About Between the bookshelves: A NSW Premier's Reading Challenge podcast
Ever felt overwhelmed at the prospect of recommending a book to a reluctant or voracious reader?
Join Jade Arnold, the Premier’s Program Officer Reading and Spelling at The Arts Unit, every Friday for conversations with Australian authors, teacher librarians, PRC school coordinators, and education experts. Listen to book pitches, recommendations on what to read next, and strategies to develop a love of reading in a school library setting.
Designed with teacher librarians in mind, Between the bookshelves aims to make the process of recommending what to read a little less overwhelming!
In this episode of Between the Bookshelves, host Jade Arnold is joined by award-winning author and illustrator Remy Lai (https://remylai.com/), whose much-loved graphic novels and illustrated stories appear across the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge booklists.
From the laugh-out-loud sibling chaos of Chickenpox to the heartfelt immigrant story Pie in the Sky, and the spine-tingling scares of Read at Your Own Risk, Remy shares the inspirations behind her books, her love of graphic novels, and how she balances humour, horror, and heart in her storytelling. Remy also shares her Between the bookshelves pitch for all of her titles, as well as her recommendations for what readers should try next.
We also explore her Surviving the Wild series for younger readers, the role of family and friendship in her work, and why graphic novels deserve a place on every child’s bookshelf.
Whether you’re a dog lover, a fan of spooky reads, or just curious about the creative process, this conversation is packed with insights, laughs, and fantastic book recommendations for young readers.
This is our final podcast for 2025, but stay tuned for new and exciting episodes in 2026!
15 Aug 2025
Between the bookshelves - 14. Corey Tutt
In episode 14 of Between the bookshelves, we’re joined byaward-winning author, science communicator, and proud Kamilaroi man, Corey Tutt OAM. As the founder and CEO of DeadlyScience (https://deadlyscience.org.au/), Corey is passionate about connecting young people with Australia’s incredible wildlife and the rich First Nations knowledge that surrounds it. His books - including Caution! This Book Contains Deadly Reptiles, The FirstScientists, and This Book Thinks Ya Deadly! have inspired countless readers to see science in a whole new light.
Corey shares his Between the bookshelves pitch for eachof his titles, offering up party-worthy reptile facts, eye-opening First Nations science stories, and a celebration of deadly role models who show young people that their dreams are possible.
We dive into the extraordinary process of working with Elders to record or create 68 Indigenous reptile names, and explore why language preservation is as vital as species conservation. Corey also reflects on the role books can play in sparking a lifelong passion for STEM and empowering young readers to protect the environment.
Plus, he opens up about the personal journey behind This Book Thinks Ya Deadly! and how it became a beacon of hope for young readers facing tough times. With warmth, humour, and a dash of snake-catching bravado, Corey offers practical inspiration for PRC Coordinators, teachers, parents, and anyone keen to help the next generation find their place in the world of reading, science, and story.
19 Jun 2025
Between the bookshelves - 13. Elisabeth Porreca-Dubois (Teacher librarian)
Teacher librarian Elisabeth Porreca-Dubois discusses her journey and shares practical strategies for cultivating a reading culture in secondary schools, including her SMART-ER reading program, in this interview episode.
12 Jun 2025
Between the bookshelves - 12. Allison Tait
Author Allison Tait discusses her books, including *Willow Bright's Secret Plot* and *Danger Road*, and provides recommendations for young readers in this interview episode.
5 Jun 2025
Between the bookshelves - 11. Lili Wilkinson
Author Lili Wilkinson discusses her young adult and junior fiction, including "Unhallowed Halls" and "Bravepaw and the Clawstone of Rotwood Mire," exploring dark academia, fantasy's role in critiquing history, and the importance of joyful, rebellious characters in this interview.
29 May 2025
Between the bookshelves - 10. Jess Racklyeft
Author-illustrator Jess Racklyeft discusses illustrating narrative non-fiction texts and her creative partnership with Claire Saxby, highlighting the power of picture books, in this interview.
22 May 2025
Between the bookshelves - 9. Claire Saxby
With over 26 books to her name, award-winning author Claire Saxby (https://www.clairesaxby.com/) is a powerhouse in Australian children’s literature. Known for her lyrical prose, rich languageand deep connection to the natural world, Claire’s work spans fiction, non-fiction and narrative non-fiction for readers of all ages.
