By Susan Brocker Check out the following excerpts from Susan Brocker’s latest: a gripping YA tale following 14-year-old Sam who struggles with homelessness and finds herself involved in crime. Pick up the book if you’re curious to discover how she…
We interrupt this hiatus to bring you a list of Top Recommendations for the 2021 Holiday Season, created for you, our dear readers, as well as those of Newsroom’s ReadingRoom. Compiled by Editor Sarah with a bit of help from…
Time for another batch of picture book reviews to keep you abreast of the latest developments in the world of Aotearoa illustrative goodness. Editor Briar has examined new releases from Donovan Bixley, Susan Brocker and Raymond McGrath, Melinda Szymanik and…
The brilliant David Hill takes a trip down memory lane in the latest instalment of our ‘books I read to my grandchildren’ series. Read on for his reflections as the grandparent, as well as some rare, but valuable, insights from…
Winter has finally come to Aotearoa, and it’s brought with it a fresh batch of junior fiction titles! Here’s librarian Dave Tucker’s takes on four recent releases, including a sports read for reluctant readers, a spooky adventure story, a relatable…
There are all kinds of strong voices in Aotearoa’s picture book world today and some of the best of the best are women. Freelance writer Carly Thomas reviews five New Zealand children’s books that all fit that criteria and finds…
There’s never a bad time to be a young adult reader, because the world is full of wonderful treats, whether new or old. But it’s an especially good time to be a young adult reader when there are new titles…
Discussion of self isolation and social distancing and mask wearing may all feel very 2020s – but for those not in the know, two titles from Aotearoa sitting on shelves with shiny new covers are not, in fact, products of…
We are incredibly excited to be sharing the first snippet from Sherryl Jordan’s forthcoming novel, The King’s Nightingale.
Long-time readers of The Sapling will remember that in our first year, we had a regular crafting feature from the super talented Fifi Colston. This December, Fifi’s illustrations brought Nadia Lim’s debut picture book to life – and so to celebrate,…