The Paperbark Tree Committee & the Right Book for the Right Reader by Karys McEwen

2026 CBCA Shortlisted Book We welcome Karys McEwen and The Paperbark Tree Committee, her new middle-fiction novel to Paperbark Words. You can see that there’s a perfect synergy between the book’s title and setting and the blog. Karys’s protagonist is even called ‘Art’! Karys also shares her valuable expertise about the right book for the […]

The Midwatch by Judith Rossell

The Midwatch by Judith Rossell Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing Author Interview with Judith Rossell about The Midwatch ‘Miss Mandelay says we should all learn as many useful things as we possibly can,’ said Harriet, ‘so we’re ready.’ ‘Holy mackerel. Ready for what?’ asked Maggie. Harriet took a bite and said with her mouth full, ‘Ready […]

The 113th Assistant Librarian by Stuart Wilson

The 113th Assistant Librarian by Stuart Wilson (published by Penguin Australia) Author interview with Stuart Wilson “‘My dear boy, books are powerful ….’ The librarian paused to cough with a horrible chesty rattle, wincing as he did. ‘They are more than simple bound pages. Books may record the past, predict the future, or hold the […]

Sarah Bailey & Body of Lies

Sarah Bailey & Body of Lies Published by Allen & Unwin Author Interview Sarah Bailey is a prominent new Australian crime writer, known for her DS Gemma Woodstock series. The Dark Lake, first in the series won the 2018 Ned Kelly award for Best First Crime novel and the Davitt Award for Best Crime Debut. […]

The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead & Wendy Mass

The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead & Wendy Mass ‘ “All of life is a mystery, in a way. And that makes every single one of us a detective.” … Evan sat there for a few seconds, looking at his desk. He was trying to solve a mystery, he realized: the mystery of the little […]

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki

Book Review: The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki “Stories never start at the beginning, Benny. They differ from life in that regard. Life is lived from birth to death, from the beginning into an unknowable future. But stories are told in hindsight. Stories are life lived backward.” (The Book of Form and […]