Father's Day is coming up, and what does Dad need? A NEW BUM! www.thesapling.co.nz/the-sampling...

Are we detracting from the value of books? Melinda Szymanik questions the impulse to add MORE to readings and school visits: www.thesapling.co.nz/the-reckonin... #pukapuka #booksky #kidlit

As a child Elaine Bickell had ambitions to 'Be a writer and live in obscurity'. She hasn't quite managed obscurity, but here's a day in her writing life: www.thesapling.co.nz/a-day-in-the...

How Scared I Was about Being Me: For #nzpoetryday we’re proud to share year 12 student Daphney’s response to MY EYES GLISTEN by Jonjon Tolovae: www.thesapling.co.nz/how-scared-i...

Sport for all ages and abilities: Tom Davis reviews three new books for sports fans: www.thesapling.co.nz/review-sport... #pukapuka #kidlit #warriors #jonahlomu

Bookrapt: a 42-year passion for children’s literature @debbiemccauley.bsky.social on the Bay of Plenty Children’s Literature Association #pukapuka #booksky #bookrapt

'We live in Mahy’s harbour of the guggliwugs! We couldn't have chosen a more appropriate author for August's Mahy Questionnaire: www.thesapling.co.nz/the-mahy-que... @krisherbertbooks.bsky.social #pukapuka #booksky

This is such a great piece on #reading and #books. the wonderful @thesaplingnz.bsky.social! I could add a few to that list, The Paperbag Princess - latest edition has been changed in a not good way. #Access to reading for all. Thankful for the Marrakesh Treaty www.thesapling.co.nz/the-power-of...

Here's Sacha Cotter and Josh Morgan with the background on Margaret Mahy Book of the Year A GUIDE TO ROCKS: www.thesapling.co.nz/the-margaret... 📸 Rebecca McMillan Photography @nzcyabookawards.bsky.social

We loved reading & sharing the winning entries to the Kiwi Christmas Books Every Reader has a Story competition so much we're sharing MORE! Here are the runners up for the years 11/12/13 category: www.thesapling.co.nz/the-runners-... #Heartstopper #RangersApprentice #pukapuka #booksky

The Runners Up: Every Reader has a Story - The Sapling

We shared the winning entries from the Kiwi Christmas Books Every Reader has a Story student writing competition earlier this week, but there were so many brilliant entries we can’t resist more! Here ...

thesapling.co.nz

Hear hear!

NinjaKitty 忍者キティ🥷🐈‍⬛@ninjakitty.bsky.social · 3w ago

Very proud of my niece @jemyoshioka.bsky.social making the finalist list a couple of times for the #NZCYA held tonight. Congrats to everyone nominated because you make reading so great for our kids!! 🙌🙌🙌🤗

The winners of the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults will be announced tonight! Follow The Sapling's live coverage from the ceremony from 6.15: www.thesapling.co.nz/nzcya-2026-t... #pukapuka #booksky #childrensbooks #NZCYA

'Screens encourage skimming, browsing, word spotting, infinite distractions and greatly decreasing attention spans' Kate De Goldi on the declining rates of reading for pleasure, why that matters, and what we can do about it: www.thesapling.co.nz/the-power-of...

Every reader has a story! We're thrilled to share the winning entries from the Kiwi Christmas Books student writing competition, & especially to share them during the inaugural NZ Children's Book Week! www.thesapling.co.nz/every-reader... #NZChildrensBookWeek #pukapuka #KiwiChristmasBooks #booksky

Our lips are sealed: the judges for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults on how they're keeping the winners secret: www.thesapling.co.nz/nzcya-2026-o... #pukapuka #kidlit #NZCYA

'give your favourite children’s book to another adult and tell them why you love it, and why they should give it a go' Alex Adank issues a challenge for adult readers, and shares the background the NZ Children's Book Week: www.thesapling.co.nz/nz-childrens...

Book Battle: Turning Reading into a Team Sport: www.thesapling.co.nz/book-battle-...

www.thesapling.co.nz/a-conversati...

