New Zealand Book Awards for Children & Young Adult

Dragons and phoenixes roam the skies of Seoul, meals magically appear based on your mood and dreams literally come to life... Nevermoor meets Pokemon in New Zealand author Graci Kim's thrilling new middle-grade fantasy series! Dare to enter a world of secrets and spells, where your wildest dreams—or your darkest nightmares—come to life before your eyes... Fourteen-year-old Aria Loveridge lives...

The amazing Gavin Bishop brings us a monster-sized book about the mythical monsters of Aotearoa! Award-winning weaver of stories Gavin Bishop retells a variety of tales about the taniwha of Aotearoa, from the guardians who accompanied waka voyages to present-day inhabitants of the whenua and moana. Taniwha are all around us. They are good at hiding or changing their shape....

From sleeping giants to battling mountains, fiery sisters to adventurous trees, dig into Whenua and discover eleven tales of how Aotearoa was formed beneath our feet. Whenua takes readers back in time with each purakau, exploring the ways in which Aotearoa's land was formed and introducing children to legendary Maori figures and atua. A beautifully illustrated collection that will delight...

Lately, things have been getting Charlie down. It's like he's got a big rock that just won't go away. He talks to Dad about it, and Dad brings out a dusty old book with a lot of tough rules. The first rule is you don't talk about rocks (feelings). But the rules make things worse - Charlie's 'rock' gets bigger,...

Gumboots are the favourite footwear of the hero of this picture book – but also of the giant weta who thinks they make a perfect home. After a battle of wills and yuck moments meeting Koro Weta, a happy compromise for co-existence is found: a weta hotel and some new gumboots – that are see-through! A perfect mix of giggles...

Who spilled that blue paint? There's a messy mystery afoot, and Detective Clue-keko needs your help to solve it! Watch out for cartoonist Toby Morris's flying dad jokes in this delightful visual and verbal play on words that rhyme with pūkeko, one of Aotearoa New Zealand's most iconic and personality-laden blue birds. Join the hunt and follow the paint trail...

'Right now, the end of civilisation is the least of my problems.'Nick is a little different — nervous, timid and socially awkward, absolutely the wrong person to be caught in a deadly spy game of cat and mouse. But when his grandfather vanishes during a trip to Berlin and long-buried secrets begin to surface, Nick finds himself alone with sinister...

Te haerenga a Kupe ki Aotearoa! I ako a Kupe mō te wheke nui, mō te wheke wehi nāna tonu ngā ika o te moana i kai, arā, kua kore ngā kaimoana hei kai mā ngā tāngata o Hawaiki.Nā, ka whāia taua wheke rā e Kupe, ka whiti atu i Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa.Nāwai rā, ka kite a Hine-te-Aparangi i tētahi whenua...

Kupe's voyage to Aotearoa! Kupe found that a huge, fearsome wheke (octopus) was taking all the fish in the ocean and the people of Hawaiki had nothing to eat.So Kupe chased that wheke across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa (the Pacific Ocean). Finally Hine-te-Aparangi, Kupe's wife, saw land and a long white cloud: Aotearoa! Find out what happened when the wheke and Kupe...

A gentle and powerful story that reclaims the sacredness of a girl’s first ikura (period) through a Māori lens — celebrating connection, ceremony and whakapapa. Rooted in te ao Māori, My First Ikura and the reo Māori translation Taku Ikura Tuatahi is abeautifully illustrated children’s book that follows a young girl’s first period, guided by the support of her whānau....

Meet Theo, the only dinosaur in a school full of humans—or so he thinks! Theo is a dinosaur, which came as a shock to his human parents. Nevertheless, they love him dearly. On his first day at school, Theo refuses to go in because he’s different from all the other kids, so Mum makes him a human costume. The next...

An exploration of life on a New Zealand farm during a long, dry spell. Through lyrical rhyming text, readers are taken on a journey across paddocks, barns, and treetops, encountering the animals and landscapes that make up the farm’s rich ecosystem. From the circling kahu in the sky to the hardworking sheepdogs, restless horses, and a watchful rooster, each page...

The first in a terrible, terrific, funny and heartwarming new series by award-winning children’s author, Swapna Haddow, hilariously illustrated by Minky Stapleton. In a world where all animals have superpowers, café workers Zeb the zebra, Margarine the penguin and Barry the lemur have been given the worst powers of all. Watching all the other superheroes save the world, day in...

