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 Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling

The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling Book Review ‘Christmas Eve is a night for miracles and lost causes.’ (The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling) J.K. Rowlings’ The Christmas Pig, illustrated by Jim Field, published by Little Brown and Hachette Children’s Group, is a magical way to embrace the Christmas season. The outer jacket illustration in […]

The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Sophie Blackall

The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Sophie Blackall (published by Candlewick Press & Walker Books Australia) Author Interview “There will one day come a girl child who will unseat A king and bring about a great change.” (The Beatryce Prophecy) Kate DiCamillo’s books for children are amongst the best in the world. Titles […]

Exit Through the Gift Shop by Maryam Master

Exit Through the Gift Shop by Maryam Master, illustrated by Astred Hicks Inside the 2022 CBCA Shortlist Exit Through the Gift Shop is a stand-out middle-fiction novel for mature children in upper primary and for readers in junior secondary school. The combined title and cover are eye-catching. The voice of 12-year-old Ana is striking, memorable […]

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 […]

Words on the Waves Writers Festival 2021

The inaugural Words on the Waves Writers Festival was held on Darkinjung Country on the NSW Central Coast over the June 2021 long weekend. The festival was marked by its combination of professionalism and strong sense of hospitality. The program was exceptionally well curated, ranging from the Climate Changemakers; On Truth, Brains, Money & More; […]

Where Snow Angels Go by Maggie O’Farrell

Where Snow Angels Go by Maggie O’Farrell, illustrated by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini Where Snow Angels Go is a sumptuous Christmas gift book by Maggie O’Farrell, Edinburgh-based author of the acclaimed novel for adults, Hamnet, a tale of William Shakespeare’s son. Where Snow Angels Go is an illustrated work in picture book form. It is an […]

When We Say Black Lives Matter by Maxine Beneba Clarke

Book Review Much of Maxine Beneba Clarke’s writing is poetic, and often throws unforgettable diamond-honed punches. I have read and valued a number of her books, beginning with her short fiction Foreign Soil, in which the first story refers to a bike that evokes searing memories as well as a mention of patchwork bikes. Her […]

Ruby Tuesday by Hayley Lawrence

“Everything is quiet in the forest. For the first time in years, I don’t dream of falling when I close my eyes. No, I dream of flying.” (Ruby Tuesday) Ruby Tuesday is a thoughtfully composed tale about Ruby who lives in a forest near a small Australian town with her disabled mother. They are both […]

Breathless by Jennifer Niven

“You were my first. Not just sex, although that was part of it, but the first to look past everything else into me.” (Breathless) Not only is Jennifer Niven one of the most highly regarded and popular writers of YA literature in the world, she is one of the most lovely and charming people you […]