Sally Murphy's Blog

August was crazily busy with Bookweek and a house move, and lots of reading for work thrown in, so I have only five books to report, and three of them being very short ones.  But hey, I made time for reading, and I’m pleased with that. Here’s what I read:

Books for Younger Readers

The Firework Maker’s Daughter, by Philip Pullman (Corgi, 1995). Been a while since I read any Pullman – reading this made me want to read more. Just lovely. Stick Man Early Reader, by Julia Donaldson & Alex Scheffler.  I don’t know how Stick Man managed to be in my to-read pile, but in the clean up to move house I found him, read him and smiled. I think my grandlings will do when I unpack at the other end.My Grandson Lew, by Charlotte Zolotow & William Pene Du Bois (Harper & Row, 1974). Another from the to-read pile, a lovely little offering about a child’s grief and love for his grandfather.Left and Right With Lion and Ryan, by Robert Littell & Phillip Wende (World’s Work, 1970). A third from the pile. A quirky book helping readers learn left from right.

Books for Young Adults

90 Packets of Instant Noodles, by Deb Fitzpatrick (Fremantle Press, 2010).  I love Deb Fitzpatrick as a human and as an author, so I’m not sure how I missed reading this one until now. But I’m glad I’ve read it – set in the bush not too far away from where I love.

 

That brings my total for the year to date to 69.  I am in the midst of unpacking the thousands of books that I moved, and this is making me want to read more and more and more, so hopefully that total will climb by the end of the year.

Another month has ended, and time to look at what I read.  I have been busily judging  the entries in a novel length writing competition, which of course I can’t share here, so the amount of published works I got through In July is limited, but here’s what I read.

How to Sail to Somewhere, by Ashleigh Barton (Lothian, 2025). I finished last month with a young adult book involving an hour, and started this month with a younger reader’s book also involving an island. Quite a coincidence and, although both involved two girls and an island, they are very different books.  I loved the gentle mystery of this one, and the themes of friendship, grief and belonging. The Letter With the Golden Stamp, by Onjali Q. Rauf (Orion, 2024). Unfortunately the cover image here isn’t the same as the one I bought, which called to me with its gold highlights, red mailbox and more.  Either way, I adored this book and its first person view of being a young carer trying to make sense of the world while also trying to help a sick mother and two younger siblings. In parts funny and whimsical, it is also just really touching. The Riding Gallery, by Sally Murphy, illustrated by Martina Heiduczek (Walker Books, 2024). Yes, I did read my own book, cover to cover for the first time in a while, in honour of its first birthday. The Story of Growl, by Judy Horacek (Brio Books, 2021).A delightful picture book which I think I brought back from a conference a few years ago, and hadn’t got round to reading. Whisper on the Wind, by Claire Saxby & Jess Racklyeft (Allen & Unwin, 2022). This one was sitting in my wardrobe with the one above and, while I know I read it when I bought it on that trip, I also had to reread and fall in love with it all over again before I could shelve it. Lovely.

Books for Adults

The Skeleton House, by Katherine Allum (Fremantle Press, 2024). I have bene meaning to get hold of this for a while, so glad that I finally did.

 

 

That brings my annual total (so far) to 64.  I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading.

 

Wow. I don’t think I remember a month where I only got through 4 books – but that’s what happened in June.  It doesn’t mean I wasn’t reading – I read a lot for work,  academic articles and book chapters. But I don’t count these here unless I ever read the whole book cover to cover.  So, four books it is.

