This is just to say: Poems of apology and forgiveness by Joyce Sidman illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

Although the poems can be enjoyed alone, readers will truly understand the magic of this book when they read the poem of apology and the response together.  For the Love of the Book

At first I thought this book was a collection of poems written by school students but then, after quite a long search, I discovered it was all written by Joyce Sidman - she was inspired by a group of fourth grades who she asked to write a sorry poem to her mother. 

"This made me think a lot about apology and forgiveness. What if all these sorry poems were actually sent to the people they were written to? What if all those people wrote back?"

So as the review quote at the start of this post says - it works well to read this book by flipping back and forth. There are 18 apology poems in the first half of this book and 18 responses in part 2.

Of course the first poem just had to be famous one by William Carlos Williams:

There are some big life themes covered in these poems so that is why I think this book will better suit upper primary and lower secondary readers or classrooms. Topics include bullies; rudeness to a teacher; greed; sibling rivalry; peer group pressure; accidents; euthanizing a pet; and possibly even suicide.

I spied this book in a discard pile in a library and when I enquired about it, I discovered it was considered not really appropriate for the younger readers who use this library. I was curious so I borrowed the book and YES this a poetry book but it is as I said, most certainly for readers aged 10+. This book was published in 2007 so it is now out of print but you might find a copy in a school or local library. You could adapt this book into a reader's theatre performance.

The illustrations created by Pamela Zagarenski are sketched beautifully. In many of the pictures there are newspapers that have been clipped that carry the definitions for apologies and forgiveness.  Name that Poem

The poems touch on many topics which will connect with readers of this age including dysfunctional families, hurting other’s feelings, disobeying, death of a pet, steeling, friendship and sports.  Throughout the book, Sidman incorporates various poetry styles including pantoum (Spelling Bomb), concrete (Dodge Ball Crazy), haiku (Haiku for Carmen) and couplet (Brownies – Oops! and A Waste of Heart). Lindsay Reads

Awards

• Claudia Lewis Poetry Award
• Cybils Poetry Award
• Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor Book

I really like the premise of This is just to say. It reminded me of these two books:

The One thing You'd Save

Blurb from author page: The assignment: If you could give someone special in your life a present — just one gift — who would you choose, and what would it be? Discuss. Certain students know their answers right away. A few find their answers more slowly. And while some responses spark lively conversation, others are revealed only in the privacy of journal pages. But all of the choices are as heartfelt as they are unexpected. 

I am now really keen to this book from 2025 by Joyce Sidman and Melissa Sweet:

I have talked about Joyce Sidman previously and also Pamela Zagarenski.

Butterfly eyes

Also check out my post about Beth Krommes and her art

Winter Bees

The Whisper

Joey and the Junjardy by Allison Rocca illustrated by Brenton E McKenna

"I'd been cursed by the Junjardy ever since I moved to Coolibah Creek. But I didn't have hard feelings about it. I was glad the Junjardy had latched onto me, saw something in me living on ancestral land, showed me how to find my place ... to Country."

Joey and his family - mum, dad and sister have moved back to live with their uncle at Collibah Creek. Near the creek Joey hears some noises and later he sees a small hairy creature. Now Joey himself is somewhat of a prankster, but he seems to have met his match with the Junjardy. The question is how much is too much and why are the pranks escalating - is the Junjardy upset?

"Two eyes appeared, peering out among the leaves. Bright, unblinking eyes. Too big for a lizard. Too small for a stray dog. My breath stuck in my throat. A cold, prickly feeling crawled over me, from top to toes, like I'd stepped into a giant spiderweb. The eyes glinted at me. .... I dunno what I was looking at. I just knew it wasn't good."

"Could it be that Coolibah Creek was not some old, boring place like I first thought?"

"I looked closer. I could make out a head, body, arms and legs. The face had ordinary human features, if you could call them that. Poking out from a mat of dark grass-like hair was a flat nose and a mouth with jagged teeth. Somehow it was a face that managed to look young and old at the same time, both a boy and a girl at one."

"Some mobs believe that it's a protector of the land. For fellas on their native land, it can be mischievous. Stealing from them, hiding things, making a mess. But ... fellas who are not on traditional land or who are trying to hurt the land ... it can act aggressively towards them."

Adults can't see the Junjardy and nor can some kids but later Joey learns his teacher and mother do know about it. 

