Features

Quiz: Can you judge these books by their covers?

Here are ten well-known New Zealand children’s books. But can you recognise them from just a small part of their covers? Advanced readers, try to get the authors, illustrators and publishers, too! Answers are at the bottom of the page….

The Books My Kid Is Reading (& I should write)

Ahead of his appearance at the Auckland Writers Festival, novelist (for adults) Rajorshi Chakraborti tells us about the books his daughter is reading, and his aspirations to write a book for her one day. A big challenge is looming for…

The Only Children’s Writing Fellowship in NZ

It’s the writing fellowship with the really long name – the University of Otago College of Education Creative New Zealand Children’s Writer in Residence. But more importantly, it’s the only children’s fellowship in the country and applications for 2019 close…

Michele A’Court: The Books My Kids Are Reading

Writer, comedian and author of a new collection of true love stories, How We Met, Michele A’Court tells us about the books she reads to her granddaughter, and the tricks she uses at story time. As much as I am…

THE SAMPLING: 1918: Broken Poppies

1918: Broken Poppies is the fifth and final book in Scholastic NZ’s ‘Kiwis at War’ series, which commemorates New Zealand’s involvement in the First World War. Author Des Hunt based this book on the experiences of two of his uncles who fought in WWI.

School Librarians of Aotearoa: Michelle Simms

Michelle Simms is the Library Manager and ICT Coordinator at Te Totara Primary School in the north of Hamilton. She also writes the blog Good Keen Librarian, where she talks about her experiences as a school librarian. I am the…

Book List: When Parents Break Up or Divorce

We all know books can be faithful companions in hard times. Blenheim school counsellor Louisa Woods suggests some books that might help children process what’s going on in their families during separation. Separation is a challenging, often tumultuous situation for…

Queen Olivia St Redfern: Rainbow Story Time

At The Sapling, we believe that books grow humans. Rainbow Story Time is a recent phenomenon helping to grow humans who aren’t too hung up on the gender binary, and who are comfortable with who they are. Here to tell…