Last year, Gwendoline Smith’s The Book of Knowing was a huge hit with teenage readers across the country. Now, Gwendoline has followed it up with a companion book, The Book of Overthinking – this time with a bent towards older…
It has been a tremendous year for children’s non-fiction literature from little old Aotearoa. Here’s our last batch of reviews for 2019, where bookseller and editor Briar Lawry checks out some marvellous marine titles and a graphic memoir that has…
From curious noises to sneaky felines to whānau-focused native birds, we’ve got a cracker of a line-up of new Kiwi picture books in this set of reviews. Early childhood teacher Alana Bird gives us her takes. Hoihoi Turituri, by Soledad…
Rachel Moore has read and reviewed three new books for the middle grade space – two excellent chapter books and a fabulous new non-fiction title full of answers to all manner of curly body-related questions. Avis and the Promise of…
Alex still stands out in editor Sarah’s mind as one of the best flawed, real female characters ever written in New Zealand YA. Alex: The Quartet brings together the four Alex books in one handy package, giving her the ideal…
Chapter books and novels are order of the day in our reviewing neighbourhood, with three new books targeted at the junior/middle fiction space, and special guest appearance by the latest Philip Pullman. Teacher and former bookseller Annelies Judson shares her…
This month we have a new te reo Māori title reviewer, Mihi Henare (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Hine, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui), reviewing a new batch of te reo Māori books released during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori in September. Whakarongo ki…
When the review titles arrived this month, my kids called me the Book Queen and hugged the pages to their chests, eyes wide, already imagining what was inside. Book Queen? I said, I am the Queen of all the world…
It isn’t news to anyone that Aotearoa is currently marking a significant anniversary, as we pass the 250 years since James Cook circumnavigated this country’s islands in the H.M.B. Endeavour. Some see it as a cause for celebration, others commemoration,…
Here’s the latest in exciting new picture books here in Aotearoa, reviewed by Nida Fiazi – including the debut picture book from The Sapling’s very own co-editor Thalia Kehoe Rowden. There’s tries to score, oceans to clean up, voices to find…