The Gifts of Reading for the Next Generation curated by Jennie Orchard

The Gifts of Reading for the Next Generation curated by Jennie Orchard The Gifts of Reading for the Next Generation: essays on nurturing a passion for reading. Inspired by Robert Macfarlane, curated by Jennie Orchard, contributors include Matt Ottley, Alice Pung, Nardi Simpson, Shankari Chandran, Michael Morpurgo, Tristan Bancks, William Boyd and others. Published by […]

Your Kid’s Next Read / Your Next Read

YOUR KID’S NEXT READ & YOUR NEXT READ YOUR KID’S NEXT READ (YKNR) ANNOUNCE NEW JUNIOR FICTION SERIES AIMED TO KEEP KIDS READING – AND LOVING IT – FOR LIFE! “YKNR: a community, a podcast and a newsletter all aimed at growing readers and writers” Interview with the YKNR team: Megan Daley (award-winning teacher-librarian and […]

GUS GORDON: Into the Bewilderness & picture books

GUS GORDON: Into the Bewilderness & picture books Author-illustrator Interview with Gus Gordon, featuring Into the Bewilderness, at PaperbarkWords “Is there more to this life? … Maybe we’re missing out on something here in the woods? What if there’s something else out there? Beyond the trees. Beyond the horizon, where the sun goes down into the […]

Spirit of the Crocodile by Aaron Fa’Aoso and Michelle Scott Tucker with Lyn White

Spirit of the Crocodile by Aaron Fa’Aoso and Michelle Scott Tucker with Lyn White Allen & Unwin ‘What do you think it wants?’ Ezra was talking about the crocodile. It was the only thing they’d been talking about for the past little while. Because it had come back. Not lying around on the boat ramp […]

The Big Backyard Plan by Kirsten Ealand and Laura Stitzel

The Big Backyard Plan by Kirsten Ealand and Laura Stitzel Published by Affirm Press Guest Author & Illustrator Post by Kirsten Ealand and Laura Stitzel Thank you for speaking to Joy in Books at PaperbarkWords blog about your picture book The Big Backyard Plan, Kirsten and Laura. The Big Backyard Plan is a story about four friends – Azumi, Theo, Bree […]

Christopher Cheng & Dragon Folding

Christopher Cheng: a career in books featuring Dragon Folding Author Interview at PaperbarkWords Dragon Folding is Christopher Cheng’s most recent picture book (2024), illustrated by Lucia Masciullo & published by Puffin. ****** Thank you for speaking to ‘Joy in Books’ at PaperbarkWords, Christopher. This interview forms a companion piece to our interview in Magpies magazine […]

Fleur Ferris and Seven Days

Fleur Ferris, Seven Days & other books “It blows my mind to think what we do today matters – not just to us, but to those who come after us, to those who aren’t even born yet. It can impact someone one hundred years from now.” (Seven Days) All of Fleur Ferris’ novels (published Penguin […]

Heroes of the Secret Underground by Susanne Gervay

“You’re free too … You’re not trapped by the secrets of the past. You’re now a witness to the past. To honour those who have suffered and let no one ever forget so it cannot happen again. You’re free to create your future now.” (Heroes of the Secret Underground) Any introduction of Australian children’s author […]

Mo and Crow by Jo Kasch & Jonathan Bentley

Mo and Crow by Jo Kasch, illustrated by Jonathan Bentley (published by Allen & Unwin) Thank you for speaking to PaperbarkWords, Jo. Thank you for having me! This is my first ever chat so I’m very excited. Where are you based and what is your background, particularly in television? What is some of the work […]

The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey

Book Review My lingering recollections of The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey (Text Publishing) are of place and the nature of the labyrinth. Erica finds a fibro shack on the sandy, salty, windswept coastline in the hamlet of Garra Nulla. It is a shambled labyrinth but its core is perfectly proportioned. Erica buys the house. “I […]