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Book Awards: Te Kura Pounamu finalists
Kristin Smith reviews the five Te Kura Pounamu finalists in this year's NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. He kōrero Māori...


The Reckoning: To write ... or to teach?
Novelist Anna Mackenzie reveals a few truths about teaching, teens and the failings of the school curriculum, and explains why teaching...


The anatomy of an illustrator: Cat Chapman
Cat Chapman is an Auckland freelance illustrator, having discovered her skills whilst doing a course in picture-book illustration with...

Children's book publishing in China
Nina Powles looks into the children's book scene in China, finding an industry that is still 'young and is currently experiencing rapid...

KA PAI! Cool stuff from around the internet
Every two weeks we compile, for your browsing pleasure, cool children's book happenings (and peripherally related news) from around...


Book List: Dear John's books for a first library
A few weeks ago, John McIntyre wrote his final replies to the last round of Dear John letters we received before he died. One of the...


Across the Ditch: My Australian childhood
The Sapling editor Sarah Forster writes about her childhood spent between New Zealand and Australia, the books she read as a result, and...


Three Kiwi series for independent readers
Rachel Moore reviews three world-class Kiwi series for readers from around the age of seven: Miniwings by Sally Sutton, Flying Furballs...


Quiz: a 7-question quiz to celebrate Matariki
It's really cool that each year more and more local publishers are putting out children's books in celebration of Matariki. We've put...


School Librarians of Aotearoa: Ebenezer Moses
New Zealand's school librarians are passionate, engaged professionals who know how to get students of all ages and reading levels into...


The five stages of illustrating a picture book
Author and illustrator Paul Beavis shares the behind-the-scenes work (and doubt, angst and inspiration) that goes into making his picture...


Bear hunts and other adventures: a family reading
Music journalist Nick Bollinger shares a moving account of the place books had in his three daughters' childhoods and his own parenthood....


Book Awards: the Russell Clark finalists
As part of our coverage of this year's NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, we asked the five finalists of the Russell Clark...


Te reo for babies - as easy as tahi, rua, toru
Kitty Brown and Kirsten Parkinson (both Ngāi Tahu, Waitaha, Kāti Mamoe) are two wahine who've done everything right when it comes to...


The Reckoning: Kids' Book Reviewing in NZ
David Hill explains the pain required to gain in the wild world of book reviewing, and offers his reckons about how we could do it better...
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