Monday, June 29, 2026

On the New Books Display this Week





Picture:

  • "Hauraki Broo / Ngā Purū o Hauraki" by Nikki SLADE-ROBINSON (Trilingual Chinese Language Week edition)
  • "Pūkeko Who-Keko?" by Toby MORRIS; illustrated by Sara OGILVY
  • "Left to Nowhere" by Ian CHAPMAN
  • "Koro Wētā" by Heather HAYLOCK; illustrated by Sarah TROLLE
Fiction:
  • "The Terrible Trio : The (Not So) Superheroes" by Swapna HADDOW; illustrated by Minky STAPLETON (The Terrible Trio series)
  • "The Case of the Angry Ghost" by Rachael KING; illustrated by Phoebe MORRIS (Violet and the Velvets series)
  • "Death Sets Sail" by Robin STEVENS (Murder Most Unladylike series)
  • "Boy vs Beast : Ice Beast" by Mac PARK (Boy vs Beast series)
  • "Creaky Acres" by Calista BRILL; illustrated by Nilah MAGRUDER
Non fiction:
  • "Insect" by Laurence MOUND (DK Eyewitness series)
  • "Hooked : Learning to Fish" by Al BROWN; illustrated by Hope McCONNELL
  • "Roald Dahl's Marvelous Joke Book" by Roald DAHL
  • "Simple Machines" by Nicolas BRASCH
Senior Fiction:
  • "Hiva and the Heartbeats" by Selina Alesana ALEFOSIO

Thursday, June 25, 2026

New Zealand Book Awards for Children & Young Adults 2026 - Junior Fiction


Detective Stanley and the Mystery at the Museum written by Hannah Tunnicliffe and illustrated by Erica Harrison

Dreamslinger written and illustrated by Li Chen

Kimi the Kekeno’s Big Adventure written by Shelley Burne-Field (Ngāti Mutanga, Ngāti Rārua)

The Terrible Trio 1: The (not so) Superheroes written by Swapna Haddow and illustrated by Minky Stapleton

Violet and the Velvets 2: The Case of the Angry Ghost written by Rachael King and illustrated by Phoebe Morris


Visit the blog again next week for the Non-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 

Monday, June 22, 2026

On the New Books Display this Week








Picture:

  • "The Best Dog Ever" by Smriti PRASADAM-HALLS; illustrated by Chris JEVONS
  • "Meri Kirihimete Kererū!" by JulietteMacIVER; illustrated by Daron PARTON
Fiction:
  • "Dragon Girls : Ash The Blaze Dragon" by Maddy MARA (Dragon Girls series)
  • "1000 Minutes of Danger" by Jack HEATH 
  • "Ella and Olivia : Kiwi Club" by Yvette POSHOGLIAN; illustrated by Danielle McDONALD (Ella and Olivia series)
  • "The Magic Faraway Tree" by Enid BLYTON; illustrated by Mark BEECH  (The Magic Faraway Tree series)
  • "I Survived : The California Wildfires, 2018 - Graphic Novel" by Lauren TARSHIS; illustrated by Cassie ANDERSON (I Survived - Graphic Novel series)
  • "Molly and the Bear : An Unlikely Pair" by Bob SCOTT & Vicki SCOTT (Molly and the Bear series)
Non fiction:
  • "LEGO Play Book : Ideas to Bring Your Bricks to Life!" by Tim GODDARD and others
  • "Electricity : Energy in Action" by Andy HIRSCH (Science Comics series)
  • "Fish" by Steve PARKER (DK Eye Witness series)
Browsing:
  • "Life Through Time : The 700-Million Year Story of Life on Earth" by John WOODWARD
Senior Fiction:
  • "Wings of Fire : Talons of Power - Graphic Novel" by Tui T. SUTHERLAND; illustrated by Mike HOLMES (Wings of Fire - Graphic Novel series)
  • "Dreamslinger" by Graci KIM (The Slinger series)

Sunday, June 21, 2026

New Zealand Book Awards for Children & Young Adults 2026 - Picture Books


A Guide to Rocks written by Sascha Cotter and illustrated by Josh Morgan (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Rongowhakaata)

Koro Wētā written by Heather Haylock, illustrated by Sarah Trolle and translated by Ngairo Eruera (Ngāti Ranginui, Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa)

Left to Nowhere written and illustrated by Ian Chapman

Pūkeko Who-Keko? written and illustrated by Toby Morris

The Only Dinosaur in School written by Leonie Agnew and illustrated by Julia Hegetusch (Muaūpoko)


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

Monday, June 15, 2026

On the New Books Display this Week





Picture:

