Writing children’s books may seem romantic at remove, but — as with many things — it’s less glossy up close. As Kiwi writers Juliet Jacka and Sally Sutton can attest to, for every passionate line they write, only a lucky…
Mark Broatch reviews four recent picture books by New Zealand authors and illustrators – Inspector Brunswick: The Case of the Missing Eyebrow about a feline detective and an art gallery, What Are You Supposed to Be? about a weird wolf,…
Like the rest of the New Zealand children’s book community, The Sapling has been rocked by the news that our hero John McIntyre passed away at the weekend. Editors Jane and Sarah wanted to share a few words in respect…
Earlier this month we published a short excerpt from Pieces of You, a major new YA novel from a debut Kiwi author. We asked Denis Wright, YA novelist and experienced high school English teacher to give us his verdict. Let…
Alex Collins from Lift Publishing reflects on the value that Educational Publishing has to New Zealand’s curriculum, and explains why ‘teachers need access to rich materials that value local knowledge and ensure that students’ learning is relevant and meaningful.’ It…
The NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults are a unique celebration of the contribution New Zealand’s children’s authors and illustrators make to building national identity and cultural heritage. Awards in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and…
Our illustrator Giselle Clarkson continues her attempts to cling to childhood innocence. This time, she delves into the deep, dark depths of another Judith Kerr classic, The Tiger Who Came to Tea.
What makes a book last? What makes it win? I try to figure this out, as a judge of the NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults this year, revisiting 15 books that won the top awards and have…
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. Cool stuff from New Zealand… Wellesley College will represent New Zealand at the World Kids’…
An excerpt from Eileen Merriman’s Pieces of You, a Young Adult novel centred on Rebecca, a teen who is the victim of a sexual assault after a party in a city she has just moved to. This passage is from the moment that Becs meets the boy-next-door at a dinner party at her home.