Books for Children The Silver Donkey, by Sonya Hartnett (Walker Books, 2005).  I read this one some years ago, and was surprised to realise it first came out in 2005.  A beautiful story set in France during World War 2. A Little Piece of Ground, by Elizabeth Laird with Sonia Nimr (Haymarket, 2006). Another war story, this one set in Gaza. The location, and the terrible events happening there at present made this confronting, but it is good to be confronted, to see what life might be like for a child living in Gaza, or in any place under constant attack.Books for Young Adults A Wreck of Seabirds, by Karleah Olson (Fremantle Press, 2024). I couldn’t put this one down. Set on the West Australian coast, with gothic tones, mystery, grief and more.Books for Adults Inciting Joy : Essays, by Ross Gay (Algonquin Books, 2024). This book definitely incites joy. This is the second Ross Gay book I’ve read since he was recommended to me by my friend Sally.  Very readable essays, about how we find joy during hard times.

 

This brings my total for the year so far to 58. Here’s to more reading for pleasure in July!

Time for an update on what I’ve been reading. I read 11 books in May, with a mix of rereads, largely for my teaching, and new to me.  I bought more books than I read, owing to attending some lovely book events, so am eager to get through the remainder in June.  Anyway, here’s what I did read;

Books for Young Readers Willy The Dreamer, by Anthony Browne (Walker Books, 2000). The last of the Anthony Browne books I purchased in March to satisfy my thirst for a deep dive into his works. I think this is also the first of his books I ever read, most likely when it was new out. Not sure what happened to that copy – probably got loved to death – so am glad to have it back in my life. The Paperbark Tree Committee, by Karys McEwen (Text, 2025). A gorgeous middle grade novel about changing schools in early high school, identity, belonging and the bonds between brothers. The Truck Cat, by Deborah Frenkel & Danny Snell (Hardie Grant, 2024).  I bought this because I was asked to read it at the National Simultaneous Story Time Event at Curtin University (my workplace)  which meant that (lucky me!) I got to read it to my peers and my students at the same time it was being read by people all across Australia. What a beautiful book and what a joy to share it. Goodnight, Joeys, by Renee Treml (Puffin, 2024). Nawwwww.   This is a beautiful bed time book, which I bought and had signed for my newest grandbaby. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, by Michael Morpurgo, illustrated by Michael Foreman (Walker Books, 2004). A  retelling of the story of Sir Gawain, one of Arthur’s knights. Tawny Trouble, by Deb Fitzpatrick (Fremantle Press, 2025). The story of a family’s trip to the southwest and what happens when they rescue a tawny frogmouth. The Colt from Old Regret by Dianne Wolfer & Erica Wagner (NLA Publishing, 2025). This stunningly illustrated and a lyrical, insightful retelling of the Man from Snowy River from a different perspective – that of the colt. Bigfoot vs Yeti: A love story, by James Foley (Fremantle Press, 2025). Not ‘just’ a love story – the story of how a rift between two clans is finally mended. James Foley is very clever. Once, by Morris Gleitzman (Puffin, 2005).  It’s been quite a while since I first read this, so it felt a bit like the first time. Set in Nazi-occupied Poland, this is both touching and heart wrenching.Books for Young Adults Light Filters in: Poems, by Caroline Kaufman (Harper, 2018).  A heart wrenching, insightful,  poetry collection  from an Instagram poet (@poeticpoison), exploring the many facets of her teen experiences.  I loved this and went online to check on what Kaufman is now doing, which left me a little sad, as she seems to have not posted or published for several years. That shouldn’t stop you from reading her amazing work – but I do hope she is travelling okay.Books for Adults The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot, by Marianne Cronin (Penguin, 2022). I loved this even though it made me cry – or, perhaps, because it made me cry . Seventeen year old Lenni is in hospital facing the unimaginable, but, at the same time, making extraordinary friendships, including one with eighty-three year old Margot.

This brings my total for the year to date to 54. What have you been reading?

 

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday tooo you!

Happy birthday dear Pearl Verses the Wooorld 

Happy birthday to yoooooooooooouuuu!

Now, if you read this book when it first came out then you might be amazed to realise how very quickly time has flown because Pearl Verses the World is not one or two years old, and not even three years old. In fact (I CAN NOT believe this) Pearl Verses the World is 16 years old today!

