LGBTQIA+

The Reckoning: Flagging Rainbow Storytime

Last month drag performers Coco and Erika Flash took Brian Tamaki to court over his protests and public comments against rainbow storytimes which caused them to cancel their storytime tours. Education researcher Kate Morgan writes about the importance of children…

Quiz: Pride

The last two months have been significant for Aotearoa’s LGBTQIA+ community, with several major Pride events being celebrated across the country—so this month’s quiz is centred on the people, pukapuka, and events that make up New Zealand’s queer community.  Questions…

The Sampling: Tuahangata tae e whā

Nā Richard Fairgray Nā Komako A. Silver and Alejandra Jensen i whakamāori Richard Fairgray’s Four-Color Heroes (Fanbase Press) is now also available digitally in te reo Māori! You can find it on Hoopla (from 11 September), Comics Plus, Google Books,…

Reviews: Three Fresh YA Reads

Ceridwyn Roberts brings our first batch of YA reviews for 2023, featuring stories full of space travel, mystery, and more. Na Viro, by Gina Cole Na Viro by Auckland-based writer Gina Cole (Fijian, Scottish & Welsh) has stunning world-building—rich and…

Interview with Richard Fairgray

Richard Fairgray is an award-winning creator who has published over 200 titles, ranging from children’s books like Gorillas in Our Midst and My Grandpa Is a Dinosaur to graphic novels like Black Sand Beach, Blastosaurus and Cardboardia. Here, Charlotte Fielding…

Book List: Let’s Talk About Sex

Gone are the days of beating around the bush and euphemisms about the birds and the bees. Here guest writer Susan gives us the rundown on books for kids about puberty, sex, bodies, gender, and relationships. Susan is a journalist,…

THE SAMPLING: Four-color Heroes

By Richard Fairgray Four-Color Heroes is a touching love story which follows two star-crossed young men who—in spite of their disparate backgrounds—find escape and one another through the pages of a comic book. The coming-of-age romance is set in a…

The reckoning: trans books matter

Where are the young trans heroes fighting dragons? Kylie, Rey, and Mindy Parry recount their experiences of trying to find trans role models in literature. As the parent of two transgender kids working as a school librarian, I’m keenly aware…

Book Reviews: New Young Adult Fiction From Aotearoa

Gem Wilder reviews some out of this world young adult fiction. There’s danger, magic, psychic abilities and love; whether you want hold your breathe adventure or clutch your heart romance, we’ve got your back. Tim Te Maro and te Subterranean…

Book Reviews: New Picture books from Aotearoa

Detective hounds, free-range hens, grumbling toddlers, an ode to bugs and an adventure-filled fairytale. There’s an abundance of love, acceptance, friendship, parties, tantrums and surprises in these new picture books from Aotearoa. Hound the Detective by Kimberly Andrews (Puffin) Hound…