The Runners Up: Every Reader has a Story
We shared the winning entries from the Kiwi Christmas Books Every Reader has a Story student writing competition earlier this week, but there were so many brilliant entries we can’t resist more! Here are the runners up for the years…
NZCYA 2026: The Winners
Live from Pipitea Marae, Wellington, we bring you the 2026 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults Award Ceremony! And we’re off! It’s 5.20, and the finalists and their publishers are gathering for their photo calls. There’s already…
The power of reading: A Q&A with Kate De Goldi
Alex Adank asks Kate De Goldi, our Te Awhi Rito Reading Ambassador, about the decline in reading. Alex Adank was inspired and alarmed by Kate De Goldi’s recent address at the Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand Conference, and wanted to find…
Every reader has a story
We’re proud to share the winning entries from the Kiwi Christmas Books Every Reader has a Story competition. Kiwi Christmas Books sent out a challenge to young readers around Aotearoa, with founder Sonya Wilson asking children and young people to…
NZCYA 2026: Our Lips are Sealed
The judges for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults on keeping the shortlists and winners under wrap. The judges for this year’s Children’s Book Awards spent their summers studiously reading without being allowed to talk about…
Regular Features
Features
The Runners Up: Every Reader has a Story
We shared the winning entries from the Kiwi Christmas Books Every Reader has a Story student writing competition earlier this week, but there were so many brilliant entries we can’t resist more! Here are the runners up for the years...
NZCYA 2026: The Winners
Live from Pipitea Marae, Wellington, we bring you the 2026 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults Award Ceremony! And we’re off! It’s 5.20, and the finalists and their publishers are gathering for their photo calls. There’s already...
Every reader has a story
We’re proud to share the winning entries from the Kiwi Christmas Books Every Reader has a Story competition. Kiwi Christmas Books sent out a challenge to young readers around Aotearoa, with founder Sonya Wilson asking children and young people to...
NZCYA 2026: Our Lips are Sealed
The judges for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults on keeping the shortlists and winners under wrap. The judges for this year’s Children’s Book Awards spent their summers studiously reading without being allowed to talk about...
NZ Children’s Book Week 2026
Alex Adank came home from the Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand annual conference inspired, and also alarmed. She shares the background to the inaugural NZ Children’s Book Week, and a call to arms for all readers to explore children’s literature. The...
Book Battle: Turning Reading into a Team Sport
Belinda Whyte recently ran a Book Battle for schools in the Manawatū region. She tells us what the events are all about. Amongst constant reports of reading crises, digital overload and the decline in reading for pleasure, the idea of...
NZCYA 2026: Friendship and the Junior Fiction Finalists
The writers of the novels shortlisted for the Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction on the friends and frenemies in their books Each of the finalist novels in this year’s NZCYA Junior Fiction category is character led—from...
A Springboard Comic: part two
Scarlett Robinson-Kean returns with part two of her comic on being the recipient of an Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Springboard Award, and this time she’s in super sleuth mode. In this second instalment of four comics, Scarlett Robinson-Kean takes...
NZCYA 2026: Teens and their teachers read the young adult finalists
We asked five teachers and librarians to read the Wheeler’s Books Award for Young Adult Fiction finalists with their students. Here’s what they had to say. When The Sapling put out a call for English teachers or librarians to read...
A Day in the Life: Lily Emo
Illustrator Lily Emo on juggling a whole lot of bits and pieces and a career that is entwined with all her life. A friend asked me a while ago whether I had to be in the right frame of mind...
The Mahy Questionnaire: Sarina Clark
Sarina Clark is the author of Dragonfall: The Fate of Dragons and its sequel Dragonfall: The Destiny of Dragons. We asked her to complete this month’s Mahy Questionnaire. 1. Describe yourself in three words: Spontaneous, caring and just a little...
The Lynley Dodd Children’s Writers Award
On July 22 Lynley Dodd and The Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi awarded the Lynley Dodd Children’s Writer Award to writer, books editor, festival organiser and all-round champion of children’s literature Claire Mabey. Kate De Goldi spoke at the celebratory event,...
NZCYA 2026: Wherever you go, there you are—the places of the non-fiction finalists
It is unsurprising that in a beautiful country filled with people who have deep connections to the land, the New Zealand Children’s and Young Adult Book Award Elsie Lock Non-fiction Award finalists are strongly linked to nature. Linda Jane Keegan...
