New Zealand Book Awards for Children & Young Adults 2024 - Picture Books

Paku Manu Ariki Whakatakapōkai written by Michaela Keeble & illustrated by Tokerau Brown

Hatch and Match written & illustrated by Ruth Paul

Lucy and the Dark written by Melinda Szymanic & illustrated by Vasanti Unka

Dazzlehands written by Sascha Cotter, illustrated by Josh Morgan (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Rongowhakaata, Te Whānau-a-Kai)

At the Bach written by Joy Cowley & illustrated by Hilary Jean Tapper


Visit the blog again next week for the Junior Fiction finalists or if you can't wait till then have a look here for a list of all the finalists.

Image via New Zealand Book Awards Trust

On the New Books Display this Week

Picture Book:

• "Excuse Me, Santa!" by Dave HUGHES & Holly IFE; illustrated by Philip BUNTING
• "Te Tunu Keke/ Cake Bake" by Norah WILSON; illustrated by Kimberly ANDREWS; translated by Pania PAPA (E Omā, Rapiti : Run, Rabbit - Bilingual series) 

Fiction:

• "Hot Dog! - Tidy Time!" by Anh DO(Hot Dog! series) 
• "Bella's Den" by Berlie DOHERTY
• "Dragon Girls : Hana the Thunder Dragon" by Maddy MARA (Dragon Girls series)

Non-fiction:

• "Forces and Movement" by Richard ROBINSON (Super Science series)
• "501 Great Kiwi Jokes"

Senior Fiction:

• "Sunny Makes her Case" by Jennifer HOLM & Matthew HOLM (Sunny series)

On the New Books Display this Week

Picture Book:

• "The Darkest Dark" by Chris HADFIELD & Kate FILLION; illustrated by The Fan Brothers
• "Camilla The Cupcake Fairy" by Tim BUGBIRD; illustrated by Ede LARA

Fiction:

• "Waffles" by Ellen MILES (The Puppy Place series)
• "Robot Girl" by Malorie BLACKMAN
• "Treasure in the Lake" by Jason PAMMENT
• "I Survived : The Great Alaskan Earthquake, 1964" by Lauren TARSHIS (I Survived series)

Non-fiction:

• "Inside Planet Earth" by Steve PARKER
• "The Ultimate Book About Me" by Richard PLATT

On the New Books Display this Week

Picture Book:

• "Bowerbird Blues" by Aura PARKER
• "Remember That November" by Jennifer BECK; illustrated by Lindy FISHER

Fiction:

• "Ella and Olivia : Country School" by Yvette POSHOGLIAN (Ella and Olivia series)
• "The Climbers" by Alette STRAATHOFF
• "Claudia and the Bad Joke" by Mary Ann MARTIN; illustrated by Arley NOPRA (Baby-Sitters Club - Graphic Novel series)
• "Hot Dog! - Lolly Time!" by Ahn DO (Hot Dog! series)

Non-fiction:

• "Materials" by Richard ROBINSON
• "Birds of Prey : Terrifying Talons" by Joe FLOOD (Science COMICS series)

On the New Books Display this Week

Picture Book:

• "Lola The Lollipop Fairy" by Tim BUGBIRD; illustrated by Ede LARA
• "Kind" by Alison GREEN; illustrated by Axel SCHEFFLER

Fiction:

• "Diary of a Pug : Pugs Snow Day" by Kyla May (Diary of a Pug series)
• "Oscar's Lonely Christmas" by Holly WEBB
• "Amulet : Waverider" by Kazu KABUISHI (Amulet series)
• "Friday Barnes : Collision Course" by R.A. SPRATT (Friday Barnes series)

Non-fiction:

• "13 Painter's Children Should Know" by Florian HEINE
• "Don't Mess With Science" by Anna CLAYBOURNE

On the New Books Display this Week

Picture Book:

• "Ellie Copter : Nee Naw and Friends" by Deano YIPADEE; illustrated by Paul BEAVIS
• "My Body, My Rules" by Nicki Esler GILL; illustrated by Dasha RILEY

Fiction:

• "Cat Kid Comic Club : Influencers" by Dav PILKEY (Cat Kid Comic Club series)
• "The Secret Lake" by Karen INGLIS
• "Meet Ella : The Big Show" by Rebecca McRITCHIE (Meet Ella series)
• "Lunar" by Chris BRADFORD

Non-fiction:

• "Wearing Braces" by Harriet BRUNDLE (Human Body Helpers series)
• "Wearing Glasses" by Harriet BRUNDLE (Human Body Helpers series)

On the New Books Display this Week

Picture Book:

• "Izzy the Ice-Cream Fairy" by Tim BUGBIRD; illustrated by Ede LARA
• "Molly the Muffin Fairy" by Tim BUGBIRD; illustrated by Ede LARA

Fiction:

• "Ham Helsing : Raising the Stakes" by Rich MOYER (Ham Helsing series)
• "The Burglar's Breakfast" by Felicity EVERETT; illustrated by Christyan FOX
• "Piggy Handsome - Guinea Pig Destined for Stardom" by Pip JONES; illustrated by Adam STOWER
• "Allegiance, The Wild Kaimanawa" by Kelly WILSON with Nina SUTHERLAND (Wilson Sisters Adventures series)
  

Non-fiction:

• "Footprints on the Land : How Humans Changed New Zealand" by Richard WOLFE
• "Diwali" by Lori DITTMER

On the New Books Display this Week

Picture Book:

• "Digby the Digger Dog" by Jill EGGLETON; illustrated by Ricky RUMSEY

Fiction:

• "Diary of a Pug : Paws for a Cause" by Kyla MAY (Diary of a Pug series)
• "Pigs Might Fly" by Nick ABADZIS; illustrated by Jerel DYE
• "The Tryout" by Christina SOONTORNVAT; illustrated by Joanna CACAO
• "The Wild Robot" by Peter BROWN
  

Non-fiction:

• "The Kitchen Science Cookbook" by Dr. Michelle DICKINSON 

On the New Books Display this Week

Picture Book:

• "Wobbling Whiskers" by Jill EGGLETON; illustrated by Ricky RUMSEY
• "I'm A Frog!" by Mo WILLEMS

Fiction:

• "I Survived : The American Revolution, 1776 " by Lauren TARSHIS (I Survived - Graphic Novel series)
• "The Monster Gang" by Felicity EVERETT
• "City of Dragons : Rise of the Shadowfire" by Jaimal YOGIS (City of Dragons - Graphic Novel series)
• "Rowan of Rin : The Journey" by Emily RODDA

Non-fiction:

• "Using Hearing Aids" by Harriet BRUNDLE (Human Body Helpers series)
• "Using a Wheelchair" by Harriet BRUNDLE (Human Body Helpers series)

On the New Books Display this Week

Picture Book:

• "Another Book About Santa" by Laura BUNTING; illustrated by Philip BUNTING

Fiction:

• "Dragon Girls : Quinn the Treasure Dragon" by Maddy MARA (Dragon Girls series)
• "I Survived : The Great Chicago Fire, 1871" by Lauren TARSHIS (I Survived - Graphic Novel series)
• "Stacey's Mistake" by Ann M. MARTIN; illustrated by Ellen CRENSHAW (The Baby-Sitters Club - Graphic Novel series)
• "Spy Academy : The Peak" by Jack HEATH (Spy Academy series)

Non-fiction:

• "Easy Paper Projects" by Maggy WOODLEY
• "Journeying with the Venerable Suzanne Aubert" by The Sisters of Compassion

Reference:

• "Plants and Fungi! Our Growing World as You've Never Seen It Before" (DK Knowledge Encyclopedia series)

Most Popular in 2023

The most popular books in St Brendan's School Library in 2023 were:

1st      Baby-Sitters Club - Graphic Novel series by Mary Ann Martin; illustrated by Reina Telgemeier, Chan Chau & others

2nd    Minecraft Guides series

3rd       Sisters  by Reina Telgemeier

4th=     Dog Man series by Dav Pilkey            

            Minecraft Bite-Size Builds series

            

5th= Baby-Sitters Little Sister - Graphic Novel series Mary Ann Martin, illustrated by Katy Farina & others; Donut the Destroyer by Sarah Graley & Stef Purenins.

6th    Guts by Reina Telgemeier.

7th= The Piggy and Gerald series (Elephant and Piggy) by Mo Willems; Ghosts by Reina Telgemeier; The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag; Science Comics series by Andy Hirsch & others; Game On! series; The Witches - Graphic Novel by Roald Dahl; illustrated by Penelope Bagieu; Investigators series by John Patrick Green.

8th= Twins by Varian Johnson; Glitch by Sarah Graley; Cat Kid series by Dav Pilkey;  Ella Diaries series by Meredith Costain; Meet Ella series by Rebecca McRitchie; Minecraft Vol 2 - Graphic Novel; Minecraft Epic Inventions by Thomas McBrien; Absolutely Nat by Maria Scriven.

9th=  Drama by Reina Telgemeier; Amulet series by Kazu Kabuishi; City of Dragons series by Jaimal Yogis; The Bad Guys series by Aaron Blabey; Wings of Fire - Graphic Novel series by Tui Sutherland.

Some of these books are previous favourites and are also on earlier Most Popular in ... lists, but a few are new to the list this year. 

Is your favourite book, series or author on our Most Popular list for 2023? 

On the New Books Display this Week

Picture Book:

• "Fire Dog Frizzle" by Jill EGGLETON; illustrated by John BENNETT
• "Fat Cat and Baby Bird" by Jill EGGLETON; illustrated by Grant SNOW

Fiction:

• "Ella Diaries : Flash Mob" by Meredith COSTAIN (Ella Diaries series)
• "Mischief and Mayhem : The Cursed Bunny" by Ken LAMUG (Mischief and Mayhem series)
• "Megamonster" by David WALLIAMS

Non-fiction:

• "Minecraft Explorer's Handbook" by Mojang (Minecraft Legend series)
• "The Story of Venerable Suzanne Aubert" by The Sisters of Compassion

Senior Fiction:

• "Wings of Fire : Winter Turning" by Tui SUTHERLAND (Wings of Fire - Graphic Novel series)

On the New Books Display this Week

Picture Book:

• "The Little Yellow Digger Saves Christmas" by Peter GILDERDALE; illustrated by Fifi COLSTON
• "Winston and the Indoor Cat" by Leila RUDGE

Fiction:

• "Dragonvine" Based on the series by Cressida COWELL  (How to Train Your Dragon series)
• "The Bad Guys : Let the Games Begin" by Aaron BLABEY (The Bad Guys series)
• "Carries War" by Nina BAWDEN

Non-fiction:

• "Te Nanu : The Disappointment" by Gina TAGGART & Alison CONDON (The Chronicles of Paki series)
• "Words about Birds of Aotearoa New Zealand" by Geoffrey FULLER

Senior Fiction:

• "Sunny Makes a Splash" by Jennifer L. HOLM;  illustrated by Matthew HOLM