I’ve long maintained that our Young Adult authors are world class. But I’ve frequently heard that teens have a touch of what our adults apparently have – cultural cringe; an assumption that NZ means boring, ordinary.
We need to read our literature: if we don’t, who else is going to want to? We have YA authors who have had big deals overseas, ones whose books have been optioned for movies – and the time is now ripe to celebrate them again as The Changeover movie comes out, and the Margaret Mahy YA titles get new covers from Hachette.
So here we go, a list with a difference. I have matched several Kiwi YA authors with international YA authors that write in a similar genre - with thanks to School Librarian from Mountainview High School, Julie James, for her help. Hopefully it will inspire you, or your teen, to try our locals.
If you like All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, try Pieces of You by Eileen Merriman
If you like Seed by Lisa Heathfield, you will love I am not Esther and its series.
If you enjoyed Looking for Alaska by John Green, you will certainly enjoy Smashed by Mandy Hager. Mandy Hager is at least as amazing as John Green (if not more amazing!).
If you enjoyed More than This by Patrick Ness, try When We Wake from Karen Healey, and its follow up While We Run.
If you like the Cherub series by Robert Muchamore, you will enjoy the Brian Falkner series Recon Team Angel.
If you enjoyed The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas have a read of Bugs by Whiti Hereaka.
If you enjoyed Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo – or any of his war-themed books – try My Brother's War or others of David Hill's war-themed books.
There are several New Zealand YA authors who have not made it into the list above because I just couldn't think of an appropriate equivalent to them internationally. So - here's the challenge. Elizabeth Knox's Dreamhunter duet (Laini Taylor? Maybe?), Anna Mackenzie's The Sea-wreck Stranger series, Tania Roxborogh's Banquo's Son series, Maurice Gee's Salt series, Brian Falkner's Battlesaurus series (which is US-published), Fleur Beale's Juno of Taris series. Bernard Beckett's Genesis. Kate De Goldi's The 10pm Question. Tell us on Facebook what you think might be a gateway book or series!
sarah forster
Editor of The Sapling, and Media & Communications Manager at Booksellers NZ, Sarah has worked in the book industry for the past 11 years. She ran the Writers in Schools and other education programmes for the NZ Book Council for seven years, and knows exactly how awesome our Kiwi writers and illustrators are. Sarah is from the West Coast, and lives in Wellington.