16 years since this little book was published ( by the amazing team at Walker Books, and illustrated by the equally as amazing Heather Potter) and changed my writing world, winning awards, being read across Australia and around the world, and even being made into a stage play..  And, I am amazed and delighted to say, it remains in print and is still being read by young (and not so young readers).

But, May 1 is a verrry special day, because – can you hear the choir starting up again?

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday dear Looking Up!

Happy birthday to yoooooooooooouuuu!

You guessed it, May 1 is also Looking Up‘s birthday – a wonderful 8 years old today. Published by Fremantle Press  in 2017, illustrated by Aska,  a Notable Book in the CBCA Awards 2018, and still in print.

But wait – there’s more because (drumroll please) …..

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday dear Worse Things

Happy birthday to yoooooooooooouuuu!

That’s right, today is alsoWorse Things‘  birthday. Hard to believe that it has been out in the world for five whole years.

In  was an Honour Book in the CBCA Book of the Year Awards, and appears on reading lists and in bookstores  across the country. And I am forever grateful that Walker Books published it and that the absolutely amazing and awesome illustrator Sarah Davis illustrated it.

So happy birthday little book babies. I am inordinately proud of you and of the fact you both remain in print. Long may you remain out there filling hearts and minds with your tales.

And to you, amazing readers – a massive thankyou! Stories work because readers pick them up, digest them and make them their own.

Note: if you have not read one or both of these books, this thank you is still for you – because I am sure you have read other, equally loved books by other amazing authors. And that’s fine.

And, if three book birthdays is not not enough celebration, I have saved the most important birthday until last.

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday dear Muuuuuuuum

Happy birthday to yoooooooooooouuuu!

That’s right, it’s my darling Mum Verna’s  birthday today too. I’m pretty sure that sharing a birthday with her has  given my books a little magic boost, because Mum is most certainly magic herself.  So happy happy day Mum. Love you heaps.

It’s the end of another month, and time to share what I’ve been reading. I got through 15 books this month, that total helped my continuing dive into the picture books of  Anthony Browne. I also read, as usual, a fairly eclectic mix, from graphic novels, to inspirational reads, to thrillers and more. Here’s what I got through:

