Joy Lawn
joyinbooks.bsky.social
Joy Lawn
@joyinbooks.bsky.social
Book advocate, reviewer and judge. I blog as ‘Joy in Books’ at PaperbarkWords blog & interview authors and illustrators. https://paperbarkwords.blog/
'Between' is a poetic, artistic picture book for all ages. It evokes the imaginative, the intangible, the profound… My interview with #AnnaWalker about #Between' at #paperbarkwords blog (link in bio). #AnnaWalker #Scribblepublisher #annawalkerbooks #KEANandCreative #australianpicturebooks
December 2, 2025 at 1:14 AM
Hear from illustrious #drbellealderman about the farsighted, vital work of the #nationalcentreforaustralianchildrensliterature in #magpiesmagazine Read the complete interview in the November issue. #ncacl #australianchildrensbooks #bobgraham #childrensliteraturearchives #ibbyaustralia #rarebooks
November 20, 2025 at 8:33 PM
My November #magpiesmagazine editorial about #australianchildrensliterature talks about building community engagement with children’s books. One way is through newsletters, including substacks. Here’s an extract with shoutouts to #karysmcewen #katrinagermein #cassypolimeni #lizledden & others
November 20, 2025 at 7:55 PM
#ThePeachKing by #IngaSimpson illustrated by #TannyaHarricks is a contemporary fable about the resilience of nature in #picturebook form. Enjoy our interview at #PaperbarkWords blog (ink in bio) #HachetteAustralia #LothianChildrensBooks #thepeachking
November 14, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Sophia Whitfield (who writes the story of Ava Spark as Alex Field) shares the deeply loving life of her son Luke, who had cerebral palsy. Read at #PaperbarkWords blog (link in bio) @newfrontierpublishing #avaspark #avasparkhelloimhere #sophiawhitfield #alexfield #joannabartel #cerebralpalsyaustralia
November 12, 2025 at 10:54 PM
'The Great Undoing' by Sharlene Allsopp is a groundbreaking novel. Winner of the #qldliteraryawards 2024 Fiction award & shortlisted for the #People'sChoice award.

My interview with Sharlene is at #paperbarkwords blog (link in bio) #sharleneallsopp #ultimopress #thegreatundoing
August 10, 2025 at 11:01 PM
The Enchantment of Golden Eagle by Margaret Wild & Stephen Michael King
My interview with book legend #MargaretWild about her new #australianpicturebook illustrated by #stephenmichaelking #TheEnchantmentofGoldenEagle at #paperbarkwords blog (link in bio) @allenandunwin.bsky.social
August 7, 2025 at 12:20 AM
The Foal in the Wire by Robbie Coburn
#HachetteAustralia

Finding a Wounded Foal by Robbie Coburn for #JoyinBooks at #paperbarkWords blog (link in bio) #robbiecoburn writes beautifully about his verse novel #thefoalinthewire #loveozya #australianversenovel #versenovel #YAversenovel
August 7, 2025 at 12:08 AM
This Bird: Noticing Our Urban Birds by Astred Hicks, with Holly Parsons
@csiropublishing

Guest author post by author-illustrator and freelance book designer extraordinaire @astredhicksdesigncherry about her new book #ThisBird for #JoyinBooks at #PaperbarkWords blog (link in bio)
August 6, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Joy Lawn

Freelance book reviewer & book judge

Interview with the #YKNR team: #megandaley#AllisonTait & #AllisonRushby with #JoyLawn #JoyinBooks at #paperbarkwords blog (link in bio) #yourkidsnextread #kean.and.creative #affirmpress #yknr
August 6, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Congratulations to #sianglu who has won the #milesfranklinliteraryaward for his superlative novel #GhostCities It was first shortlisted for the 2024 #QLAadultfictionaward & #qldpeopleschoiceaward when I was panel chair.
Ghost Cities is an ingenious celebration of books, art and their creators. #UQP
July 25, 2025 at 12:57 AM
July 22, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Penny Tangey shares her new novel Music Camp about young musicians and #climatecrisis Great @loveozmg read. Read more at #paperbarkwords blog (link in bio) @uqpbooks @pennytangey #musiccampbook
July 22, 2025 at 12:14 AM
#AggieFleaStealstheShow written by #taniaingram illustrated by #AYi is shortlisted for the #2025CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers. My interview with Tania is at #paperbarkwords blog (link in bio) #insidethecbcashortlist #insidethe2025cbcashortlist #bookweek2025 #scholasticaustralia
July 21, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Karys McEwen #karyswrites not only writes amazing books, such as #thepaperbarktreecommittee but has an informed substack newsletter #ireadalot Her piece for #paperbarkwords blog is about #therightbookfortherightreader #loveozmg #textpublishing
July 21, 2025 at 11:38 PM
July 21, 2025 at 11:19 PM
'All the Ways to Pray' picture book for young children. Interviews with #KathleenKelly & #anneyryan at #paperbarkwords blog (link in bio) #wilddogbooks #AlltheWaystoPray #australianpicturebook
July 21, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Internationally acclaimed illustrator #GusGordon has created his first #graphicnovel #IntotheBewilderness A must read. See our interviews at #paperbarkwords blog (link in bio) & #magpiesmagazine #HardieGrant
July 10, 2025 at 6:53 AM
June 10, 2025 at 5:18 AM
Honoured to interview legend #emilyrodda about her new fantasy trilogy (3 books in one) #landovel and other books for children and teens at #paperbarkwords blog (link in bio) #allenandunwin #harperkidsau #scholastic_au #deltoraquest #keytorondo #hisnamewaswalter #bestkeptsecretbook #somethingspecial
May 18, 2025 at 2:25 AM
Hannah Kent has followed up her ground-breaking novel #burialrites with a memoir #alwayshomealwayshomesick that tells more. My review is at #artshub @macmillanaus @hannahkentwrites #paperbarkwordsblog #joyinbooks #memoir
May 17, 2025 at 10:05 PM
#theloverandthedumbwaiter at #ensembletheatre is worth seeing. 2 one-act plays by #HaroldPinter My review at #artshub #thedumbwaiter
May 12, 2025 at 6:30 AM
#howtosurvive1985 by #teganbennettdaylight is the hotly awaited sequel to #royals My interview with this multifaceted, awarded author is at #paperbarkwords blog (link in bio) #simonschusterau #loveozya #timeslipnovel #genznovel #1985novel #socialculturalhistory #narnia #thefarawaytree
April 30, 2025 at 9:57 PM
40 Years of Magpies magazine and how our children’s literature has changed in that time. My feature article, with insights from many of our experts in the field, in the March issue of #magpiesmagazine #40yearsofchildrensliterature #australianchildrensliterature #australianchildrensbooks #NCACL #IBBY
April 20, 2025 at 10:17 PM