I had one small quibble with this book. I read the bio of debut author Allison Rocca and discovered she is a primary school teacher, so I was very surprised by her portrayal and character name for the school Principal of Collibah Creek Primary School - Mr Plodd. She also makes a small throw-away comment about teachers when she says describes the scene 15 minutes after the end of the school day: "We were the last kids around. Teachers were leaving the car park in droves." I have worked in five schools and I never witnessed teachers leaving so quickly after the bell. It is an awful myth/generalisation that teachers only work between 9am and 3pm. Here is a link to the teachers notes where you can read why Allison wrote her book. 

Thanks to UQP for sending an advance copy of Joey and the Junjardy. This book will be included if your school purchases the Lamont Standing order. 

Publisher blurb: Joey Gibbs is always up for a laugh. What isn’t funny: the ‘Big Trouble’ he caused at his old school that meant his family had to move back home to Coolibah Creek. Joey’s going to keep his head down this time. New school, new mates, new start. But trouble seems to have a way of finding him.

When his sister and cousin start getting mysteriously pranked, Joey looks for answers from his Wakka Wakka culture. He discovers he’s caught the attention of the Junjardy, a hairy little trickster. Joey can’t resist making mischief again with his secret partner in crime. But as the jokes spiral out of control, he must work out what the Junjardy wants with him before disaster strikes.

Joey and the Junjardy’, by debut First Nations author Allison Rocca, is a funny middle-grade novel featuring characters from First Nations storytelling. This represents reading for pleasure - and has the power to raise really positive conversations about storytelling and culture. Paul Macdonald

Allison Rocca is a primary school teacher who has taught in classrooms from the ’burbs of Australia, to remote villages in Asia and castle-like academies in Oxford. She is a descendant of Wakka Wakka and Kaanju people and her upbringing was rich in storytelling. Allison likes to draw on the stories passed down by her highly respected Elder grandparents to write fiction for children and young adults. She lives and writes on Yuggera/Turrbal Country, Brisbane.

Brenton E McKenna is a Yawuru artist and writer from Broome who fell in love with comic books at a young age. He studied visual arts at Goulburn TAFE, and in 2011 became the first ever published Indigenous graphic novelist with the release of Ubby’s Underdogs: The Legend of the Phoenix Dragon. When he’s not drawing, Brenton dedicates his time to educating young people through creative storytelling workshops.

The scenes in this story where Joey is framed for taking Bruno's precious pencil set reminded me of these classic Australia books:

Here is another Australian book about pranking:

Radiant by Vunda Micheaux Nelson

Sometimes 

I want to be white. 

White— 

like new snow 

or angel wings. 

White— 

like fresh milk 

or cumulous clouds. 

White— 

like just-washed sheets 

dancing on the clothesline. 

White— 

a full moon on a clear night.

Cooper is named after her Grandfather. I do like to think about names. Her name could be a source of teasing or worse but no, the bullying all relates to the colour of her skin mainly from one boy in her class. She is having a hard time in school - firstly with a dreadful bully named Wade Carter and also with her teacher Mrs Keating. But Cooper has a goal to shine:

I look up “shine” in the dictionary. It means a lot of good stuff. The kind Mama means: “To radiate. To give off light. To be made bright by polishing. To sparkle and shimmer with luster." It means brilliance and splendor. —That’s what I want. I want to shine. To be brilliant. To be radiant. “Radiant” is one of the words.

To shine at school means scoring good grades and 'winning' over Mrs Keating. At times this seems to be an almost impossible goal.

Then there is Wade who takes every opportunity to be so nasty to Cooper. Spoiler alert - in stories (and maybe in real life too) there is often a deeper reason for the bullying - and in this book it is true that Wade is going through some very tough stuff at home but I have to say I found it very hard to be sympathetic (even when his mum died). 

I wish Wade hadn’t heard me say I want to shine. I wish I hadn’t said it out loud. I do want to shine. I want to shine so bright, so bright that I blind Wade. Color blind him.

I wonder, is Wade scared? Scared of me? Or is he just mean?

Cooper, quite rightly, would like different colours for Crayola crayons - different colours to use for skin tones. This could be a good discussion point with a reading group. 

And why does my skin matter so much? Nobody cares if I wear a red blouse or a blue one. Why should they care if I wear black skin or white skin or purple skin?

Then for Christmas Cooper is gifted a small transistor radio and she also discovers the famous pop group - the Beatles. 

