The Sapling

From the Shop Floor: Books for Kids, Hamilton

We are pleased to present a regular series highlighting the work, expertise and enthusiasm of some of the greatest children’s booksellers of New Zealand. Here’s Books for Kids in Hamilton. This delightful little independent children’s boutique bookshop humbly began 48…

Picture Books with Muslim Representation

In the wake of the horrific attacks against Muslim worshippers in Christchurch, many parents and teachers are looking for picture books with Muslim characters, to make sure Muslim New Zealanders can see themselves in our books, and so all New…

From the Shop Floor: Marsden Books

We are pleased to present a regular series highlighting the work, expertise and enthusiasm of some of the greatest children’s booksellers of New Zealand. Here’s a shop that was born in the same year as The Sapling’s two founding editors:…

Book Quiz: School and Education in Books

New Zealand schools have been back for a month now. How’s your knowledge of fictional schools, teachers and classrooms in Aotearoa literature? Test yourself, share with a friend, and let us know on Facebook or Twitter how you do! 1….

THE SAMPLING: The Book of Knowing

In this new book, psychologist Gwendoline Smith (AKA Doctor Know) teaches teens about what’s going on in their minds and how to get their feelings under control.

THE SAMPLING: The Very Annoying Ghost

Kyle Mewburn Ricky’s family buy a mansion in a trendy suburb, with panoramic views of the city. Too good to be true… Yep, a real bargain. But this house also has a resident ghost, who wants them out. Cockroaches in…

THE SAMPLING: Telesā Book One – The Covenant Keeper

Lani Wendt Young From Washington D.C, comes Leila, a young woman in search of family, a place to belong. Instead she finds her destiny and it threatens to tear her apart. There is the bewitching call of a Telesā sisterhood…

THE SAMPLING: Rafferty Ferret: Ratbag

By Sherryl Jordan Rafferty is an orphan, raised by monks. Misfortune strikes and he is outcast, and must fend for himself. He uses his cunning and charm to develop a trade for himself as the town’s ratcatcher… and rat liberator….

THE SAMPLING: The Trespassers Club, a new kids' novel

By Helen Vivienne Fletcher When her family moves suburbs, Laura discovers an old abandoned house on her street. It seems like the perfect hideout, but something – or, rather, someone – is already hiding inside. Laura meets Jacob, a runaway…

THE SAMPLING: The Lonely Little Tree

Here’s an extract from a new New Zealand Christmas picture book, The Lonely Little Tree by Moya Kirby and illustrated by Terri Rose Baynton (Scholastic).