with the acceptance of the community. A local campaign can undermine the social licence if the town starts to question whether it really wants … any … company – here.” (If Not Us) It is a pleasure to speak to Mark Smith on the blog. […]

We Love You, Magoo by Briony Stewart

Inside the 2021 CBCA Shortlist We Love You, Magoo is written and illustrated by much-loved author-illustrator Briony Stewart. It is shortlisted for the CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood awards and is published by Penguin Random House Australia. Thank you for speaking to PaperbarkWords, Briony. No worries! My Pleasure! I have loved and promoted […]