Kate and I read about John Lennon Paul McCartney George Harrison and Ringo Starr (with two r’s). We learn some new British words, like “gear” and “cuppa” “lift” and “kip.”

It is also an important turning point for Cooper when another 'black' student arrives in her class. I loved this boy - he is confident, he is kind, He is so proud of his heritage and most of all he is so friendly to everyone. 

There are references to other books in Radiant - The Wizard of Oz; Charlotte's Web; and Langston Hughes poetry. 

Australian readers will be unfamiliar with many of the historical references in this book - the assassination of JFK, Martin Luther King Jr, and the Klu Klux Klan along with all the references to racial discrimination but many kids will identify with Cooper's need to find herself, her voice, her own place in the world and her desire for representation - where are the kids like her in stories and films. They will also cheer as she conquers school and gains good results on her end of year report card. I would share this verse novel with mature readers aged 10+.

Publisher blurb: As school begins in 1963, Cooper Dale wrestles with what it means to “shine” for a black girl in a predominantly white community near Pittsburgh. Set against the historic backdrop of the Birmingham church bombing, the Kennedy assassination, and Beatlemania, Radiant is a finely crafted novel in verse about race, class, faith, and finding your place in a loving family and a complicated world.   Cooper’s primary concern is navigating fifth grade, where she faces both an extra-strict teacher and the bullying of Wade Carter, the only child of a well-to-do white family, whose home Cooper’s mother cleans for extra income. How can she shine when her mother works for the meanest boy in school? To make matters worse, Cooper quietly wishes she could be someone else. It’s not all bad, though. Cooper and her beloved older sister have fallen for the Beatles, and Cooper is thrilled to have something special they can share. And what she learns about her British idols adds new complexity to Cooper’s feelings about race.

This verse novel examines complex themes of identity, forgiveness, self-love, and self-actualization through writing that’s accessible to young readers. Nelson intentionally and deftly uses details to situate the novel with history, and she’s crafted an endearing, three-dimensional protagonist in Cooper, whose voice and authentic struggle to make sense of her experiences will resonate in a work that presents fertile ground for discussion. Kirkus

Companion books:

One Crazy Summer

Blended

Ten years ago I read another book by Vunca Micheaux Nelson - Possibles.

Inked by Karen Wasson illustrated by Jake A Minton

When I read the title of this book I thought it was about tattoos - I should have looked more closely at the cover - can you see the octopus. His name is Otto and Otto is an opera singer but instead of arriving in Rome ready to perform at the famous opera house he finds himself in Rone. 

He is in the wrong town but also in the wrong place - this is a fish shop and humans eat calamari (octopus). Meanwhile twelve-year-old Sid scores a place in the art school of his dreams but his family have no money and the fish shop is not going well because a rival over the road is offering cheaper meals. 

How can a singing octopus save the day? 

Inked is a madcap adventure told as a graphic novel. It looks like a long book with close to 300 pages but the format means you will read it very quickly and also you will want to read it all in one gulp because, while you know there must be a happy ending, I was desperate to see if my predictions came true (they didn't).

Bookseller blurb: When 12-year-old Sid discovers a talking octopus in his family’s fish shop, he is shocked – and annoyed. Otto the octopus is cheeky, demanding, and won’t leave Sid alone until he helps Otto get to the ocean … roughly 300 kilometres away! But Sid has bigger fish to fry. He has to figure out how to get into the art school of his dreams, or else high school next year will be a nightmare.    Can these frenemies find a way to work together, or will it all end in disaster? Or even worse … will Sid and Otto realise they actually make a pretty great team? Brimming with hilarity, hijinks and plenty of heart, the first graphic novel from author Karen Wasson and CBCA-acclaimed illustrator Jake A Minton sparkles with slapstick humour and fish-out-of-water misunderstandings. With extraordinary full-colour artwork and a bonus 'making of' section at the end, readers of all ages will be surprised and delighted with this stand-out suburban adventure for middle-grade readers. Prepare to get INKED!

You can see more pages inside Inked here

Check out more about Jake A Minton on his Instagram page. I was a CBCA Judge when Jake A Minton's first book was published - it was submitted for the New Illustrator award - "There's no such Book".

Inked is a 2026 CBCA Younger Readers shortlist title. Here are the judges' comments:

If I was introducing or book talking Inked with a group of students (Grade 4 and up) I would begin with the music from this story. It would be fun to involve your school music teacher if you have one. You could just listen to these extracts for a minute or two.