NZCYA 2026: WRIGHT FAMILY FOUNDATION TE KURA POUNAMU AWARDS
The Kura Pounamu Awards celebrate excellence in translation and writing in te reo Māori. We asked the finalists for these awards what they’d most like to know about each other’s work. The finalists in this year’s Wright Family Foundation Te...
The DANZ Children’s Book Awards
The Diversity in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand Children’s Book Awards Ceremony will take place on July 25 in Brisbane. Bee Trudgeon takes a closer look at what the awards are all about. The Diversity in Australia and Aotearoa New...
Interviews
A conversation about Cass: Claire Mabey and Jill Calder on their new picture book
Claire Mabey has just released her first picture book, Cass and the Beast, in collaboration with UK illustrator Jill Calder. They caught up to talk about the book, pre-publication jitters and the state of children’s literature. Jill Calder (JC): Hello!...
If I don’t draw, who even am I? An interview with Lily Uivel
Briar Lawry chats with Lily Uivel about new parenthood, impressing her childhood self and Big Bang Bread, the first book she’s written as well as illustrated. Anyone with even a whisper of interest in the scientific world will be familiar...
Who We Really Are: An Interview with Trish Harris
Trish Harris has just released Out of the Box, which shares the stories of 25 deaf and disabled New Zealanders. Bee Trudgeon spoke with her to find out more about the book. Out of the Box: 25 Deaf and Disabled...
Q&A: Jackie Lee Morrison on Marginalia Lit Fest Live
In 2025 Jackie Lee Morrison started an online literary festival called Marginalia. It’s back this year, and kicks off on Thursday with a panel on why adults should read children’s books. We asked Jackie to tell us more about the...
The colours of te taiao: an interview with Isobel Joy Te Aho-White
Krysana Hanley catches up with prolific illustrator Isobel Joy Te Aho-White about writing her first book, her inspiration and her craft Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Wairoa) is an award-winning illustrator based in Pōneke Wellington....
‘As long as it’s on our own terms’: an interview with Mat Tait
Bee Trudgeon speaks with with Mat Tait about his new picture book Kupe me te Wheke Nui a Muturangi / Kupe & the Great Octopus of Muturangi Award-winning author-illustrator Mat Tait’s new picture book Kupe me te Wheke Nui a...
Is A Monster Eating Our Stories? Authenticity, AI, and Animatronic Mice
Annelies Judson chats with Fifi Colston and Ruth Paul about their new stage show, Help! A Monster Ate My Story Fifi Colston holds up a pink mouse puppet. It is a piece of trickery. The puppet was made by Colston—but...
Interview: Jasmine Donaldson on publishing her first novel
Jasmine Donaldson has just published her first novel, The People I Know Now. Krysana Hanley caught up with her to chat about writing as a young person and discovering local young adult fiction. As a reader of YA novels I...
Q&A: Giselle Clarkson on Omnibird
Giselle Clarkson’s new book, Omnibird, is a delightful dive into all things avian. As it’s popping up on ‘best of 2025’ lists all over the place, we asked her what inspired the book. Writer and illustrator Giselle Clarkson has done...
Book people: Bob Docherty
Bob Docherty has just been awarded the Storylines 2025 Betty Gilderdale Award for services to children’s literature and literacy. Bill Nagelkerke interviews him on his life in reading. Bob describes himself as a promoter of reading. Working for two decades...
Designer to designer: The PANZ Book Design Awards finalists
The winners of the PANZ Book Design Awards will be announced tonight. We thought that was a great opportunity to find out more about how these sometimes-unseen heroes of children’s books—the designers!— work. The PANZ Book Design Awards recognise excellence...
Interview: Andy Griffiths, celebrity author
Andy Griffiths might be the best kind of celebrity author—he’s famous because his books are so popular with children. Annelies Judson caught up with him to talk about his books and the serious craft of being funny. Earlier this year,...
Interview: Josh Morgan
Josh Morgan was recently presented the Mallinson Rendel Illustrators Award. We at The Sapling quite agree with the panel’s statement that ‘The breadth and vigour of his work excites, inspires and engages inquisitive young minds to become life-long readers’. Briar...
Interview: David Hill on Mother of the Nation
Claudia Palmer speaks with esteemed writer David Hill about the lasting impact of Dame Whina Cooper, the importance of te reo Māori and what he hopes New Zealanders will take away from his latest picture book Mother of the Nation....
