How to help our kids understand consent and set (and respect!) boundaries? It’s a surprisingly controversial topic. Guest writer Bee Trudgeon reflects on this area of contention and sets out to find some books that can help facilitate this conversation;…
Tomorrow marks 108 years since the landings at Gallipoli in 1915. Editor Linda Jane Keegan tells us about some ANZAC-related books from the last few years, followed up with links to all of The Sapling’s previous book lists, interviews, and…
Venice White finds lots to rave about with two new novels for the upper-YA audience, from veteran Kiwi authors Eileen Merriman and Leonie Agnew. Time’s Raven, by Eileen Merriman Time’s Raven is the second book in Eileen Merriman’s Eternity Loop…
In this batch of reviews, Charlotte Fielding shares her thoughts on a wholesome romance read and a spooky Stranger Things-style debut. The Stars Burn Bright, by Lynda Tomalin The Stars Burn Bright is a sweet YA romance, told from the…
In this edition of the Giselle Clarkson comic, Giselle explores a gripe she has in the children’s publishing industry: celebrities becoming authors. Her solution? Turn the authors into celebrities…
Vanessa Hatley-Owen is a librarian at Botany Downs Primary School, Auckland. Here, she tells us about the best aspects of her job, what challenges she’s come up against, and about her own book! Tell us about where you work and…
Join Leila Austin on a magical journey through the New Zealand forest, farting your way through a running race, classic cat dramas, and a newly uncovered piece of Aotearoa’s literary history as she reviews four new picture books. Lost in…
Sarah Forster reviews three recent junior fiction reads from some of Aotearoa’s most accomplished writers. Below, by David Hill This book takes you underground and leaves you there, gasping for breath until the very end. It is pure David Hill,…
Beloved writer James Norcliffe is the well-deserving winner of the 2023 Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal. Ruth Agnew, with the help of students Wills and Rose, shows us the power of Norcliffe’s writing to dazzle and inspire the next generation of…
Robin Hyde (pen name for Iris Wilkinson), one of New Zealand’s best poets, novelists and journalists, is widely praised for her wit, compassion, and imagery, as well as for the power and emotional accuracy of her writing. She is credited…