• M'ama, sì, m'ama, lo vedo, lo vedo! from the Donizetti's Opera (video from YouTube) 
• Here is a terrific orchestral version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
• La donna e mobile Verdi (here is Pavarotti)
• Octopus's Garden
• Cry me a river (here is Michael Buble)
• Recitar mentre preso del delirio (video from YouTube)

Here are the teachers notes which oddly do not mention the music. 

A quick summary of the plot makes this book sound completely absurd, but readers will be surprised and delighted by thoughtful character development, witty dialogue, and Jake A. Minton’s warm, polished artwork. Inked is a strangely compelling reading experience with a filmic style and energy. An excellent, wildly entertaining read for ages 9+. Readings Melbourne

Brimming with hilarity, hijinks and plenty of heart, the first graphic novel from author Karen Wasson and CBCA-acclaimed illustrator Jake A Minton sparkles with slapstick humour and fish-out-of-water misunderstandings. With extraordinary full-colour artwork and a bonus 'making of' section at the end, readers of all ages will be surprised and delighted with this stand-out suburban adventure for middle-grade readers. Lamont Books

Running in Circles by Shivaun Plozza

Dell (Adelaide) lives with her dad and three sisters. Mum left the family when Dell was only seven to follow her dream of finding evidence and perhaps even meeting aliens. Initially mum did contact the family but for many years they have not heard from her. Dell resents the way her birthday cards, if they were even sent, arrived well after the event and she is confused and furious as to why mum left them in the first place. None of this is fair to her dad or her sisters. Then mum arrives back in town. It is Dell who first sees her and her instinct is to protect the family from any further hurt and disappointment. The two youngest children, Prim and Una, don't have any memory of their mother - they were so young when she left. Summer, Dell's older sister does remember, and Dell is sure she won't want to revisit the hurt and disappointment that will to come when her mother breezes out of town again.

Slowly Dell watches with deep concern and even anger as each member of her family seems to fall under mum's spell. Mum is sure this new crop circle in Tully means friendly aliens want to help our planet with our climate crisis. Dell is a budding meteorologist so she knows this is all nonsense but then dad says the whole family needs to go to the crop circle at midnight on 7th June because that is when the aliens will arrive. 

Here are a few text quotes:

"I turn away and walk the circle myself. It's messy. It's not sugar cane this time, just long grass that's all squished and tangled like bed hair. ... I crouch, searching for signs the grass was flattened with a plank. Nothing. ... Just rain and grass and mud and footprints." pg 117

"Why is she here? In our house? The one she left? My heart constricts. What if she stays. If she apologises and becomes our mum again and loves dad and never leaves. Is that okay?" pg 161

"You should all read Quentin's book. He argues that every time they visit, it's been to heal our mistakes through the key lines. Humans cause so much damage. We're really the worst disease this planet has every known. She we think they'll finally speak with us directly, to teach us their ways and share their technology." pg 165

Fun fact - before you read this book (or after) you will discover that in 1966 a crop circle did appear near Tully. Read more here. And here is a detailed ABC News page with more information. 

Readers in Australia who do not live in Queensland may need a map to locate Tully and perhaps do some further reading about their record rainfall. And they really do have a big gumboot in the town. Also, the research topic that Dell and her friend Teddy have chosen about The Alligators Nest is a real place (even though there are no alligators in Australia).

Located in the Tully Gorge National Park 6 km north of Tully via Murray Street, this is a rainforest park which was originally popularised by a group of local scouts who gave it the name (there are no alligators in Australia). It is a day use picnic area fringed by rainforest which has lilies, palms, fern-leafed tamarinds and water ferns. Part of the appeal of the area is that the rainforest is home to eastern water dragons, nursery frogs and chameleon geckos.

The chapter titles in this book work as a countdown to the final showdown when the aliens are due to arrive on the 7th June. 

I had a small but good collection of books about aliens, UFOs, and occurrences like crop circles in my former school library. I was always fascinated by the books about The Nazca Lines for example. If you are visiting a library take a look at Dewey [001.9; 001.94 or 001.95].

Publisher blurb: When crop circles appear in Tully, North Queensland, twelve-year-old Dell knows it’s a hoax. She’s a future climate scientist who believes in facts, not science fiction. But Dell’s estranged mum is an extraterrestrial fanatic. She blusters back into town armed with alien conspiracy theories and a dazzling smile. If Dell can prove the crop circle is fake, surely her mum will hightail it out of Tully again, preferably before she causes Dell’s dad and three sisters further heartbreak. But as her mother’s claims grow more out of this world and alien fever takes over the country, Dell worries she’s fighting a losing battle. How can she convince anyone of the truth when they’re all so desperate to believe a lie?

