Reviews

Ngā Arotakenga: Pukapuka Matariki

Whā arotakenga o ngā pukapuka Matariki, nā Ariana Stewart. These reviews will be available in reo Pākekā/English here. Ko Ngā Whetū Kai o Matariki: Tupuānuku rāua Ko Tupuārangi, nā Miriama Kamo rāua ko Zak Waipara, nā Ariana Stevens ngā kōrerō…

Reviews: Three reo Māori pukapuka

These are reviews of new picture books, by Lady Kataraina Pōkai. What do we think? You must read these books! Read these reviews in te reo Māori here. The Dream Factory, Rere Atu Taku Poi! | Let My Poi Fly!,…

Ngā Arotakenga: Toru reo Māori pukapuka

He arotakenga pukapuka ēnei, mō ngā pukapuka pikitia hou, nā Lady Kataraina Pōkai. He aha ō mātou whakaaro? Me pānui koutou i ēnei pukapuka! These reviews are available in reo Pākehā/English here. The Dream Factory, Rere Atu Taku Poi! |…

Reviews: Three More For Middle Grade

Claudine Tapsell reviews three recent middle grade reads from two well-known authors and one on-their-way to being well-known winner of the Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award. These pukapuka are spine-tingling, slow-burning, and heart-warming, with richly written and endearing characters. Koro’s Star,…

Reviews: Two New Books for Middle Readers

Author Cassie Hart reviews two new and deeply personal middle grade reads: one about a shy kid who learns that they might not just be “the sole weirdo on the planet” and a coming-of-age historical fiction that dives into race…

Reviews: Three New Non-Fiction

There are so many awesome non-fiction pukapuka coming out every year. This batch of assorted non-fiction covers nature crafts, endangered dolphins, and hauora. Linda Jane Keegan gives a rundown of what to expect in each. Play Wild: Nature Crafts for…

Reviews: Two Stellar Middle Grade Titles

Cassie Hart reviews two new middle grade novels both entrenched in a sense of place and dealing with difficult emotions. Rachael King’s The Grimmelings is beautiful and fantastical, and Leonie Agnew’s Take Me To Your Leader is funny and heartwarming….

Reviews: Two New Junior-Middle Grade Novels

Leila Austin reviews two new novels and comes across adventurous kids, dragon poo and mysteriously vanishing pistachio cupcakes. Maddison McQueen and the Cupcake Mystery (Red Collie Mysteries: Book 1), by Kate Gordon-Smith (Relish Books) Maddison McQueen and the Cupcake Mystery…

Reviews: Five Fun Picture Books

Transport, friendship, noisy library-users, pizza nights and child-fearing dentists are all covered in this line-up of new Aotearoa picture books. Kay Benseman reviews. Double Dippers (Big Little Blue #3), by Raymond McGrath (Scholastic NZ) This was my first read of a…

Reviews: Four New Picture Book Releases

Annelies Judson shares her thoughts on four very different—but equally vibrant—picture books to hit the shelves. The Littlest Lifeguard, by Vanessa Hatley-Owen, illustrated by Lisa Allen The Littlest Lifeguard is a lighthearted look at how the smallest of us can…