Features

The Sampling: Flight Path

An excerpt from David Hill’s Flight Path, a YA novel about 18-year-old Jack who wanted to escape boring little New Zealand – but soon finds that flying in a Lancaster bomber to attack Hitler’s forces brings terror as well as excitement.

2017 Storylines Margaret Mahy Day

Storylines Children’s Literature Foundation has given awards for local children’s literature since 2000, named for some of our most distinguished authors, both living and dead. All images below are courtesy of Crissi Blair. This is the first time I have…

The Whakapapa of Awatea’s Treasure

School principal Fraser Smith writes about how his debut children’s novel Awatea’s Treasure went from idea to manuscript to published book. Awatea’s Treasure began on a School Camp, sitting around a fire on round rocks still warm from the sun,…

The Pony Book Club: a pre-teen respite

Nina Powles revisits her childhood obsession with The Saddle Club series and finds their appeal, though flawed, remains. There was one book in the school library that I got out so many times I knew its exact place on the…

The Ones We Follow: NZ kids’ book websites

One of the first things we did when considering The Sapling was sit down and think: now, what can we offer that nobody else can? There are a lot of wonderful book-focused bloggers in New Zealand, as well as quite…

How stories can help children with anxiety

Child psychologist Amy Wilson-Hughes gives some practical advice for using books and stories to help kids who are struggling with anxiety. Parents, caregivers and teachers: bookmark this one! There aren’t too many people who make it through life – especially…

School Librarians of Aotearoa: Desna Wallace

New Zealand’s school librarians are passionate, engaged professionals who know how to get students of all ages and reading levels into reading. This is the first of our monthly spotlights on inspirational school librarians. I am fortunate enough to be…

Ka pai! Cool stuff from around the internet

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. A little US-centric but here are some great ideas to get your whole family thinking…

Quiz: test your Margaret Mahy knowledge

Hooray, it’s a quiz! Test your children’s book knowledge every month – first up is a quiz to celebrate Margaret Mahy’s birthday. Answers are at the bottom of the page. Good luck… 1. What’s the name of the 14-year-old protagonist…