One of the aspects of this story that I wrongly anticipated was the way Quentin Higgs, the pseudo-scientist working with Dell's mum, was sure to be exposed as a fraud and I expected to discover his main motivation was to sell his book but that didn't seem to eventuate. This could be a good discussion point with your class. 

Here are some things I discovered about crop circles (source - note this contains a lot of advertising):

From the 1960s to the 1980s, perhaps no term was more commonly associated with UFOs and extraterrestrial visitation than “crop circles.” As the name suggests, crop circles are massive, circular areas of flattened crops — usually wheat or corn — or other plants, which depict seemingly intentional shapes and other images when seen from above. (in the case of Running in Circles it is a sugar cane farm).

Crop circles amazed many people due to the large size of the indentations and the images they depicted. It’s little wonder why they led to speculation about alien craft landing on Earth. After all, some indentations appeared to mark where “saucers” had once rested. And others seemed to be messages from extraterrestrial beings ...

Two Englishmen proved that it didn’t take an advanced civilization or technology beyond humanity’s comprehension to create crop circles. In fact, all it required was a bit of liquid courage, heavy planks of wood, and some rope. Despite this, some ufologists insist that at least some crop circles were made by “nonhuman” beings.

In 1966, an Australian banana farmer named George Pedley allegedly witnessed something bizarre on his property near Tully. Pedley claimed to have seen a "flying saucer" lifting off — leaving behind a large, circular area of flattened plants in the exact same spot where the UFO had landed. Dubbed a "saucer nest," Pedley's crop circle was not an isolated incident. All around the Tully region, locals began reporting more saucer nest sightings

Readers aged 10+ will enjoy the intriguing story and family relationships found in Running in Circles with the advice do not skip to the end. You are sure to be on Dell's side hoping the truth will be revealed. It is rare to read a book for this age group where the mother is so awful - she left the family when the children were very young because she is obsessed with her belief in aliens. She even seems to bribe the kids with cafe treats and a 'pretend' interest in their lives and she keeps making promises that she has no intention of fulfilling - her betrayal of Summer is dreadful. On the upside Dels' grandmother, who is called Mo-Mo, is a wonderful support to Dell when everything seems to be crashing down around her. 

Thank you to Gleebooks kids for sharing their advance reader copy of Running in Circle and to UQP for the actual copy. Running in Circles will be released next week - 28th April 2026. You can read an extract here. 

Shivaun Plozza has a 2026 Older Readers Notable title: The Worst Perfect Moment. Read the Kirkus Star review. I am going to keep my eye out for another of her books from 2020 - The Boy, The Wolf and the Stars. 

Here are some other books I have talked about by Shivaun Plozza:

Meet me at the Moon Tree

Summer of the Shipwrecks

Further reading and other books to explore:

Non Fiction fans should look for this terrific series

Myra in the Middle by Seetha Dodd illustrated by Peter Cheong

Think about the expression cup half full or cup half empty. Myra feels as though her cup is empty. Her new baby brother has just arrived so now she is the middle kid.

"I've been the youngest member of the Menon family for seven years and nine months. So, for a minute I'm confused. Then I realise she means Zeeshan, of course. He's the youngest one now. Anya's the oldest child, but she's always been the oldest. It's only me who has to change."

You can see Myra on the cover playing soccer (football). Her parents are distracted with the new baby but they do give permission for Myra to try out for the team.

"Grace is a striker, so she will get to score the goals. April is a goalkeeper, so she must stop the other team from scoring. My heart goes THUMP THUMP THUMP. What about me? Where an I going to be?"

The coach, Mr Ellis, sends her to the middle.

"Nothing exciting happens in the middle of a soccer pitch. All I do is get the ball and pass it to Grace."

The third issue is school. Myra feels invisible and her teacher confirms this by always mixing her up with another classmate. I cheered when Myra finally found her voice and calmly wrote her name on the white board after solving a maths problem. AND the teacher was so gracious with her response too.

Myra makes a list - There are so many bad things about being in the middle - squashed in the back seat of the car with no window to look out of; ignored like piggy in the middle; invisible like the hole of a doughnut; and lost like in the middle of nowhere. I really enjoyed the way Myra set out her concerns in little tables and Venn diagrams. 

