About 12 months ago, Rachel Eadie was asked for permission to film in the bookshop she manages, Scorpio Books in Christchurch, for a very special film: The Changeover. Margaret Mahy was a Christchurch native, and Kate Chant, the mother of…
Jordan Watson is better known – to millions of YouTube viewers – as How to Dad, giving hilarious advice on the practicalities of dad-hood to parents all over the world. Today he tells us about the books that were most…
Ahead of Father’s Day, four Kiwi Dads let us in on what their family reading lives are like. Here are some excerpts from previous The Sapling articles by music journalist Nick Bollinger; founder of the Ngaio Marsh Awards and writer…
We wanted to celebrate NZ Poetry Day this year with a fabulous list of children’s poetry. And who better to bring this to you than our very own Paula Green, creator of Poetry Box and NZ Poetry Shelf, and wonderful…
We asked Thalia Kehoe Rowden to put together a list of picture books showing a range of family set-ups, from one-parent families to families with two dads; anything but ‘Mum, Dad and the kids’. Here are some great suggestions to…
What makes a book last? What makes it win? I try to figure this out, as a judge of the NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults this year, revisiting 15 books that won the top awards and have…
Poet, historian and Green Party candidate Leilani Tamu shares the importance she places on words and ideas in her family – and the one book that suits everyone. My husband and I have two children: Kahlei, who is six (going…
Storylines Children’s Literature Foundation has given awards for local children’s literature since 2000, named for some of our most distinguished authors, both living and dead. All images below are courtesy of Crissi Blair. This is the first time I have…
Every two weeks we compile, for your browsing pleasure, cool children’s book happenings (and peripherally related news) from around Aotearoa, the world and the internet. A little US-centric but here are some great ideas to get your whole family thinking…
Hooray, it’s a quiz! Test your children’s book knowledge every month – first up is a quiz to celebrate Margaret Mahy’s birthday. Answers are at the bottom of the page. Good luck… 1. What’s the name of the 14-year-old protagonist…