Books for Young Readers If I Could Choose a Best Day: Poems of Possibility, selected by Irene Latham & Charles Water, illustrated by Olivia Sua (Candlewick, 2025). Really delighted to get my hands on a copy of this, as it’s published in the USA and took some tracking down.  A large format picture book anthology with a difference – every poem starts with the same word – ‘If’. Hairy Holes: Book 2, by Brenton E. McKenna (Magabla Books, 2025).  I was lucky enough to be at the launch of this book at the Scribblers Family Fun Day in Kalgoorlie.  Although it’s Book 2, and I’d not read Book 1, I was able to pick up and follow the story and was left wanting to get my hands on Book 3, which is yet to come. My Strange Shrinking Parents, by Zeno Sworder (Thames & Hudson, 2022). I was also lucky enough in Kalgoorlie and the Goldfields, to work alongside Zeno Sworder, who is so talented as author and illustrator, but also an all round wonderful, wise human. And this book, which one Picture Book of the Year in the CBCA Awards 2023, is breathtaking. My Dad, by Anthony Browne (Random House, 2000). Continuing the deep dive into Browne’s work begun last month, I read several more in April, including this funny, but also heart warming look at Dads. The Shape Game, by Anthony Browne (Doubleday, 2003). It was my quest to get a copy of this book that led to my deep dive into Browne’s works. This one is a partly autobiographical story about a family visiting an art gallery and the way it shaped the narrator’s life as an artist. Little Bones, by Sandy Bigna (UQP, 2025). What a stunning verse novel about loss, friendship and more. Silly Billy, by Anthony Browne (Walker Books, 2006). Another Browne book – this one about a boy who can’t stop worrying, until his grandmother introduces him to worry dolls. A lovely blend of family, wisdom and humour. My Mum, by Anthony Browne (Random House, 2005). And another Browne title, this one celebrating mums. Ernest the Elephant, by Anthony Browne (Walker, 2021). One of Browne’s more recent books, this one follows the story of a little elephant who gets lost in the jungle, and the unlikely help that comes his way. Piggybook, by Anthony Browne (Walker Books, 1996).  A humorous take on what happens when a mother (Mrs Piggott) finds herself being overworked and unappreciated by her husband and sons.Books for Young Adults Brontide, by Sue McPherson (Magabala Books, 2018).  I picked this up on a visit to Paperbird Books in Fremantle which has an excellent, well stocked, section for books authored by first nations authors.   The format of this one is a little unusual – it reads as if the author is interviewing real teens in the town she is visiting – and recording the  stories of the three boys.  This makes for a really accessible format, and takes us on a journey through some heart warming but also devastating moments. How to Survive 1985, by Tegan Bennett Daylight (Simon & Schuster, 2025). I bought this based just on the title – having survived 1985 when it was, in fact 1985 and I was in highschool. This is a timeslip story where Shannon and her three friends find themselves thrust back from 2025 to 1985, where they need to figure out why they are there and how to get home.Books for Adults The Book of Delights, by Ross Gay (Coronet, 2019).  This book was recommended to me by a friend, also called Sally, and she was so very right – this is just beautiful.  A series of mini-essays as Gay finds a daily moment of delight to write about, even in the midst of hard times. We Will Rest!: The Art of Escape, by Tricia Hersey (Little Brown, Spark, 2024). This is delightful little book to hold but that delight is nothing compared to the very important rejoinder of the book – REST. Hersey speaks directly to the reader reminding us that rest is a right, a responsibility, and an act of resistance. I’ll be rereading. The Hush, by Sara Foster (Harper Collins, 2021). I went to an event for Sara’s latest book (which I’ll read in May), but had to also buy t is one, which I’d been meaning to get for ages. Not a comfortable read, but a gripping thriller set in an undefined future where society is a tipping point and pregnant females are especially vulnerable.

That brings my total for the year to date to 43, with, of course, more to come.  I’d love to hear what books you’ve enjoyed lately.

 

In the past month I have had SO much going on that I have sometimes felt a little overwhelmed. Fortunately, I have good friends and family, and furry companions, who remind me to regularly stop, take some deep breaths and enjoy what I’m doing.

And, today, I am taking some of those breaths as I share some of what has been keeping me busy.

Firstly, my friend and peer Rebecca M. Newman and I are busily working on a follow-up anthology to Right Way Down. We are delighted that Fremantle Press has asked us to produce a second anthology, which will be filled with poems from Western Australian poets, and again illustrated by the amazing Briony Stewart. Submissions have closed, Rebecca and I have finished the difficult job of narrowing down our selections and now we are working through the editing process. No title yet, but you will see this book in stores and on shelves in 2026 and we cannot wait.

Secondly, and staying with the topic of poetry, I had my first poetry publication for the year, in a brand new online magazine. You can read Freedom at the Nimblewitlit site and, if you want to hear my voice, can also hear me reading the poem.

Thirdly, an honour. As you may know, the Children’s Book Council of Australia is celebrating its 80th year, and I have been named one of the Western Australian branch‘s Ambassadors. This means I’ll be joining a bunch of other amazing creators in shouting from the rooftops (and here on my website, on Instagram, Facebook and at events) just how wonderful the CBCA is. Not a hard gig at all.