Luckily for Myra, her grandmother Muthashi lives with the family. She is so wise and she is a listener. I loved the way she used a simple cream filled biscuit to show Myra just how important the middle can be!

Soccer fans will enjoy chapters 18 and 19 which describe the match you may have anticipated from the cover. This book is easy to read with larger print, 167 illustrated pages and a fast paced honest story about fitting in and change and family. This book will be enjoyed by readers aged 7+. 

Thanks to UQP for sending me a review copy of Myra in the Middle. You can see more books illustrated by Peter Cheong here. I was lucky to do the notes for his book Every Night at Midnight for NCACL.

Publisher blurb: Seven-year-old Myra likes maths, football and things staying the same. She lives with her mum, dad, Muthashi (grandma) and big sister, Anya. Her world flips upside down when her family welcomes a new baby. Myra is now a middle child – and everyone knows middle kids always get forgotten. On top of that, Myra tries out for the school’s soccer team, only to be put in the midfield. She can’t show off her skills when nothing exciting ever happens there! What will it take for Myra to feel marvellous in the middle?

A heartfelt story for readers aged 5 to 8 about speaking up for yourself (and others!) and standing out – not by being the loudest, but by being yourself. Readings

Myra’s handwritten wordplay and puzzles; the generous use of white space; and appealing black-and-white line drawings by Peter Cheong all contribute to the text being inviting to a newly confident reader. ... This book will have broad appeal to children aged 6-8, particularly children from migrant families who will be excited to see themselves in the funny, thoughtful, chatty character of Myra. Storylinks

Large print and line spacing make Myra in the Middle a great book for young readers moving from junior novels up to longer chapter books. Myra loves maths and uses it to sort day to day problems, showing readers that Maths is present in everyday life, not just the classroom. What book Next

Seetha Dodd is an emerging children’s author who loves wordplay, humorous rhyme and lyrical prose. Her fiction has been published in The School Magazine and in print and audio anthologies by Spineless Wonders and Hunter Writers’ Centre. Drawing on her Malaysian–Indian heritage, and themes of family, identity and belonging, Seetha writes stories that empower children to challenge stereotypes and to celebrate uniqueness in all forms. She lives on Sydney’s Northern Beaches with her husband and three children. Myra in the Middle is her debut novel. 

The Paperbark Tree Committee by Karys McEwan

"Being a teenager is all about swimming along with only your fin showing, trying to look like a shark, when really you're just an average fish. Never revealing you're not as brave as you look, never admitting that everyone else is in the same ocean. 

It's terrifying. And exhausting."

Art (Arthur) and his younger brother Hillary have moved with dad and his partner to Melbourne. Dad is a writer (of Young Adult fiction ironically) who rides an emotional roller-coaster of writer's block, breakthrough, doubt and insecurity. This means Dad is constantly distracted and has not formed any sort of real relationship with his two sons.

"We all know the stages of his writing by now - frustration when he can't think of an idea or has an idea he can't quite figure out, over-the-top joy when he finally settles on something, absence when he starts writing, grumpiness when he has writer's block, then mania when he's back on a roll, nervousness while he waits for feedback from his editor, and back and forth between those last few until the book is published. And then it's all the highs and lows of review and author talks, and then, lucky us, it starts all over again."

The main theme of this book is the exploration of the complexities of relationships. Art has a good relationship with his younger brother but as Art enters his teenage years there are of course some complications. Art also has a good relationship with his stepmother Sally, but there is his underlying fear that she might one day leave the family as his mother has done. 

Art works hard to make new friends - Micah and Lexi - at his new school in Melbourne and, even though it felt slightly contrived, it was interesting to see how, once he found two friends, he decided to be proactive and find more. The running scenes reminded me of the wonderful Tracks series by Jason Reynolds.

On the downside, as I said, Art has a very complex relationship with his distant and dysfunctional father. Sorry to say this but I just couldn't believe a parent, an adult, could be so deliberately unkind, uncommunicative and so insensitive towards his two sons and new partner. Dad's whole focus on being or becoming a famous writer, to my eye, portrayed a really really bad impression of that profession. 

The other relationship Art has to navigate is with the school bully - Jack. It always seems little too obvious to me when, as readers, we make the discovery that Jack comes from a dysfunctional family and that his own father is also a bully. I am sure this sadly is a real experience for some kids but after reading many hundreds of books that feature bullies, I do find this all a bit too predictable. 

