By Fleur Beale Fleur Beale—one of Aotearoa’s most prolific children’s authors—appeals to a younger audience with her latest offering, titled Once Upon a Wickedness. This magical adventure story, with its powerful messages, brave heroine, and familiar fairytale backdrop is sure…
Claudine Tapsell brings us this latest batch of junior fiction reviews, featuring a splendid standalone novel, a gripping sequel, and the finale to a (locally and internationally) well-loved series! Read on to see what she had to say about them….
Sarah Forster reviews two recent YA novels for us—one, a gritty story of overcoming grief and trauma, and the other a time-travelling novel that takes us from 2019 to 1869 and back. Between the Flags, by Rachel Fenton CW: bullying,…
The Sapling’s Sarah Forster reviews three fantastic new titles for teens: think epic fantasies and slave trades, tales of religious differences and big decisions, and revisiting and healing from trauma. But as different as these books may be from one…
You know it, you love it – it’s the Mahy Questionnaire! This month’s instalment features award-winning author Fleur Beale. She tell us all about holey floors, and getting bitten by a chair. 1. Describe yourself in three words Very very…
Children and young adults in Aotearoa are particularly attuned to natural disasters. In today’s book list, Miriam Hurst delves into disaster literature from here and other shaky, volatile places around our world. Then Snufkin said slowly: “It would be awful…
In response to a request The Sapling put out on Twitter, teacher and author Sarina Dickson has compiled this wonderful list of New Zealand titles for those young readers who have finished Harry Potter and are reading above their age…
Gem Wilder shares her journey into the world of the Children of the Faith in Fleur Beale’s beloved trilogy: the stories of Kirby, Rebecca, Magdalene and so many more young women (and men) who are fictional… but easily could be…
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 junior…
As part of our coverage of this year’s NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, we asked the five Wright Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction finalists four questions about their book and characters. The finalists are: Lyla,…