And, last but not at all least, I was fortunate enough at the start of the month to join other creators and hardworking Form staff to visit Western Australia’s Goldfields as part of Scribblers on the Road.  Working with Zeno Sworder, Brenton McKenna, Shane McCarthy, as well as creatives from the Goldfields, we visited:

Kambalda Primary SchoolCoolgardie Primary SchoolLeonora District high SchoolMenzies Community SchoolJohn Paul College, KalgoorlieKalgoorle-Boulder Community High SchoolSt Joseph’s School andEast Kalgoorlie primary School

as well as talking via video-link to students in remote communities at the Ngaanyatjarra Land School campuses, and running a writing workshop for adults at the Kalgoorlie library AND appearing at the Scribblers Family Fun Day at the Kalgoorlie Arts Centre.

Phew! If that sounds a lot, it was, but it was amazing – and you can see some of the fun in this photo reel which I shared on Instagram.

 

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Now I’m back at my desk, writing and smiling, and thinking how very lucky I am to get to do what I do.

Another new month, another look back at what I read last month.   as you’ll see, I took another dive into the works of a favourite picture book creator,  amongst other fabulous reads, with a total of nine books for the month.

Books for Younger Readers Into the Blue, by Cristy Burne (Fremantle Press, 2024). I love reading books about places I know well, so a story which, in part, takes place on one of my favourite snorkelling spots, the Omeo Wreck in Coogee, WA, is a real treat. But, while snorkelling is certainly part of the story, it is also about family, honesty and doing the right thing, packaged in a very readable tale. Kelpie Chaos, by Deb Fitzpatrick (Fremantle Press, 2024). What’s not love about another book set in WA, and featuring a puppy? This one features a loveable  kelpie called Zoom, who lives up to his name and causes a few problems along the way. I Like Books, by Anthony Browne (Walker Books, 2003). I love the work of Anthony Browne, and a social media post from a friend and colleague sent me on a bit of a buying and reading spree, to fill some gaps in my collection. This is the first of several, and the title says it all. Gorilla, by Anthony Browne (Walker Books, 1983). Another of Browne’s work, the story of a lonely girl and a gorilla. Willy the Wimp And another. The first Browne book I ever saw was a Willy book, so always lovely to continue to meet him in others.Willy’s Pictures, by Anthony Browne.  And a third. This one is really clever. Willy paints pictures which look very familiar – they are like famous paintings from da Vinci, Manet and more – but with Willy and his friends replacing human figures. Dragon Skin, by Karen Foxlee (Allen & Unwin, 2021). Not sure why I hadn’t read this before. It is stunningly moving, heart wrenching, and easy to see why it was an Honour Book in the 2022 CBCA Book of the Year Awards.Books for Adults What Happened to Nina?, by Dervla McTiernan (Harper Collins, 2024). I ended last month with a couple of murder mysteries, and began the month with this one, not exactly a mystery, but certainly a thriller, with layers of complexity around relationships, families and the lengths they will go to. Virginia Lane is Not a Hero, by Rosalind Stopps (Harper Collins, 2024). While the front cover perhaps suggests a lighter feel, this is a read which deals with some weighty topics – grief, child abuse, terminal illness, suicide, race and more. But, at the same time, it offers hope and show what ordinary people can achieve when they come together to solve big problems.

That brings my total for the year so far to 28.  Definitely fewer books that I used to get through when I wasn’t a full time academic,  which in some ways is a shame, but does mean that I really treasure any time to read for pleasure. I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading lately.

 

It’s World Read Aloud Day and, what better way for me to celebrate than by reading aloud to you. Enjoy!

 

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Birthdays are always special, but when a book has a birthday and is still in print, that feels extra special for an author. Especially when that book has stayed in print for more than a few years.

So, happy happy birthday to Do Not Forget Australia which is 13 years old today – a teenager!  That’s right, it’s been in print for 13 whole years, and is still available.

Telling the story of the school in the French village of Villers-Bretonneux which is famous for having signs saying boldly Do Not Forget Australia, and of the events which led to that happening, Do Not Forget Australia is a wars story but also a story of friendship.

Perfect for classroom use, including in the lead up to ANZAC Day, I hope it continues to be shared for many more years to come.