Kristin Smith reviews the five Te Kura Pounamu finalists in this year’s NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. He kōrero Māori koe? He kōrero pukapuka koe?* If you love reading te reo Māori, and you love reading fiction,…
Novelist Anna Mackenzie reveals a few truths about teaching, teens and the failings of the school curriculum, and explains why teaching creative writing is so important to her. According to perceived wisdom, achievement at the highest level requires absolute focus…
Cat Chapman is an Auckland freelance illustrator, having discovered her skills whilst doing a course in picture-book illustration with Sandra Morris. Her illustrations have a relaxed, friendly feel, with welcoming characters you might recognise, places you might go. She has…
Nina Powles looks into the children’s book scene in China, finding an industry that is still ‘young and is currently experiencing rapid growth’. Pippi Lu & Lu Xixi (皮皮鲁与鲁西西), by Yuanjie Zheng Children’s books in China made international headlines recently,…
Every two weeks we compile, for your browsing pleasure, cool children’s book happenings (and peripherally related news) from around Aotearoa, the world and the internet. Book news from Aotearoa To begin, a prescription: here’s a Kiwi doctor’s perspective about why…
A few weeks ago, John McIntyre wrote his final replies to the last round of Dear John letters we received before he died. One of the letters asked for suggestions of must-haves for a first library, and we thought John’s…
The Sapling editor Sarah Forster writes about her childhood spent between New Zealand and Australia, the books she read as a result, and explains why we’re making room for the Aussies on this site. I lived, from the ages two…
Rachel Moore reviews three world-class Kiwi series for readers from around the age of seven: Miniwings by Sally Sutton, Flying Furballs by Donovan Bixley and The Dragon Defenders by James Russell. Make a note of these for any upcoming nieces’…
It’s really cool that each year more and more local publishers are putting out children’s books in celebration of Matariki. We’ve put together a quiz with seven questions (one for each star) to see if you’ve been paying attention ……
New Zealand’s school librarians are passionate, engaged professionals who know how to get students of all ages and reading levels into reading. This, by Ebenezer Moses of Tamaki College, is the fourth in our series about the School Librarians of…