Features

The Sapling’s best reads of 2024

We asked The Sapling’s editors and contributors for their best reads of the year. The criteria was broad: recent books preferred but not strictly enforced, titles from Aotearoa or overseas and books for babies to young adults. Here’s what we…

Children’s Book Trends: Are We Following Them?

Maureen Crisp charts children’s publishing trends from the USA, the UK and Australia to see which have made their way here and what is in store for 2025. I made the mistake of looking at a big chain bookstore to…

A summer reading challenge for teachers

Each year, Read New Zealand Te Pou Muramura issues a reading challenge for the summer holidays. This year and last, the wero is aimed at teachers. We chatted with Sarah Dillon, Te Pou Muramura’s Communications and Engagement Manager, to find…

From the Shop Floor: bookseller recommendations for Christmas

Eight year olds to teens edition. Avid book collectors know that some of the best informed opinions on books are found over the counter at your local bookstore, so we’ve asked Aotearoa’s specialist children’s booksellers what they’re recommending for Christmas…

From the Shop Floor: bookseller recommendations for Christmas

Babies to eight year olds edition. Avid book collectors know that some of the best informed opinions on books are found over the counter at your local bookstore, so we’ve asked Aotearoa’s specialist children’s booksellers what they’re recommending for Christmas…

Book Launch: Charlie Tangaroa and the God of War

Tania Roxborogh held launch events for the sequel to Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea at Te Kura Toi Tangata in Hamilton on Thursday evening and Scorpio in Christchurch last night. In her launch speech she explained the…

Monsters and Chaos Walking – thirty minutes with Patrick Ness

Patrick Ness, the revered author of the Chaos Walking trilogy, visited New Zealand last week for events at Verb Wellington and Auckland Writers Festival. Sarah Forster watched his Wellington events and spent thirty minutes having him sign her sizable collection…

A Stack of Librarians: the 2024 SLANZA conference

Librarian Jess Starr brings us highlights and insights from He Puāwaitanga—Growing Communities, Developing Knowledge and Building Confidence, the School Library Association’s 2024 conference. My tickets were booked, my cardigan was packed. I’d been practising my shushing all week and was…