Things I liked in this book: Art's relationship with Hillary - it is terrific to read about siblings who get on well with each other (albeit with some ups and downs); Sally the step mum is a fantastic character - wise and loving; and the final poem Art writes to perform with his after school writing group is emotional, truthful and worth thinking about deeply.

The CBCA judges mention emotional intelligence, and I thought about this too. It was good to see both boys were 'allowed to cry' and in the scene where Art tries to convince Hillary that they should trick their dad into proposing marriage to Sally; it is Hillary who shows enormous maturity when he talks about how this could badly hurt Sally. 

"I think this is the worst idea you've ever had ... By far. ... Dad won't go along with it. We'll get in huge trouble and Saly is just going to get hurt ... "

The title is not exactly a central focus of the story - Art and Hillary had a special tree in their former town and they used it to talk through their problems using the idea of a committee with an agenda. In Melbourne they find a new tree - a paperbark - but Art feels self-conscious when kids from his school see him climbing a tree like a little kid. Moving away from needing to use the tree to talk to each other links with the themes in this book of change and growing up. 

The CBCA selected 25 Younger Readers Notable titles (long list) for their 2026 award. Last week the short list of 6 were announced and I was utterly dismayed that FIVE of my predictions did not make the cut. I have seen The Paperbark Tree Committee in several shops since it was first released in April 2025 but the cover and blurb did not really grab my attention. 

Because this book is on the 2026 CBCA short list for Younger Readers I needed to read it (done) and then think about it perhaps a little more deeply than I usually do.

As an adult reader one plot point did not ring true for me. Art wants to 'get back at' Jack, the boy who has been bullying him. He sets up a plan with the help of his new friends to distract the librarian (why isn't she called a Teacher-Librarian) so he can get into the library or school computer system called Orbit. In NSW schools Orbit is one part of our library management system which is called Oliver. Orbit is the simple OPAC (online public access catalogue) designed for use by the younger students in a Primary school it is not part of the school administration software. I did hold my breath when Art tried to 'hack' the library circulation computer hoping to alter Jack's school records and I was glad when none of his attempts at guessing the password were successful. 

Generally, I only quote review comments that echo my own thoughts but here is the one from Readings (Melbourne bookshop) and I have to say I really disagree with their use of the word hilarious: 

The Paperbark Tree Committee is a gorgeous, heartfelt and hilarious tale of navigating change, bullying and growing up, and learning to appreciate loved ones for who they are.

Other reviews: Reading Time; The Book Muse; Read Plus; and Paperbark words an interview with Joy Lawn.

There are teaching notes on the publisher page but again I am going to say I think this book better suits an individual reader and I cannot imagine dissecting every scene/page/incident as part of a class novel study. 

Blurb from author page: Twelve-year-old Art and his younger brother Hilary are great friends, best friends. When they move to Melbourne from a small town in Queensland things seem to be easy for Hilary, who is still in primary school, but Art struggles to fit in, and he’s become a target for school bully Jack. His dad is too busy to give him much attention, but Art has his stepmum, Sally, who is always ready to listen. And there’s the paperbark tree. Art and Hilary climb into its branches and hold a secret meeting whenever they need to sort things out. The only problem is Art’s not sure he still wants to be part of the paperbark tree committee. He’s getting older and he thinks he needs to solve his problems on his own.

Here are the judges' comments:

Companion books:

A Good day for climbing Trees

Running in Circles

The Final Year

My Brother Ben

The Touchstone by Andrew Norriss

Opening sentence: One morning, as Douglas was leaving for school, he heard a voice calling his name. It was a faint voice, hardly louder than the wind blowing through the trees, but when he looked round to see who was calling, there was nobody there. He was wondering if he might have imagined it, when the voice called again.

The voice is a woman named Kai and she explains:

​‘I do not have much time, so you must listen carefully. Three things.’ She spoke in short bursts, breathing through clenched teeth between each of them. ‘One, my name is Kai and I come from another planet. Two, my mission is to take this...’ she gestured to the case in her lap, ‘...back to my home world and liberate people my people. Three, I am being hunted by the Guardians of the Federation and my only chance of escape is to find someone to hide me for the next forty-eight hours.’ She looked up at Douglas, her dark eyes staring intently into his. ‘Gedrus says you are the only coda I can reach. Will you help me? Please?’