In this episode, Claire unpacks her definition of narrativenon-fiction – a seamless blend of information and story – and explains why it’s such a vital part of the reading landscape. She takes us behind the scenes ofher extensive research process, shares insights into her creative partnership with illustrator Jess Racklyeft and how it has evolved from their first title together Iceberg to their latest release, Volcano, and reflects on writing fiction that invites readers to lose themselves in the joyof story.
Plus, she gives us her Between the Bookshelves pitches for several of her titles and suggests what readers might explore next if they’ve enjoyed her work.
Access the transcript and show notes on the Listen@The Arts Unit page (https://artsunit.nsw.edu.au/listen-the-arts-unit/literature-and-language-arts/between-the-bookshelves)
1 May 2025
Between the bookshelves - 8. Lisa Fuller
In Episode 8 of Between the Bookshelves, we’re joined byaward-winning author Lisa Fuller (https://www.lisafuller.com.au/), a proud Wuilli Wuilli woman. Lisa is an academic, editor, literary agent, and author of the acclaimed young adult novel Ghost Bird and the fantastical new middle-grade adventure Washpool.
Lisa shares her Between the bookshelves pitch forboth of her books featured on the PRC booklists, sharing what makes each story powerful and why readers young and old should dive in, along with recommendations of what to read next.
Lisa discusses the themes woven through Washpool - fromembracing our differences to the joys of adventuring to another world - and shares the touching backstory of how the book was inspired by her nieces. Lisa also takes us behind the scenes of writing Ghost Bird, discussing the complexprocess of making the book culturally safe, the importance of following community protocols, and the decision to include Aboriginal English to honour voice and identity.
Plus, Lisa shares her thoughts on the growing representationof Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices in publishing, how literary awards empower writers, and her best writing and reading tips for budding storytellers.
10 Apr 2025
Between the bookshelves episode - 7. Gina Krohn (Teacher librarian)
In this episode, Jade speaks with Gina, an acclaimed primaryteacher librarian from south-west Sydney and winner of the 2025 NSW Teacher Librarian of the Year and 2022 John Hirst Award
In this episode, Gina shares how she runs the Premier’sReading Challenge in her school, makes reading accessible and joyful, and creates a sense of wonder in the library. She also dives into her standout initiatives—the PLCC (Primary Libraries: Creative Collaboration) (https://sites.google.com/education.nsw.gov.au/tlcc/home) and the Backpack Project (https://sites.google.com/education.nsw.gov.au/tlcc/backpack-project?authuser=0).
Packed with strategies for collection development, encouraging reluctant readers, and building reading resilience, this is a must-listen for teacher librarians and educators passionate about books, and for parents who are supporting their children on their reading journey.
3 Apr 2025
Between the bookshelves episode - 6. Ashleigh Barton
Ashleigh Barton (https://www.ashleighbarton.com/) is the best-selling author of multiple picture books and middle-grade fiction novels. In this episode, she joins Jade Arnold to share her Between the Bookshelvespitch for her latest release, How to Sail to Somewhere, as well as her Freddie Spector, Fact Collector and Solomon Macaroni series, along with her picture book titles.
Ashleigh delves into the themes of grief and growth in How to Sail to Somewhere and explores why it’s so important for young readers to encounter difficult topics in age-appropriate ways through the safe space of a novel. She alsotakes us behind the scenes of her non-fiction picture books, unpacking the creative process of turning real-world facts into engaging, accessible stories for young readers.
For educators and PRC Coordinators, Ashleigh shares her insights into sparking curiosity and a love of reading in students, reminding us that the best books aren’t justentertaining—they help young readers navigate the world around them.
27 Mar 2025
Between the bookshelves - 5. Nathan Luff
Nathan Luff (https://nathanluff.com.au/) is a children’s author, primary school teacher, playwright and the Children’s and Young AdultManager at the Sydney Writers’ Festival.
In this episode, Nathan shares his Between the bookshelves pitch for Jungle escape, the Family disasters series and the Nerd Herd series, along with his top recommendations for what readers should try next if they enjoyed his titles.
Nathan shares how his often chaotic and unlucky holidayshave inspired many of his stories. He reflects on how his childhood as the smallest of 5 brothers often left him feeling powerless, and how this inspired him to explore inner strength and stories that focus on the underdog in his writing.
He also discusses the importance of demonstrating resilience to young readers and allowing them to encounter experiences where they are able to fail in order to learn from their mistakes, and how he incorporates this into his storytelling.