  • "Dancing with Memories" by Sally YULE, Professor Ralph MARTINS & Maggie BEER; illustrated by Cheryl ORSINI
  • "Gozzle" by Julia DONALDSON; illustrated by Sara OGILVY
Fiction:
  • "Kristy's Big Day - Graphic Novel" by Mary Ann MARTIN & Gale GALLIGAN (Baby-Sitters Club - Graphic Novel series)
  • "Hilo : Then Everything Went Wrong" by Judd WINICK (Hilo series)
  • "Snug" by Michael MORPURGO; illustrated by Faye HANSON (Little Gems series)
  • "Detective Beans and the Map of Mystery" by Li CHEN (Detective Beans series)
  • "Bitza : Rules? What Rules?" by Andrew DADDO; illustrated by Stephen Michael KING (Bitza series)
  • "Junie B Jones and a Little Monkey Business" by Barbara PARK & Colleen A F VENABLE; illustrated by Honie BEAM (Junie B Jones - Graphic novel series
Non fiction:
  • "Crystal and Gem" by Dr R.F. SYMES & Dr R.R. HARDING (DK Eyewitness series)
  • "Animal! The Animal Kingdom as you've Never Seen it Before" by John WOODWARD (DK Knowledge Encyclopedia series)
  • "The Easter Story" by Joy COWLEY; illustrated by Donald MORRISON
  • "Eye Twisters : The Science and Magic of Optical Illusions"
Senior Fiction:
  • "Holes" by Louis SACHAR 
  • "Sunshine" by Jarret J. KROSOCZKA

Monday, June 8, 2026

On the New Books Display this Week



Picture:

  • "Dig, Dump, Roll" by Sally SUTTON; illustrated by Brian LOVELOCK
  • "Finding Grace / Kimihia A Grace" by Emma HINTON; translated by Lois McIVER; illustrated by Nicky HARTLEY 
Fiction:
  • "Dawn on the Coast - Graphic Novel" by Mary Ann MARTIN & Arley NOPRA (Baby-Sitters Club - Graphic Novel series)
  • "Willa and Woof : Mimi is Missing" by Jacqueline HARVEY (Willa and Woof series)
  • "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine RUNDELL; illustrated by Tomislav TOMIĆ (Impossible Creatures series)
  • "Meet Ella : Swim Class" by Rebecca McRitchie; illustrated by Danielle McDONALD (Meet Ella series)
  • "Piggy - The Entity" by Terrance CRAWFORD & Dan WIDOWSON (Piggy series)
  • "Dream On" by  Shannon HALE
Non fiction:
  • "Cat" by Juliet CLUTTON-BROCK (DK Eyewitness series)
  • "Did You Know : Kiwi"  (Did You Know series)
  • "Alive Again! The Easter Story" by Sarah J DODD & Ligi RAFFAELLA
  • "Ernest Rutherford - Just an Ordinary Boy" by Maria GILL; illustrated by Alistar HUGHES
Senior Fiction:
  • "Becoming Brianna" by Terri LIBENSON (Emmie & Friends series)
  • "Wings of Fire : The Hybrid Prince" by Tui SUTHERLAND  (Wings of Fire series)

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

On the New Books Display this Week



Picture:

  • "Don't Be Silly Santa" by Annie SIMPSON; illustrated by Ian WORRALL-DUTTON
  • "Wowee! Look at that Tree!" by Ben KNIGHT
Fiction:
  • "Dragon Girls : Maya the Ember Dragon" by Maddy MARA (Dragon Girls series)
  • "The Bold Kitten" by Holly WEBB
  • "InvestiGators : Case Files" by John Patrick GREEN (InvestiGators series)
  • "The Magic Faraway Tree : The Enchanted Wood" by Enid BLYTON; illustrated by Mark BEECH  (The Magic Faraway Tree series)
  • "Karen's Surprise - Graphic Novel" by Ann M. MARTIN & Sauna J. GRANT (Baby-sitters Little Sister - Graphic Novel series)
  • "Star Wars Adventures - Volume 2" (Star Wars Adventures series)
Non fiction:
  • "Racing Legends" by David CLAYTON
  • "Roald Dahl's Whizzpopping Joke Book" by Roald DAHL
  • "Space : The Universe as You've Never Seen it Before" (DK Knowledge Encyclopedia  series)
  • "Football" by Hugh HORNBY (DK Eye Witness series)
Senior Fiction:
  • "Shadow House : The Missing" by Dan POBLOCKI (Shadow House series)
  • "The Kill Factor" by Ben OLIVER