2025

NZCYA 2025: Young Adult fiction

Harriet Elworthy asked parents to read the young adult finalists in the New Zealand Books Awards for Children and Young Adults alongside their teens and tweens. Here are the reactions from these family read-a-thons. My kids’ recommendations have led me…

Books Alive Palmerston North

Belinda Whyte took a group of students to the first Books Alive event held in Palmerston North and found that a love of books is truly alive. ‘Who likes books?’ asked Rachael King in her first set at the Books…

NZCYA 2025: NZSA BEST FIRST BOOK AWARD

Kura Rutherford shares Michael Park School’s audacious plan to develop their own medal ceremony (again), and opens the finalists for the Best First Book Award to the scrutiny of the judges. It seems a lifetime ago that the Michael Park…

NZCYA 2025: ELSIE LOCKE AWARD FOR NON-FICTION

The finalists for the non-fiction award at the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults cover incredibly diverse subjects and styles. We asked the authors and illustrators what inspired them to research and write their books. From sport…

NZCYA 2025: The Finalists

The finalists for this year’s New Zealand Children’s and Young Adult Book Awards were announced at 6am this morning. Here are our reactions … The BookHub Picture Book Award Beddy Bye Time in the Kōwhai Tree, by Juliette MacIver, illustrated…