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.
Cover image from Hinepau, the Taki Rua production of the 1993 Gavin Bishop book, touring New Zealand July to September
Book news from Aotearoa To begin, a prescription: here's a Kiwi doctor's perspective about why kids should be reading.
We're not the only ones covering the Book Awards. Here, Donovan Bixley talks about the creation of Fuzzy Doodle on his blog. And the Best First Book category gets some great coverage: here Matt McKinlay talks to Stuff about his graphic novel about the Maori Land Wars; and here's Lisala Halapua on Radio NZ Nine to Noon.
Cool school holiday activities abound! One of the best theatre companies in Aotearoa, Taki Rua, have created a te reo Māori stage adaptation of Gavin Bishop’s Hinepau, based on last year’s English language version: and it is touring all over New Zealand. The Sapling's craftsperson Fifi Colston will be leading craft workshops at Blenheim's Millennium Art Gallery in the school holidays, using her Torty craft (and others). And we interviewed the Promised Land creators back in March when we launched; their book is now available in te reo Maori.
An outsiders' perspective on Kiwi YA fiction of the 1990s: it was the sex that made it the golden age. Also over on The Spinoff, Thalia Kehoe Rowden's put together a list of 22 picture books that feature Pasifika and Māori children.
Have you watched the trailer for The Changeover yet? It looks soooooo goooooood (and spooky) ...
And cool stuff from the farthest reaches of the globe (and internet)...
In YA-related links, here are 39 tattoos inspired by books (whoa!), a teenager who doesn't like YA, good news for John Green fans, and a very fantastic list of tips for making sure 'diversity' is done right by everyone in the world of YA (and beyond).
Happy 20th birthday, Harry Potter. Lots of interesting articles about Pottermania lately: ‘The Outsiders reinvented young adult fiction. Harry Potter made it inescapable.’ And here are 20 things we’ve learned in 20 years of Harry Potter. And a video proving HERMIONE IS THE BEST!
In other great girl-related news, there's a sequel to Rebel Girls in the pipelines. And 75 years later, Anne Frank’s diary still has much to teach.
The 10 Ten Most-Challenged Books of 2016 in the US. People don’t like LGBT+ content, it seems. Or Bill Cosby, which is fair enough ... Another old TV star is better: Fred Gwynne (aka Herman Munster) was a fabulous punner. These books look hilarious! And these books are obscure.
Publishers, you better catch up: comics and graphic novels for kids are where it’s at!
In random-but-interesting news, did you know that pop-up books were originally made for adults? Or about the artful propaganda of Soviet children’s books from the first half of the 20th century? Or the story behind Curious George and Cambridge, Massachusetts?
And, finally, RIP Michael Bond.