Archives

From the Shop Floor: Time Out Bookstore

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 the multi-award-winning Time Out Bookstore in Mt Eden Village, Auckland. Situated in the heart…

Illustrators Robyn Belton and Jenny Cooper Talk

We present an interview between Robyn Belton and Jenny Cooper, on the subject of illustrating war stories, technology, (or the lack of it) and the misbehaviour of watercolour. Based loosely on their recently published World War I books: The ANZAC…

Bill Manhire and Blyton’s Faraway Tree

Multi-accoladed poet and founder of the creative writing programme at Victoria University of Wellington, Bill Manhire relives the magic of Enid Blyton’s Faraway Tree, in this essay adapted from a talk given at the 2017 Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival….

A Range of New Picture Books from Aotearoa

Editor and co-founder Sarah Forster shares her thoughts on another exciting batch of Kiwi picture books featuring some well-intentioned letters to Donald Trump, anthromorphised girl boss penguins, and a divisive depiction of anxiety. Dear Donald Trump, by Sophie Siers and…

Melanie Drewery and the return of Nanny Mihi

Melanie Drewery has produced a multitude of books over the last two decades aimed at delivering te reo Māori and tikanga Māori in a gentle and positive way. Navana Matthews spoke to Melanie about the return of Nanny Mihi. See…

Melanie Drewery me te hokinga mai a Nanny Mihi

E hia kē nei ngā pukapuka i tuhi ai a Melanie Drewery i ēnei rua tekau tau. Ko te whāinga o ēnei pukapuka kia Rongo rawa te taki i te reo Māori me ngā tikanga Māori mā ngā tamariki. Navana…

The Reckoning: Invisible Heroes and their Legacy

Novelist and playwright Whiti Hereaka is wondering where our Māori heroes were, in the commemoration of WWI. Her upcoming YA novel Legacy, will be released this month, and is based on the Māori experience of WWI. I haven’t been to…

And the winners of the Book Awards are …

Freshly announced at the Awards Ceremony in Wellington, the winners of the 2018 NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults are … The Margaret Mahy Book of the Year and the Elsie Locke Award for Non-fiction Aotearoa: the new…

Book Quiz: New Zealand’s Heroes and Heroines

New Zealand’s legends inspire our tamariki to believe that the sky is the limit. How much do you know about these biographies targeted at children and their kiwi connections? Test yourself, share with a friend, and let us know on…

Book Awards: Best First Book Authors Tell All!

How does an author not only get their book published, but get their book shortlisted for the Best First Book award? We asked each of this year’s finalists how they went from unpublished amateur to finalist. Eileen Merriman, finalist for…