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A delightful, warm and moving story about Art, a thoughtful boy who learns to celebrate his individuality and uniqueness. From the CBCA Victorian vice president and beloved author of All The Little Tricky Things.
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 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.
The Paperbark Tree Committee is a heartfelt story about growing up and leaving childhood behind; it's about family and being a good brother, fitting in and finding friends, and about making mistakes and learning from them.
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A delightful, warm and moving story about Art, a thoughtful boy who learns to celebrate his individuality and uniqueness. From the CBCA Victorian vice president and beloved author of All The Little Tricky Things.
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 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.
The Paperbark Tree Committee is a heartfelt story about growing up and leaving childhood behind; it's about family and being a good brother, fitting in and finding friends, and about making mistakes and learning from them.
Twelve-year-old Art and his 10-year-old brother Hilary (named after Hilary Mantel) are best friends and have just moved to Melbourne from their small home town in Queensland because their father has writer’s block. Hilary has taken this turn of events cheerfully in his stride, as he does almost everything. Art is trying to make the best of things and secretly dancing out his worries to classic hits in his bedroom. Their dad’s long-term partner, Sally, knows just how to look after everyone, even though it’s been a big change for her, too. The boys’ mum is only a phone call away, but she’s often a little distracted.
When things quickly become tricky at school for Art, he’s torn between wanting to workshop solutions with Hilary and a feeling that he needs to start dealing with things on his own. Sometimes, two heads are better than one – but not always, as local author and school librarian Karys McEwen deftly illustrates.
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. For ages 9+.
The 2025 Melbourne Writers Festival includes books for all ages – start exploring the the picture books, middle grade and young adult books from the local and international literary stars coming to Melbourne!
These books are full of charming and relatable stories of friendship, family and identity.
Discover new middle grade books available at Readings, great for ages 9-13.