Canette Books@canettebooks.bsky.social · last mo.

That phrase, “intimate and emotionally and intellectually profound,” gets read-aloud time exactly right. Tiny person, huge interior life, one book between you.

'It’s extremely intimate and emotionally and intellectually profound!' @clairemabey.bsky.social and Jill Calder on the power of reading to children, and their new book CASS AND THE BEAST: tinyurl.com/2bc9ev2h @geckopress.bsky.social #pukapuka #booksky #literacy #illustration #picturebooks

Scarlett Robinson-Kean returns with part two of the SPRINGBOARD COMIC and this time she's in super sleuth mode. Read along to find out how to crack the code for a career in illustration: www.thesapling.co.nz/a-springboar...

Featuring my nephew, Benji! Thanks The Sapling for continuing your excellent coverage of NZ books and for introducing them to new readers. It also shows there is still an assumption among rangatahi that NZ books aren’t as good as ‘overseas’ books so it’s great to do things like this to dispel that.

The Sapling@thesaplingnz.bsky.social · last mo.

'... there's not many other novels, I think, that do that' Teens and their teachers read the #NZCYA Young Adult finalists: www.thesapling.co.nz/nzcya-2026-t... #pukapuka #booksky #YAfiction @nzcyabookawards.bsky.social

'... there's not many other novels, I think, that do that' Teens and their teachers read the #NZCYA Young Adult finalists: www.thesapling.co.nz/nzcya-2026-t... #pukapuka #booksky #YAfiction @nzcyabookawards.bsky.social

'I draw and redraw. I paint and repaint. I cut and glue. I write and rewrite. I make all sorts of lists: lists of what I need to draw, paint or cut, lists of words that I like, lists of words that rhyme.' Lily Emo shares a day in her working life: tinyurl.com/yc4autkv #booksky #pukapuka #illustrator

'I’m definitely a joker. But I’m not sure I’d say a trickster.' Sarina Clark answers The Mahy Questionnaire: www.thesapling.co.nz/the-mahy-que... #pukapuka #booksky #MargaretMahy

Last week Lynley Dodd and The Arts Foundation awarded the Lynley Dodd Children's Writer Award to Claire Mabey. Kate De Goldi spoke, and noted of Claire; 'their writing offers all the nourishments of great fiction for young people'. We're pleased to reproduce her speech: tinyurl.com/2s8a49kx

Wherever you go, there you are: @lindajane.bsky.social explores te taio/place in the finalists for the NZCYA Elsie Locke Non-fiction Award: tinyurl.com/2hc36hzh #pukapuka #booksky #childrensliterature #kidlit #place #tetaio #NZCYA

A lovely interview with Trish Harris, author of Out of The Box @thesaplingnz.bsky.social. Such a beautiful taonga for our #disability community and for young #disabled people.. One to add to the few great ones we have www.thesapling.co.nz/who-we-reall...

'If I don’t draw, who even am I?' Lily Uivel on new parenthood, illustration and her new book BIG BANG BREAD: www.thesapling.co.nz/if-i-dont-dr... #pukapuka #booksky #illustration #bread #sciencecommunication

Last chance to vote for your favourite Kiwi kids books! www.whitcoulls.co.nz/kids-top50 #pukapuka #kidlit #voteAotearoa #booksky

The Sapling@thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 2mo ago

The Whitcoulls Kids' Top 50 has a huge impact on book sales in Aotearoa, so we think more books from Aotearoa should be on it! We've collected advice for writers and illustrators on how to get their books on to the list: www.thesapling.co.nz/the-whitcoul... #pukapuka #kidlit #booksky

Robyn Hunt@accease.bsky.social · 2mo ago

A lovely interview with Trish Harris, author of Out of The Box @thesaplingnz.bsky.social. Such a beautiful taonga for our #disability community and for young #disabled people.. One to add to the few great ones we have www.thesapling.co.nz/who-we-reall...