If you, like our quizmaster, live in a part of Aotearoa affected by the floods, you too may have found starting off February with seaside swimming a bleak prospect. Luckily the world of Aotearoa literature for kids has plenty of…
From late 2021 till late 2022, The Sapling lay dormant, waiting to unfurl once more. The hiatus gave our team much-needed time to regroup and plan the way forward. But it also meant that we missed some major children’s literature…
The Sapling editors have compiled a list of recommendations of this year’s releases for your Christmas book shopping! Picture Books How My Koro Became A Star Written by Brianne Te Paa Illustrated by Story Hemi-Morehouse Published by Huia Publishers RRP:…
By Denika Mead Denika Mead brings us the final title in The Crystal Continent series. After defeating the Ghost Warriors, Ivy is now Queen of the Crystal People. But peace doesn’t last for long when a dragon hatches in the…
By Richard Fairgray Four-Color Heroes is a touching love story which follows two star-crossed young men who—in spite of their disparate backgrounds—find escape and one another through the pages of a comic book. The coming-of-age romance is set in a…
Begone, hiatus! Lets bring back the most vital space for discussing Aotearoa’s fabulous kids books! Editor Sarah hands over the reins to Linda Jane and both put in a call for greater diversity on the page and behind it. For…
The day has come, the occasion where even a hiatus can’t keep us down! The New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults was held on the evening of 10 August, and although distance and lurgy kept Team Sapling…
Fresh off the ceremony at Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, the results are in and your New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults winners are… The Margaret Mahy Book of the Year and the Junior Fiction Award: Charlie…
Where do we usually get our recommendations for books to read? The bookshop, of course. We’ve asked people from five bookshelves to sell us our stunning array of junior fiction titles. Tunnel of Dreams, by Bernard Beckett (Text Publishing, 2020)…
One of our favourite bits of the lead up to the NZCYA Awards each year is getting the finalists in one of the categories to interview one another—and this year is no different. Each of the finalists in the Best…