NZCYA 2025: More from the junior fiction finalists
The writers shortlisted for the junior fiction prize at the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults quiz each other for advice and insights on their books and writing. Way back in June we asked the authors shortlisted...
Reviews
Review: Bread, babies, beasts, birds & bossy thoughts
Annelies Judson reviews new picture books from Becky Overeem, Sarah Trolle, Lily Uivel, Emma Heppell, Lisa Dick, Laura Bee, Jo Van der Borg and Jo Beasley Are My Thoughts Worth Listening To? by Becky Overeem and Sarah Trolle Are My...
Review: A propulsive and action-packed middle grade novel
Alex Adank reviews the new novel in Graci Kim’s Slinger series, Royalslinger. In Royalslinger, Graci Kim’s latest middle-grade fiction, we return to the Kingdom of Royal Hanguk and the extraordinary world of the Dreamslinger League. Aria and her dragon, Rio, along with friends...
Review: Two and Three from the Terrible Trio
Belinda Whyte reviews two new titles from the Terrible Trio series by Swapna Haddow and Minky Stapleton. The Day the Mac ‘n’ Cheese Ran Out, by Swapna Haddow and Minky Stapleton I was very excited when these three The Terrible...
Review: All the tigers, feelings, babies and sunny adventures
Hamish Win reviews six recent picture books Sand-play time on the Sun-baked Beach, by Juliette Maciver and Lily Uivel What a fantastic book. We haven’t been able to stop reading it. This is a great one for counting and subtraction...
Review: Two New YA Reads
Sarah Forster reviews a new novel from former YA category winner at the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, Philippa Werry, and Elizabeth Heritage reviews a first YA novel from writer Sarah Johnson. Degrees of Happy, by...
Review: A fantastic and accessible junior fiction novel
Venice White reviews Marlon Foundling and the Circus of Lost Children, the first novel in a new series by James Russell I have felt a bit of a fraud as a bookseller having never read James Russell’s books until now...
Review: trilingual adventures, creatures new and old, and heroes of the health world
Tom Davis reviews six new books that reflect the real world for young readers Wild Life: An Animal History of Aotearoa, by Philippa Werry Philippa Werry’s Wild Life is ostensibly a wide-ranging ‘animal history of Aotearoa’ for tween-something readers, but...
Review: Grumbles, PJs, Fleas, Dragons and More
Harriet Elworthy reviews seven new picture books Grumble’s Bridge, by Greg Macleod and Herb MacDonald Many parents will sympathise with Grumble, who ‘cared about one thing and one thing alone. Sleep. Long, uninterrupted sleep’. They might identify with his futile...
Review: a propulsive, action-packed thriller for teens
Alex Adank reviews Spider Games, the new novel from Brian Falkner The latest young adult novel from prolific kiwi writer Brian Falkner is a propulsive, action-packed spy thriller. Spider Games: In the City of Spies is set on the eve...
Review: An evocative and atmospheric YA novel
Alex Adank reviews Song of the Saltings, a folklore-inspired story by Rachael King Song of the Saltings is the first YA novel from Ōtautahi author Rachael King. Having written both adult and children’s fiction, she has recently cultivated her own particular...
Review: A Coming-of-Age Story That Doesn’t Flinch
Daniel Devenney’s debut novel, Counting Down with Theodore Brown, has just been released. August Elworthy reviews ‘a story that is as punchy and readable as it is sincere and authentic’ There are not many books you can hand to a...
Review: The Raven’s Eye Rebellion
Alex Adank reviews Claire Mabey’s follow up to the NZSA Best First Book Award-winning The Raven’s Eye Runaways Claire Mabey’s first book, The Raven’s Eye Runaways, won the NZSA Best First Book Award at the 2025 Children’s Book Awards. Its...
Review: a posthumously published dystopia
Alex Adank reviews outdoors author and photographer Shaun Barnett’s middle grade novel A dystopian novel, set in New Zealand, for kids?! That’s several boxes ticked for me, so it’s no surprise I was thoroughly hooked by the new middle-grade fiction...
Review: books of the season
Annelies Judson reviews three new Christmas picture books. I would like to preface these reviews by saying: I love Christmas. Not in the way that some people do, where they count down to Christmas from January onwards. And I certainly...
Review: three accessible novels for younger readers
Lucy Black reviews the first in a promising new series and the latest books in an already popular series The Fate of Dragons: Dragonfall Book One by Sarina Clark and illustrated by Alba Gil Celdran The Fate of Dragons is...
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