Nathan also provides us with a deep dive into the SydneyWriters’ Festival (https://www.swf.org.au/?promo=3875&utm_medium=bolster&utm_campaign=2423swf&utm_source=googlesearch&gad_source=1) programs focused on primary and secondary students, Russ the story bus and the senior student sessions for Year 11 and 12 students.
20 Mar 2025
Between the bookshelves - 4. Will Kostakis
Will Kostakis (https://willkostakis.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZS_88Ztr8rtiwEhrgOkp2H-CaS9abaqe0ipsDRrEiQhAOBQJkkEiQDRT0_aem_aFurExBbA6swGfbCSp7o3A) is an award-winning young adult author and the 2025 Prime Minister’s Literary Award winner for young adult fiction. In this episode, Will shares his Between the bookshelves pitch for We Could Be Something, theMonuments duology, The sidekicks and The first third, alongwith his top recommendations for what to read next if you loved them. Plus, he provides an exclusive sneak peek into his middle-grade debut, Otis Ottley and the School in the Sky.
Will reflects on his journey as a writer, his sources of inspiration, and his deep connection with his small, close-knit Greek-Australian family. He discusses the growth of authentic representation in his work and why it’s so important to write stories with LGBTQIA+ characters queerness isn’t the central conflict. He also shares how his participation in Extension English 2 became the foundation for The sidekicks.
For aspiring teen writers, Will offers invaluable writing tips, and for PRC Coordinators and teachers, he shares advice on helping students find their next great read—reminding us to experience books through a young reader’s eyes and focus on what truly matters: that they’re reading.
13 Mar 2025
Between the bookshelves - 3. Danielle Binks
Danielle Binks is an award-winning middle-grade and young adult author and literary agent. In this episode, Danielle shares her between the bookshelves pitch for her books, The six summers of Tash and Leopold, The year the maps changed, Begin, end, begin: A #LoveOzYA anthology and The monster of her age and provides an extensive list of recommendations of what to read next for students who enjoyed them.
Danielle also discusses the importance of middle grade foryoung readers experiencing a period she refers to as ‘an aching kind of growing;’ that difficult period of their lives where they have grown out of children’s fiction and are ready for more mature things, but aren’t quite readyfor young adult fiction yet. She also discusses why school libraries are so important and how they can pull a school community together.
6 Mar 2025
Between the bookshelves – 2. Matt Ottley
Matt Ottley (Matt Ottley is an award-winning artist, illustrator and composer with more than 40 picture books to his name. In this episode, Matt discusses several of his works featured on the Premier) is an award-winning artist, illustrator and composer with more than 40 picture books to his name. In this episode, Matt discusses several of his works featured on the Premier's Reading Challenge booklists, including Stickboy, How to Make a Bird and The Incredible Freedom Machines. He shares insights into his creative process, describing how he collaborates with authors and chooses artistic styles that intuitively match each story.
Matt also reveals the personal significance behind the book The Tree of Ecstasy and Unbearable Sadness, which draws from his experiences with bipolar disorder.
As the artist behind the 2025 Premier's Reading Challenge artwork, Dance of the Jellyfish, Matt explains the symbolism woven throughout his illustration and the composition process for the accompanying musical piece. He discusses his innovative The Sound of Picture Books initiative which combines live music, animation and interactive drawing to create what he calls an 'intermodal' experience. Throughout the conversation, Matt explores how picture books can transcend age boundaries and how his unique perspective, including his red-green colour blindness and synaesthesia, influences his distinctive artistic style.
28 Feb 2025
Between the bookshelves – 1. Yvette Poshoglian
Yvette Poshoglian (https://www.yvetteposh.com/) is the bestselling author of over 50 books for children and young readers, including the Ella and Olivia series and Dear Greta. Yvette started her career as an English teacher in south-west Sydney, has previously managed the Premier’s Reading Challenge from 2015 to 2016 and worked with NSW Department of Education’s Technology 4 Learning team on projects like Everyone’s an author.
In this episode, Yvette shares her Between the bookshelves pitch for her books, recommends similar books to read for students who enjoyed them, discusses the books that are 'must adds' to a school library’s collection, and shares her advice on running the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge.
Who has been a guest on Between the bookshelves: A NSW Premier's Reading Challenge podcast
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Elisabeth Porreca-Dubois
Allison Tait
Lili Wilkinson
Jess Racklyeft
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