Novelist Anna Mackenzie reveals a few truths about teaching, teens and the failings of the school curriculum, and explains why teaching creative writing is so important to her. According to perceived wisdom, achievement at the highest level requires absolute focus…
Nina Powles looks into the children’s book scene in China, finding an industry that is still ‘young and is currently experiencing rapid growth’. Pippi Lu & Lu Xixi (皮皮鲁与鲁西西), by Yuanjie Zheng Children’s books in China made international headlines recently,…
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. Book news from Aotearoa To begin, a prescription: here’s a Kiwi doctor’s perspective about why…
A few weeks ago, John McIntyre wrote his final replies to the last round of Dear John letters we received before he died. One of the letters asked for suggestions of must-haves for a first library, and we thought John’s…
The Sapling editor Sarah Forster writes about her childhood spent between New Zealand and Australia, the books she read as a result, and explains why we’re making room for the Aussies on this site. I lived, from the ages two…
It’s really cool that each year more and more local publishers are putting out children’s books in celebration of Matariki. We’ve put together a quiz with seven questions (one for each star) to see if you’ve been paying attention ……
New Zealand’s school librarians are passionate, engaged professionals who know how to get students of all ages and reading levels into reading. This, by Ebenezer Moses of Tamaki College, is the fourth in our series about the School Librarians of…
Author and illustrator Paul Beavis shares the behind-the-scenes work (and doubt, angst and inspiration) that goes into making his picture books, like the just-released What Are You Supposed to Be?.
Music journalist Nick Bollinger shares a moving account of the place books had in his three daughters’ childhoods and his own parenthood. When I was a child, my favourite thing was being read to. I can still remember the smell…
David Hill explains the pain required to gain in the wild world of book reviewing, and offers his reckons about how we could do it better – and why we should. I had an email a while back, disapproving of…