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 […]

Scout and the Rescue Dogs by Dianne Wolfer ill. Tony Flowers

Scout and the Rescue Dogs by Dianne Wolferill. Tony Flowers (Walker Books Australia) Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2024 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2024 Notable Books Scout and the Rescue Dogs is shortlisted in the CBCA 2024 Book of the Year Younger Readers category. Congratulations on having yet another of your books CBCA shortlisted, Dianne […]

Let’s Never Speak of This Again by Megan Williams

Let’s Never Speak of This Again by Megan Williams Winner of the Text Prize (Published by Text) HONOUR BOOK CBCA 2024 Book of the Year: Older Readers Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2024 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2024 Notable Books Guest author post by Megan Williams about Let’s Never Speak of This Again for […]

Meet Me at the Moon Tree by Shivaun Plozza

Meet Me at the Moon Tree by Shivaun Plozza Guest author post by Shivaun Plozza about Meet Me at the Moon Tree Thank you for your superb body of work for YA and middle-grade, Shivaun and for writing so beautifully about Meet Me at the Moon Tree (published University of Queensland Press) for Joy in […]

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 […]

Grace and Mr Milligan by Caz Goodwin, illustrated by Pip Kruger

Grace and Mr Milligan by Caz Goodwin, illustrated Pip Kruger Guest author: Caz Goodwin Could you tell us about your new picture book, Grace and Mr Milligan? Grace lives next door to old Mr Milligan and his goat Charlie. They are the best of friends. But when Charlie passes away, everything changes. Grace is disturbed […]

Running with Ivan by Suzanne Leal

RUNNING WITH IVAN by SUZANNE LEAL Published by Angus & Robertson (HarperCollins Australia) “Take it from me, Leo, at thirteen you can do almost everything. Never forget this. Difficult things, courageous things: they are all possible, even at thirteen. No, especially at thirteen.” (Running with Ivan) Suzanne and I first met while judging the NSW […]

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 […]

100 Remarkable Feats of Xander Maze

100 REMARKABLE FEATS OF XANDER MAZE by Clayton Zane Comber (HarperCollins) The 2022 Prime Minister’s Literary awards shortlisted books were announced this week. As a judge in prior years I appreciate how much work and expertise is required by the judges, and work and liaison by coordinators and those submitting books for awards. Congratulations to […]

The Museum of Broken Things Lauren Draper

The Museum of Broken Things by Lauren Draper “Gideon crosses his arms behind his head. He looks tired again, I realise. And softer, somehow. Lifeguard Gideon is all hard edges and shrewd lines. Party Gideon is a little looser, his smile a little wider. I hesitate before I settle down beside him at last, gazing […]