Just like the Aotearoa Histories curriculum itself, the catalyst for Te Ata o Tū was the petition from several Otorohanga High School students to include the New Zealand Wars as a compulsory topic in schools. Curators from Te Papa Tongarewa…
The New Zealand English school curriculum is undergoing a rewrite and some of the changes suggest a move backwards rather than forwards. High school English teacher Susan Briggs questions who this rewrite prioritises, and describes how English teachers are perfectly…
By Helen Lloyd & Pippa Keel Te Papa Press brings us an excerpt from their latest activity book which can be used at Te Papa, at home, or wherever the desire takes you! It contains colouring and drawing activities, word…
Claudine Tapsell reviews three recent middle grade reads from two well-known authors and one on-their-way to being well-known winner of the Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award. These pukapuka are spine-tingling, slow-burning, and heart-warming, with richly written and endearing characters. Koro’s Star,…
Earlier this month the Auckland Writers Festival saw record-breaking attendance levels. Pukapuka Adventures—the children’s hub of the event—took over Level 5 of the Aotea centre and was brimming with activity. Attendee Annelies Judson describes her experience on the Saturday with…
Author Cassie Hart reviews two new and deeply personal middle grade reads: one about a shy kid who learns that they might not just be “the sole weirdo on the planet” and a coming-of-age historical fiction that dives into race…
There are so many awesome non-fiction pukapuka coming out every year. This batch of assorted non-fiction covers nature crafts, endangered dolphins, and hauora. Linda Jane Keegan gives a rundown of what to expect in each. Play Wild: Nature Crafts for…
Following on from the Auckland Writers Festival, David Hill answers the perennial question of authors everywhere: why do you write? In Graeme Lay’s first novel, The Mentor, a sultry female follower approaches the author-narrator, and breathes “Tell me: why do…
There is a multitude of resources available for Aotearoa children’s books and The Sapling has collated as many as we can find all in one handy place! We’ve also included a non-exhaustive list of other places to find non-book-specific resources….
Feana Tuʻakoi has authored many fiction and non-fiction works for children and is the current University of Otago College of Education Creative New Zealand Children’s Writer in Residence. Here she tells us about why she writes what she writes, and…