Sarah Forster reviews three fantastic new New Zealand YA titles. These are three quite different titles, from Take Flight, set in a world where a group of teens have gained wings and the power of flight; to Slice of Heaven,…
Claire Murdoch is the recently appointed Publishing Manager of Penguin Random House New Zealand. We asked her to share some formative books from her childhood, and she handed us a stunning essay on reading, friendship, imagination, and growing up in…
New Zealand’s young library assistants are passionate about reading and love recommending books to their peers. As it is the time of year our young people make decisions about leadership opportunities in the year ahead, we thought it was high…
Like most writers, Rachael Craw needs to do something on the side. Occasionally the side job takes over. Rachael is releasing her fourth YA book, The Rift, on 1 November. Here, Rachael talks about her life and how writing fits…
When I was a kid, I wanted to be a published writer. As I grew older, I became more cynical about my chances, and stopped trying. The first thing I thought when unwrapping Toitoi and Write On is that there…
One day on Twitter, Jane Bloomfield discovered that mega bestselling Australian author Jacqueline Harvey was setting up to move in just across the valley from her. She wanted to get to know her better, so she had a virtual chat…
Palmerston North librarian Alan Dingley and his two daughters review five of the freshest New Zealand-published non-fiction titles around, covering everything from food for sailing Englishmen, to some of the biggest questions of the natural world. Food Atlas, by Giulia…
Does your pick for Bird of the Year feature in a book? Probably! Today Anushka Perinpanayagam surveys dozens of books featuring Aotearoa’s birds, and finds we are writing about our birds in a huge variety of ways. As part of…
Is there any experience more universal than inappropriate laughing fits? Here, illustrator Giselle Clarkson generously shares one of the times she got the giggles as a child, when it was all Paul Jennings’ fault.
We are pleased to present a regular monthly series highlighting the work, expertise and enthusiasm of some of the greatest children’s booksellers of New Zealand. Here’s a newborn on the block: Little Unity, a just-for-kids spin-off of the beloved High…