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 […]

Dirt by Sea by Michael Wagner, illustrated by Tom Jellett

Dirt by Sea by Michael Wagner, illustrated by Tom Jellett (published by Penguin Random House Australia) Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 Notable Books Dirt by Sea by Michael Wagner, illustrated by Tom Jellett (Puffin Books, Penguin Random House) Author Interview with Michael Wagner Dirt by Sea by Michael […]

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 […]

What We All Saw by Mike Lucas

What We All Saw by Mike Lucas Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 Notable Books What We All Saw by Mike Lucas (published Penguin Random House Australia) What We All Saw is a high-stakes tale of friendship, risk and danger. It is well balanced with thought-provoking themes. It defies […]

Come Together: Things Every Aussie Kid Should Know about the First Peoples by Isaiah Firebrace ill. Jaelyn Biumaiwai

Come Together: Things Every Aussie Kid Should Know about the First Peoples by Isaiah Firebrace, ill. Jaelyn Biumaiwai (Hardie Grant Publishing) Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 Notable Books Isaiah Firebrace is a Yorta Yorta and Gundit Jamara man whose formative years were spent on the banks of the Murray […]

Where the Lyrebird Lives by Vikki Conley illustrated by Max Hamilton

Where the Lyrebird Lives by Vikki Conley, illustrated by Max Hamilton Published by Windy Hollow Books Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 Notable Books Author & Illustrator Interview Where the Lyrebird Lives by Vikki Conley, illustrated by Max Hamilton (Windy Hollow Books) is a celebration of the Australian bush […]

A is for Australian Reefs by Frané Lessac

A is for Australian Reefs by Frané Lessac Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 Notable Books A is for Australian Reefs by Frané Lessac (published Walker Books Australia) A is for Australian Reefs is the latest in Frané Lessac’s impressive body of picture books. Her books are distinctive for […]

Snap! by Anna Walker

Snap! by Anna Walker Inside the CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 CBCA Shortlist Inside the 2023 Notable Books Snap! By Anna Walker (published Scribble Kids’ Books) Snap! is an exuberant gem of a picture book for young readers and will also be relished by those who share it with them. It is the dramatic tale […]

inside the cbca 2023 shortlist

INSIDE THE CBCA 2023 SHORTLIST The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Shortlisted Books for 2023 has been announced. Follow the links to those books I have already reviewed, or interviewed the author or illustrator, on the blog. I will add to this list until the winners are announced in August. Also see the 2023 […]