Things to notice - Kai is from another planet. She is hurt and needs help. There is sure to be some danger ahead for Douglas even if we have, at this stage, no idea about the Guardians of the Federation. Also who is Gedrus? More in a minute ...

First you need to know Kai has a box and a mysterious green stone necklace. We later find the box contains more of these stones and that the holder of the stone can contact the librarian named Gedrus. He can answer any question - yes read that again ANY question. Think of the possibilities here - help in a test; help with homework; and what about his mum and dad - Douglas would love some help to bring them back together. BUT of course we know the old adage "be careful what you wish for". 

‘You might like to think of me,’ Gedrus leant forward with his elbows on the desk, ‘as the sort of access point to an encyclopaedia.’ He gestured to the rows of books behind him. ‘A very large encyclopaedia, that contains information about events and people from all corners of the galaxy. Anything you want to know, you hold the stone, ask me, and I give you the answer.’

The complex part of this story comes when we make a discovery about Kai - is she really trying to save her planet? Is she really telling the truth? And what about Gedrus - does he have a motive for giving the answers he supplies and then another character arrives - and he is a Guardian - his name is Quomp.

Back to that first quote. Douglas is a coda:

The C means that you are the sort of person who can absorb new and disturbing information without too much emotion – in other words you don’t panic. The O means you’re someone who likes his privacy, so you’re the sort of person who can keep a secret. The D means you’re honest and dependable, and the A means you have a very trusting personality and you tend to believe what someone tells you as long as it doesn’t contradict common sense or something you already know.’

Along the way, in this crazy tale, Douglas does find a terrific new friend - Ivo. Ivo is crazy about robots and rockets and now there is a way for Douglas to help his new friend because of Gedrus. Douglas will also need money - older readers aged 10+ and adults are sure to find the way Douglas manipulates the stock market rather thrilling. 

Blurb from author webpage: The Touchstone is a pretty remarkable object. You hold it in your hand, ask a question and it gives you the answer. You just have to be a bit careful what you ask... This is the story of how one of the most valuable objects in the galaxy falls into the hands of a very ordinary English schoolboy, Douglas Paterson, and what he decides to do with it. Like so many things that are supposed to make life easier, this one starts off by making everything very difficult! Shortlisted for the Sheffield Children's Book Award, the Solihull Children's Book Award, the West Sussex Children's book Award.

I met a wonderful young reader last Christmas and when she discovered I was a fellow book lover she enthusiastically shared her favourite book which was read to her class in Grade 2 or 3. She explained that in every bookshop she visited with her parents she always asked if they had this special book but so far no one could help her.

Naturally I went back to my motel and Googled the book using the information she had shared and I easily found this book was The Touchstone by Andrew Norris (2021). Sadly it is now out of print but there are copies available from online sellers and also there is an eBook version which is the one I just read.

In books for young children characters rarely if ever die - of course Charlotte's Web and Bridge to Terabithia are two exceptions but I would say they better suit an older child. I am explaining this because my young reading friend told me (huge spoiler alert) that the main character, a boy named Douglas, dies in the story! NO I could not believe that this would happen in a book shared by a class teacher with children aged 7 or 8. Please, please do not worry though - this book does have a happy ending. 

I do still wonder why the teacher selected this book for her class. I think it would better suit readers aged 10+ but perhaps she (unfortunately in my view) wanted to use some existing teaching resources from one of the many commercial online companies.  In any case this book really resonated with the little girl I met. You can see more books by Andrew Norriss here. I read Mike many years ago and Ctrl-Z looks very familiar - we must have had this one in my former school library.

Companion book - this has just been published and I will talk about it in detail in a few days:

Bookseller blurb: 'The world will end at ten thirty-six in the morning, on the fourteenth of March this year.' This is the message aliens send to ten-year-old nerds Harrison (Aitch), Ally and Mo. How do they send it? Via the magnetic letters on Mo's fridge, of course. Aitch and Ally aren't sure what to believe, but soon they're in an alien spaceship travelling at lightspeed to Jupiter's icy moon Europa. Mo is worried his mum will be furious that he boarded an alien craft with strangers. And Aitch is not too happy that they've kidnapped his dog. But maybe the aliens aren't that scary after all? They say they want to save the planet. It's only humans they're not so impressed by... The future of the human race might just be in the hands of three nerds and their lazy dog. What could go wrong?

Other books to look for in your library:

The Strangeworlds Travel Agency

The Book of Wondrous Possibilities

The Library of ever