Congratulations to the recently announced winners of the 2023 Storylines Children’s Literature Trust Te Whare Waituhi Tamariki o Aotearoa. These notably impressive titles feature the best in New Zealand books published in 2023 that will inspire tamariki and rangatahi and their whanau to share and enjoy reading.
Click here to explore all the winners, and keep an eye out for these titles on our shelves.
Picture Books
Duck Goes Meow by Juliette MacIver
Woof! says Dog. Moo! says Cow. Cluck! says Hen, and Duck goes... meow. A little yellow duckling is amongst animal friends who are all sure of the sounds they make: hiss, neigh, moo, cheep, cluck and oink. But when Duck goes 'meow', the other animals say no, that is wrong, try again... then Duck's mama arrives, and boy, do they get a surprise!
The Great Kiwi School Day by Donovan Bixley
Starting school is a big step up. The Great Kiwi School Day familiarises children and their parents with the structure of the kiwi school day and puts them at ease with elements of the New Zealand curriculum: What do you do at school?, Who will be there?, What will I learn?, What will my classroom be like?
Chapter Books
A nerve-wracking underground adventure from an award-winning storyteller. Caught in a tunnel collapse, Liam and Imogen have to use all their wits to survive in this gripping novel for readers eight years and up.
Tūī Street Legends by Anne Kayes
The Tūī Street kids are studying legends at school. After learning about the Loch Ness monster, an unusual light begins to glow through the hole in the hedge in Ella's back yard. When they discuss Robin Hood at school, Tim discovers that the walls of a nearby house are covered with bows and arrows. Strangest of all, Harry and Gemma's stepmother, Lula, begs them to help her find something she has lost. If they do, she promises to disappear from their lives forever. Can they trust her, or could she be leading them into danger?
Teen
So begins the story of Iris Wilkinson, who wrote poetry, novels and journalism under the pen name Robin Hyde. In January 1938, she left New Zealand for England. On the way, intrigued by glimpses of China, she ventured inland despite the war raging there, becoming one of the first women war correspondents – a feat that was all the more remarkable because she struggled with mental health and suffered a disability that meant she had a lifelong limp. Robin Hyde doesn’t tell her story – it is narrated by a loyal but mysterious companion who asks the reader to guess the secret.
Iris and Me is an imaginative account of the adventures of one of Aotearoa’s most significant writers, presented in a form that Hyde herself would have loved – the verse novel.
In September 1840, two ships arrive on the shores of the Waitematā Harbour to establish Auckland, the new capital of New Zealand. Among the settlers on board the Platina is young Harry, travelling alone and determined to return to family in England. But the more immediate challenge is finding food and shelter - and hiding the truth about Harry's real identity and what was left behind in Van Diemen's Land.
CNF
My first words about tikanga Māori by Stacey Morrison
A guide to Māori customs, practices and ways of doing things, and to the special words we use when talking about tikanga. With vibrant illustrations labelled in Māori and English, each page takes readers on a tour of various settings and situations, explaining the words, phrases and concepts we might encounter.
Tuatara, a Living Treasure by Katie Furze
Meet Tuatara, ancient wonder, wildlife treasure and survivor! Blinking, she pulls her scaly body into the light. She's as long as a finger, and with the row of spines on her back she looks like a baby dragon. Tuatara are survivors of an ancient era and sometimes referred to as living wonders - their closest relatives died out during the time of the dinosaurs 60 million years ago! This book is a fascinating look at the life cycle of a tuatara.
Find more great reading recommendations on our Books and Reading page!