Reviews

Reviews: Five Board Books

There’s more to board books than meets the eye, and a good board book will help young children develop a lifelong reading habit. Belinda Whyte shares with us her reviews of five board books for the littlest readers. As a…

Reviews: Two Graphic Novels

Cartoonist and illustrator Eddie Monotone gives us his hot takes on a story set in a far-distant Aotearoa and a poignant portrayal of bullying. Project Nought, by Chelsey Furedi The premise of Project Nought is simple: what if a teenager…

Reviews: Four New Picture Books

Thalia Kehoe Rowden reviews four new books aiming to help children process their feelings and understand their place in the world.  Pearl in a Whirl, written by Catherine Roberton and illustrated by Fifi Colston A good book for a good…

Reviews: Two YA Books

Briar Lawry finds lots to unpack with two new reads to hit the shelves: a classic gritty YA story that tells a tough tale, and an illustrated novel with an unconventional form. Whakaari, by Marion Day Young adult books are…

Reviews: Two New YA Books

18-year-old Stella Weston finds lots to rave about with two new gritty and complex YA novels that explore themes of mental health, budding relationships, and complex family dynamics. Catching A Falling Star, by Eileen Merriman Catch a Falling Star, expertly…

Review: Toitoi 31

Toitoi is a wonderful magazine written and illustrated by children and young adults. Recently, Toitoi started accepting contributions from young people up to age 18 (previously only 5-13 year-olds), and from next year, will be going from quarterly to annual…

Reviews: Six New Zealand Non-Fiction

Here is a great bundle of Aotearoa non-fiction, all covering our natural world. We’ve got photographic pukapuka, creative non-fiction, rhyme, and bucketloads of facts. Editor Linda Jane Keegan gives her two cents on these titles. Family of Forest and Fungi…

Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa: Samoan Picture Books

It’s Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa / Samoan Language Week! Sisilia Etuati reviews three recent picture books that incorporate Samoan stories and culture and are great for reading in Samoan with your kids. The struggle is real when you are…

Reviews: Three Pasifika Books

Emmaline Pickering-Martin reviews three new Pasifika non-fiction books with important messages to share—from a student-written poetry collection to a wellbeing journal to a collection of personal narratives about autism, all told through a Pacific lens. Pasifika Navigators: Pasifika Student Poetry…

Reviews: Four New Picture Books

Hope Lenzen reviews four new Aotearoa picture books on a variety of topics. They include a story based on the real life of a suburban sheep, two non-fiction reads to help kids understand big emotions and body safety, and a…