The jump from kindy, kōhanga, daycare, or home to SCHOOL can be quite a leap. Former Sapling co-editor, and mother of two kids who have started school in recent memory, Thalia Kehoe Rowden, has read a hundred First-Day-of-School books and…
Author Linda Jane Keegan reviews some new non-fiction from Aotearoa that puts the spotlight on stories of war and disasters, and two books that look at the natural world, from seasons to snappers! Snapper—The Real Story, by Annemarie Florian &…
Discussion of self isolation and social distancing and mask wearing may all feel very 2020s – but for those not in the know, two titles from Aotearoa sitting on shelves with shiny new covers are not, in fact, products of…
Here’s a fresh bit of your Margaret Mahy Questionnaire goodness, featuring award-winning novelist, short story, and flash fiction writer Eileen Merriman! Read on to find out her takes on shadow-sitting, barefoot beach walks, and pleasant-smelling, elegant giraffes. And when you’re…
Welcome back to another Sapling quiz! This month’s quiz blends current releases with a healthy dash of Aotearoa children’s book history knowledge. Enjoy! Test yourself, share with a friend, and let us know on Facebook or Twitter how you do!…
The Sapling’s Sarah Forster reviews three fantastic new titles for teens: think epic fantasies and slave trades, tales of religious differences and big decisions, and revisiting and healing from trauma. But as different as these books may be from one…
How does a bookish child develop a love of reading in a household with few books? Libraries of course! Kelly Gardiner writes about the books from her childhood that inspired a love of reading and shaped her own writing. I…
Last weekend, Tara Black attended a masterclass on how to create a picture book, led by Joy Cowley. This was a fundraiser for Featherston Booktown, which Joy is the patron of. This is presented in graphic format, but with a…
Lani Wendt Young is back with a new title, Fire’s Caress – the second in her Telesā World series for teens. Enjoy this excerpt from pages 32–35 of the book, describing antagonist Marc Gold’s villain origin story…
The Sapling’s Simie Simpson, reviews four new picture books from Aotearoa that feature a dog searching for a forever home, a racing buggy that reaches for the stars, some local gardens, imaginative play and emotions. The Garden’s Secrets by Sarah…