Have you seen a bird today? Probably, unless you’re reading this in bed. Did you notice what was really interesting about that bird? Investigating a bird is like solving a puzzle. To gather all the pieces, you look for clues: meet the omnibird. An omnibird shares the basics of all birdlife: it was born from an egg, has feathers, two...

The Case of the Angry Ghost: Violet and the Velvets Book 2 by Rachael King follows Violet and her band as they make it to BandChamps! Armed with their own songs, they're competing alongside their school rivals, The Alphas, for glory. But wait! Strange goings-on are afoot at the Royal Theatre, where it's rumoured a grumpy ghost ballerina haunts the...

Weaving a beautiful narrative of heritage, culture and the enduring strength of family bonds, The Lost Words is a daughter's account of her mother's journey through the rich tapestry of te reo Māori. My Mum is collecting words. You see, a long time ago, lots of the words were left out or replaced. Slowly they were forgotten. A powerful and...

Somewhere there is a land where balloons grow in the air like weeds. They drift on the wind and gather in groups covering the sky and blocking the sun. With lush illustrations and a thoughtful, layered narrative, this sophisticated story explores themes of care, community, conservation, and the delicate balance between indulgence and responsibility. For readers of all ages, Left...

Hiva and Heartbeats follows Epi, a Tokelau girl growing up in the colourful chaos of family gatherings, legacy, and big dreams in the nineties. Through it all, it's hiva—traditional Tokelau dance—that keeps her grounded. As crushes get complicated and teen life throws its usual mix of drama, doubts, and decisions, Epi learns that staying true to your roots is the...

Meet Theo, the only dinosaur in a school full of humans—or so he thinks! Theo is a dinosaur—which came as a shock to his human parents! Nevertheless, they love him dearly. On his first day at school, Theo refuses to go in because he’s different to all the other kids, so Mum makes him a human costume. Next day, he...

The world is changing…can you keep up? Meet Maple, apprentice apothecary who unearths a lost yokai with questionable motives and a penchant for mischief. Fans of Netflix's ONI: Thundergod's Tale and Pilu of the Woods will delight in this new graphic novel series inspired by Taisho Era Japan. At twelve years old, Maple Akimura’s future has already been decided. With...

This fascinating look at Matariki in New Zealand and around the world is now retold in te reo Māori. The Matariki constellation (or Pleiades) is known by many different names and is seen and celebrated by many cultures around the world. This beautifully illustrated book features 18 stories: 9 of which highlight the Māori Matariki stars, while the others reference...

Whether you want to fish for sprats from a wharf, walk up a stream with a fly rod, or cast a line from a boat or kayak, there's a heap of handy information in here. Learn how to tie knots, bait hooks, cast lures, and fillet and cook your catch. Al Brown has a life-long love of fishing and Hooked...

Kimi the Kekeno's Big Adventure is about Kimi the kekeno on the biggest adventure of his life—the long and scary journey to the magical Stone Circle. Along the way, Kimi and his friends encounter a giant squid who needs their help, a wise old stingray, and a very hungry hammerhead shark. Does shy and gentle Kimi have what it takes...

Prickly, messy, deeply human characters. - Rachael Craw, bestselling author But now Zelle is back, and their lives are about to get a whole lot more complicated. Zelle is in denial about her alcohol use that threatens to spiral out of control, and she's deeply annoyed at having to leave the city. Callum's future is thrown into jeopardy after both...

'Heart-poundingly brutal, heart-poundingly romantic, this compelling mystery is utterly absorbing.' Amie Kaufman, New York Times bestselling author of The Isles of the Gods Recently dumped, heart-broken Ana struggles to put the past behind her on a post-graduation summer holiday. When a catastrophic earthquake hits, Ana and the other survivors emerge in a world they don't recognise, stumbling into a 14th...

Highly illustrated animal detective mystery for young readers. Detective Stanley and the Mystery at the Museum begins when Detective Stanley has barely sat down for his breakfast pancakes and receives an invitation he cannot refuse. The Art Museum has been raided on the opening day of the Bleat Mondrian show, and Stan has been called to investigate. The most perplexing...