Playwright and Victoria University Writer-in-Residence Victor Rodger describes the twisted humour and terrifying morality of his favourite childhood book, Struwwelpeter. If you ask me about the children’s book I most treasured during my childhood, there can and will only ever…
John McIntyre from The Children’s Bookshop in Wellington is a top children’s bookseller. He’s here once a month to answer your child-related reading questions. Dear John, My 11-year-old has just come out as a trans girl. I’d love to buy…
Storylines Children’s Literature Charitable Trust continues to play a significant part in boosting the children’s literature culture here in New Zealand. We asked Tessa Duder, beloved author and Storylines Trustee, to tell us how the Storylines Awards came about. When…
There’s a book for every reader, and a time for every book. Mandy Hager explains why sometimes Great Literature isn’t what we need. In 1992 I went to the public library in hope that I might find some picture books…
UNESCO City of Literature Dunedin were offered an opportunity they couldn’t ignore: to bid to have a stand atthe Bologna Children’s Book Fair earlier this month. Ella West reports. Hall 26, stand B/76 bis – that was Dunedin UNESCO City…
Author Melinda Szymanik considers war books for children, how they create deeper empathy, and tells us what writers balance as they write these books. Every year, amongst the latest batch of published stories for children about superheroes, horses, dogs and…
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. We were really pleased to learn that Duck, Death and the Tulip creator Wolf Erlbruch…
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.
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…
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,…