Completely Normal (and Other Lies) by Biffy James

Completely Normal (and Other Lies) by Biffy James (published Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing) Completely Normal (and Other Lies) is shortlisted in the CBCA 2023 Book of the Year Older Readers category. Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 Notable Books “The jealousy I felt was familiar and comforting, so I […]

The Jammer

The Jammer by Nova Weetman Published by University of Queensland Press “I run my fingers along the ridges, feeling the warmth of the rock. I wish I could pluck it free and take it with me in my box of special things as proof that even when something is gone, an image of it can […]

Words on the Waves Writers Festival 2022

Words on the Waves Writers Festival 2022 The second Words on the Waves Writers Festival was held on Darkinjung Country on the NSW Central Coast during the first weekend in June 2022. The festival expanded over two venues, Ocean Beach Surf Life Saving Club and Umina SLSC (both at Umina Beach) and was marked by […]

Florence & Fox by Zanni Louise, illustrated by Anna Pignataro

Florence & Fox by Zanni Louise, illustrated by Anna Pignataro Inside the 2022 CBCA Notable Books Author & Illustrator Interview Congratulations on your picture book Florence & Fox (Walker Books Australia) being recognised as a Notable Book in the 2022 CBCA Early Childhood category, Zanni and Anna. Thank you both for speaking to Joy in […]

The Magic of Magnolia Moon by Edwina Wyatt

Edwina Wyatt writes as beautifully and with as much care for PaperbarkWords about her new children’s novel, The Magic of Magnolia Moon, as she does in her books. The Magnolia Moon trilogy (Walker Books Australia) is shaping up to be an exquisite and important body of work for children. Edwina Wyatt writes about The Magic […]

The Boy and the Elephant by freya blackwood

The Boy and the Elephant by Freya Blackwood Picture Book Review Freya Blackwood is indisputably one of Australia and the world’s best picture book creators. Her works continually appear on the CBCA awards and winners lists and she has also won the international 2010 Kate Greenaway Medal for illustration. All of her books are standouts. […]

Wandi: the very true story of the baby dingo who fell from the sky by Favel Parrett

Wandi: the very true story of the baby dingo who fell from the sky by Favel Parrett Author Interview “Most Humans do not understand us. It seems like Humans often kill things they don’t understand – things they are frightened of.” (Wandi) Favel Parrett is well known for her beautifully crafted novels for adults, Past […]

The Verse Novels of Kathryn Apel

The Verse Novels of Kathryn Apel Author Interview “Why can’t we all just be friends?” (Too Many Friends) Australia is a leader in verse novels for young readers and Kathryn Apel is one of our major writers in the field. Kathryn’s engaging and affirming verse novels, Bully on the Bus (2014), On Track (2015), Too […]

Dragon Skin by Karen Foxlee

Inside the 2022 CBCA Shortlist Dragon Skin by Karen Foxlee (published by A&U) Author Interview “If you find a dragon you need a friend.” (Dragon Skin) Every new book from Karen Foxlee comes to us with great anticipation. She brings magic into the world in both her realist and fantasy stories. Her books resonate with […]

Catch Me If I Fall by Barry Jonsberg

“We’re like one of those fairy stories Mum used to read us at bedtime, Ashleigh. A princess and her prince brother in our beautiful tower… But we know nothing about the world out there … The real world.” (Catch Me If I Fall) Some of Barry Jonsberg’s early YA novels, The Whole Business with […]