South Taranaki Librarians have been running online events with some of our favourite New Zealand authors. Pamela Jones writes about how their libraries have been responding to their patrons unique needs in unusual times. As Librarians our mission and purpose is to provide access and connect knowledge to the needs of our communities. In lockdown that hasn’t changed. What has changed is our service delivery. It has required library staff to expand their roles, increase their su

Ricky’s family buy a mansion in a trendy suburb, with panoramic views of the city. Too good to be true… Yep, a real bargain. But this house also has a resident ghost, who wants them out. Cockroaches in the moving boxes, a red sock in the washing with his cricket whites! It’s up to Ricky, and his neighbour Fi, to solve this annoying mystery. Kyle Mewburn is an award-winning author from Miller's Flat. This is her first book with OneTree House. Chapter 3 The real estate agent wa

Between six and eight percent of children in New Zealand live with allergies, according to Allergy New Zealand, with food allergies being the most common. We have asked Pearl Dsilva to put together a list of books that may help children understand their allergies better. Allergies can be a challenging concept for children to fathom. It can be distressing that their bodies respond so violently to various allergens. Children with allergies may also be teased for their appearanc

Paul Jennings is a legend of Australian children's literature. He burst onto the literary scene in 1985 with his first anthology of short stories featuring weird, spooky and humorous tales with a twist, and never looked back. He has countless titles to his credit and drawers full of awards. From Unreal: Eight Surprising Stories, to the Rascal and Gizmo series, his stories have captured the imagination and inspired generations of kids around the globe. In his latest, thematica

Ngaere Roberts (Ngāti Porou) is one of our most prolific translators of children’s books into te reo Māori, having translated work from the likes of Joy Cowley, Gavin Bishop and Ruth Paul. Today Vini Olsen-Reeder chats to Ngaere about her storytelling process. See here to read this interview in te reo Māori. Ngaere Roberts We’re doing this on paper, and not in person. At first I was a bit worried about that. Now I’m thinking it’s pretty special because I first met you through

Author Sue Copsey explores the world of New Zealand Junior Fiction, discovering plenty of titles that are just as good as the internationals. Our bestseller lists for kids’ books can make frustrating reading if you’re a New Zealand children’s author. At the time of writing, in the International children's & YA Top 10 there are two titles by David Walliams, three by Andy Griffiths (Treehouse series), and one each by bestseller regulars Jeff Kinney (Wimpy Kid series), and Dav P

If you're a teacher, parent or other friendly person supporting children who are learning English, you'll know it's tricky to find good books for them, especially if they're older than five or six. Today specialist teacher Frank Wilson initiates us into the mysteries of what books suit English language learners: what to look for, and some great examples to search out. Recently, I had the privilege to work with a 14-year-old boy from Burma. Not only could he read and write in

The Runaway Coat is Book 3 of the brand new hilarious junior fiction series from the creators of the bestselling Dinosaur Rescue. Mewburn and Bixley have teamed up to create a revolting, funny series for younger readers - prequels to the Dinosaur Rescue books. In Book 3, it is mid-winter, and Arg's sabre-tooth tiger coat has become very smelly. His mum throws it out of the cave. Arg runs to retrieve it, only to find it's become hooked on the head of a panicking ankylosaur. Ar

When we asked if Suzanne Main would write an article about funny books for kids, her reaction was, ‘What do I know about funny books? I just write them!' Turns out the answer is, quite a bit! I don’t primarily define myself as a comedy writer. It’s possibly because I never set out to write funny books. When I began work on my first junior fiction novel, How I Alienated my Grandma, my plan was to create an exciting adventure story that children would love. When the story found

Do you want to be sure you're getting top-shelf books for your favourite people this Christmas - or on any gift-giving occasion? We are making it easy for you! Here is our selection of the very best New Zealand books of 2017 for readers of junior and middle fiction. Junior Fiction Miniwings series by Sally Sutton Published by Scholastic New Zealand RRP $14.99 This new series from Scholastic hooks into an idea that we're sure most children have had at some point (we know we

New Zealand's school librarians are passionate, engaged professionals who know how to get students of all ages and reading levels into reading. This, by Kimberley Atkinson, is the second of our monthly spotlights on inspirational school librarians. I am the school librarian at Robertson Road School, a Decile One school located in the South Auckland suburb of Mangere, and I started here eight years ago. We currently have 558 students, mainly of a Pasifika background (Samoan, T

Kyle Mewburn tells us why our children’s writers are so special, and opens a discussion about why New Zealand should appoint a Children’s Laureate. Kyle Mewburn at work on Dinosaur Trouble If your orbit has intersected with the local children's literature scene over the last few years, you've likely heard mutterings about our need for a Children's Laureate. (Or have I just been hanging round the wrong bars?) The role of a Laureate would necessarily be broad – ranging across t

Johanna Knox and her friend, 10-year-old Noah, review Dinosaur Trouble by Kyle Mewburn, Helper and Helper by Joy Cowley, and Tui Street Tales by Anne Kayes. Ten-year-old Noah, from down the road, loves books, so I thought he’d make a perfect reading buddy. We decided I’d mostly read aloud to him. Dinosaur Trouble #1: The Great Egg Stink You probably already know Kyle Mewburn and Donovan Bixley’s immensely successful Dinosaur Rescue series, which follows the adventures of brai