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The Sapling

@thesaplingnz.bsky.social
250 followers 114 following 429 posts

Website dedicated to celebrating Aotearoa-New Zealand literature for children and young adults. With editors Harriet, Faith & Nida. Pitches welcome!

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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 2h
A Day in the Life: Vasanti Unka: www.thesapling.co.nz/a-day-in-the...
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Congratulations to Vida Kelly, Giselle Clarkson and Gecko Press – OMNIBIRD has won the Gerard Reid Book of the Year award at the Award st the PANZ book design awards this evening
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Writer Fiona Farrell and artist David Elliot have teamed up to produce a stunning new children's book. Here they are in conversation about ONCE UPON A HARBOUR: www.thesapling.co.nz/once-upon-a-... #pukapuka #booksky #illustration #childrenspoetry
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
It's Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori! Kimberley Ngareta Kearney has put together a list of recommended books to karawhiua (have a go) with: www.thesapling.co.nz/book-list-te... #pukapuka #reoMāori #booksky
thesapling.co.nz
Book List: Te Wiki o te reo Māori 2026 - The Sapling
Kimberley Ngareta Kearney brings us a book list designed to encourage everyone to karawhiua—have a go! This week marks another whakanuia (celebration) of te reo Māori and what better way to celebrate ...
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
'Now is the time to strengthen literacy support infrastructure, not strip it away.' SLANZA's Rochelle Turnbull and Lauryn Urquhart on the proposed cuts at the National Library: www.thesapling.co.nz/the-reckonin... #NZpol #pukapuka #literacy #libraries #booksky
thesapling.co.nz
The Reckoning: Stripping away literacy support infrastructure - The Sapling
SLANZA’s Rochelle Turnbull and Lauryn Urquhart on a critical assault to library services being made in the name of cost cutting Now is the time to strengthen literacy support infrastructure, not strip...
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Father's Day is coming up, and what does Dad need? A NEW BUM! www.thesapling.co.nz/the-sampling...
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
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
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
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...
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
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...
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
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
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Bookrapt: a 42-year passion for children’s literature @debbiemccauley.bsky.social on the Bay of Plenty Children’s Literature Association #pukapuka #booksky #bookrapt
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
'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
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Robyn Hunt @accease.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
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...
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
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
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
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
thesapling.co.nz
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 ...
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Hear hear!
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
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
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
'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...
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
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
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
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
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
'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...
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Book Battle: Turning Reading into a Team Sport: www.thesapling.co.nz/book-battle-...
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
www.thesapling.co.nz/a-conversati...
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
'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
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
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...
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Rachael King @rachaelking70.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
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.
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
'... 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
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
'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
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
'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
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
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
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
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
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Robyn Hunt @accease.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
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...
thesapling.co.nz
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
'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
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Last chance to vote for your favourite Kiwi kids books! www.whitcoulls.co.nz/kids-top50 #pukapuka #kidlit #voteAotearoa #booksky
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
'When we see ourselves represented, it gives us permission to be more of who we really are.' Trish Harris has just launched OUT OF THE BOX, which shares the stories of 25 Deaf and disabled New Zealanders: www.thesapling.co.nz/who-we-reall... #pukapuka #booksky #disabilityrepresentation #kidlit
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Pou, puns and perspectives: the translators and writers in the #NZCYA Te Kura Pounamu Awards quiz each other on their craft: www.thesapling.co.nz/nzcya-2026-w... #booksky #pukapuka #translation #kidlit #tereoMāori
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Jackie Lee Morrison @jaxies.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Marginalia in full swing today and an extra panel for you to sink your teeth into! Yesterday, due to tech issues, @clairemabey.bsky.social couldn’t join YOU SHOULD BE READING KID LIT, so we’re giving it another go! Join us around 12.30pm for a short kōrero. www.youtube.com/live/XIvTGKa...
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Marginalia '26: You Should Be Reading Kid Lit Catch-Up Session
YouTube video by Jackie Lee Morrison
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Translation is a fine and mysterious art, so we asked the translators and writers in the @nzcyabookawards.bsky.social Te Kura Pounamu Awards what they'd most like to know about each other's work: www.thesapling.co.nz/nzcya-2026-w... #pukapuka #booksky #tereoMāori #translation #kidlit
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
'Every child deserves access to stories that reflect who they are, while also creating opportunities for all readers to connect with and learn from the rich diversity of our communities' Bee Trudgeon takes a closer look at the DANZ Children's Book Awards: tinyurl.com/yx3w6xw5 #booksky #pukapuka
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Have you voted in the Whitcoulls Kids' Top 50 yet? Vote for your favourite kids books from Aotearoa here: www.whitcoulls.co.nz/kids-top50
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Kid lit books ask the essential question of fiction, which is: ‘what if?’, and then answers it with: ‘why not?’" @jaxies.bsky.social tells us about Marginalia Lit Fest Live, and why we should all be reading kid lit: tinyurl.com/3wx9mj9r #booksky #pukapuka #kidlit #childrensbooks #literaryfestival
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Review! A propulsive and action packed new middle grade novel by @gracikim.bsky.social: tinyurl.com/5f84eprw
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
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
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
While the finalists in the NZCYA NZSA Best First Book Award may be new names to readers, there's more to them than overnight success. We asked them about their paths to publication: www.thesapling.co.nz/nzcya-2026-t... #booksky #kidlit #newauthor #nzcya #pukapuka
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Each of the nine visible stars in the Matariki cluster has its own unique characteristics. Here is a list of book recommendations for exploring the significance of each star wtith tamariki: www.thesapling.co.nz/a-new-matari... #booksky #Matariki #Aotearoakidlit #booklist
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
'An achievable read such as these are a great entry point for readers who aren’t quite ready for something meatier ... the books hold enough wit for adults to genuinely enjoy during shared reading time.' Belinda Whyte reviews books two and three in the TERRIBLE TRIO series: tinyurl.com/SaplingNZ
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Take a peek into the sketchbooks of the finalists in the @nzcyabookawards.bsky.social Illustration Award! www.thesapling.co.nz/nzcya-2026-t... #booksky #illustration #childrensbooks #comics #pukapuka
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
'This book will likely be treasured' Hamish Win reviews YOU'LL ALWAYS BE MY BABY by Jessica Urlich and Jeda Robaard: www.thesapling.co.nz/review-all-t...
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The Sapling @thesaplingnz.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
We Waited for You: Bee Trudgeon recommends books for explaining IVF conception to children www.thesapling.co.nz/book-list-we... #pukapuka #booksky #IVF #wheredobabiescomefrom
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