New Zealand Young Adult

On the isolated island of Brack, the people live by an ancient bargain: every year, a sacrifice must be made to the Glimm, the creature that haunts the salt marshes. Eight years ago, it should have taken Lotta. Instead, the monster spared her and claimed her pony, shattering tradition and anointing her both folk hero and object of suspicion. Now...

Twelve-year-old Niko lives in Pohe Bay, a small, rural town with a sacred hot spring and a taniwha named Taukere. The government wants to build a prison over the home of the taniwha, and Niko's grandfather is busy protesting. People call him porangi, crazy, but when he dies, it's up to Niko to convince his community that the taniwha is...

You can't fight time, or love... A coming-of-age love story with a twist! When Theodore Brown looks into a person's eyes, he sees a number: the exact number of days he'll spend with them. It's hard to make friends when there's a literal countdown! He's kept everyone at a safe distance since his dad died. But now that he's in...

What if déjà vu was the world giving you another chance? Miasma is a character-driven fantasy adventure that follows Piper, a young woman forced into hiding after her mother is executed for using forbidden spirit magic. Years later, Piper lives under an assumed identity, keeping her own dangerous abilities concealed—until her partner, Celene, an exiled princess of the fallen kingdom...

When her tribe is defeated in battle, Atapo is captured and becomes a slave of her enemies. Freedom seems impossible; the penalty for runaway slaves is death. But when sickness strikes the village, Atapo is blamed—and now it is even more dangerous to stay. To save her life, she escapes to the Pakeha mission station at Paihia. There, Atapo is...

Nine Girls is a page-turning adventure from Stacy Gregg, one of Aotearoa's most internationally successful and locally awarded writers. An epic story woven with suspense by Pony Club Secrets and The Princess and the Foal author Stacy Gregg - winner of the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year and the Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction! They dug a hole...

Jake Whyte has always loved being out in nature. Growing up with a single mum in a small town means money's tight, but when he discovers an injured piglet while out for a run one day, he gets an idea for how he might be able to help put food on the table. Jake teaches himself to hunt, pushing himself...

See Ya, Simon is the story of a typical teenager named Simon, who enjoys girls, weekends, and playing practical jokes. However, Simon is different in one significant way—he has muscular dystrophy, is in a wheelchair, and does not have long to live. The tale is narrated by Simon's best friend, Nathan. This narrative is funny, moving, and devastatingly honest, capturing...

Tender and wickedly humorous - such an important story. KAREN FOXLEE, bestselling author of Lenny's Book of Everything Jasper Robinson-Woods is not okay - his name is too long, his mum has an annoying boyfriend, he never sees his dad, and he can't sleep because of a terrifying nightmare. Oh, and to top it off, his goldfish is dying. Jasper...

'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...

Born to surf. Ready to fight. Jerri keeps her head down in the surf-crazy town where she lives. Her father was a famous big wave surfer, remembered by the locals like surfing royalty. Now her brothers have inherited his crown. Not Jerri! Out back, unnoticed with her best friend Frida is the only surf spot she wants to be. Even...

Tess's parents have dropped a bombshell. The family's moving back to the place everyone wants to leave, the place Tess calls Toytown. She doesn't want to go and not just because it's small and nothing ever happens there—moving means leaving Chloe behind, her sister who died. What she doesn't expect is how much happens in Toytown, especially with a half-brother...

The bond between human and horse is so special. Horses & Us brings together 23 true stories from across Aotearoa New Zealand, which show the incredible things that are achieved when humans and horses come together. Featuring illustrations by award-winning artists as well as poems, artworks, and photographs, Horses & Us celebrates the animals we love and the people who...

An extraordinary story of a boy who protects a baby whale that locals believe is threatening their livelihood. Will Jackson is hiding out, a city boy reluctantly staying with his uncle in small-town New Zealand while he struggles to recover from a brutal attack and the aftermath of a humiliating YouTube clip gone viral. After he discovers a young abandoned...

The gripping sequel to the bestselling YA novels I am not Esther and I am Rebecca. Four years after Rebecca fled the religious community The Children of the Faith, twelve-year-old Magdalene bears the brunt of trying to protect and nurture her rebellious younger sister. Zillah isn't at all interested in behaving as befits a daughter of a Faith family, but...

'The People I Know Now' is a moving YA novel about love, loss and the courage to move forward. After a devastating year, 19-year-old Lyla finds healing and friendship in a seaside town. But when trauma resurfaces, she must confront the past and discover what family, love and resilience truly mean.

A classic bestseller that's been in print for over 20 years, this gripping YA thriller follows a teenage girl caught in a religious cult. Imagine that your mother tells you she's going away. She is going to leave you with relatives you've never heard of - and they are members of a strict religious cult. Your name is changed, and...

Words About Birds by Mike Howell is a sequel to Fur to Feathers & Taniwha & Taonga. This illustrated guide blends native birds with Māori whakataukī, encouraging young (and old) readers to observe, question, and connect with Aotearoa's environment. By combining science, language, and creativity, it turns birdwatching into a rich learning experience. Over thousands of years through sunshine and...

River is offered the chance to crew on his uncle's trawler—a coastal trip to get a new engine. He finds his cousin Huia annoying; she's all about Maoritanga while he can't even speak the language. When an accident leaves the two cousins stranded on the coast of Fiordland, they must work together to save themselves. Cuz includes information on survival,...

'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...

Sometimes your only weapon is the will to survive... Taken from their home, forced to leave their country, put to work in labour camps, frozen and starved, Adam and his family doubt that they will ever make it out alive. Even if they were to get away, they might freeze to death, or starve, or the bears might get them....

Discover the triumphs and tragedies of 24 heroic Australasians during WWI and WWII. Read the biographies of Anzac soldiers, as well as Air Force and Navy soldiers, medics, a spy, an ambulance driver, and a humanitarian, surviving in battles in England, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific. Anzac Heroes includes famous soldiers such as New Zealand’s double Victoria...

A scrumptious collection for anyone who loves good, healthy food and an occasional indulgence—after-school snacks, things on sticks, cakes, slices and dinners, a boiled egg to slip into your pocket for later. Many recipes are naturally gluten-free or vegan, and all are delicious. Alexandra Tylee is the owner and chef at Pipi Café, a little pink house, cottage garden, and...

Life inside a religious cult becomes too much for 16-year-old Rebecca when she finds out who she is to marry. When she turns 14, Rebecca will find out who she is to marry. All the girls in her strict religious sect must be married just after their 16th birthdays. Her twin sister Rachel desperately wants to marry the boy she's...

In 15 years, Egan Tucker has spoken to no one but his mother. Escaping from an abusive husband, Moana (Moma) took baby Egan to live in the Coromandel bush. For 15 years, Moma taught Egan to survive, and instilled in him her code for a good life. A chance meeting with a DOC deer culler (JT) while out hunting results...

A New Dawning, the first book in a startling new trilogy, introduces us to Merel, a girl living on a futuristic island situated in the middle of a vast sea. Many years have passed since this community survived the catastrophic floods and the severe heat that forced their ancestors to overshadow their world. They now live in twilight, governed by...

Jamie Orange is careening out of control the closer he comes within reach of his dreams—the powerful, frenetic, heart-stopping winner of three YA fiction awards! A fifteen-year-old reaches for stardom as he slides into psychosis in this multiple-award-winning novel for teens. New Zealand Book Awards Young Adult Fiction Award 2024 NZ Booklovers Best Young Adult Book 2024 Storylines Notable Young...

Finn’s druggie dad is on trial for manslaughter, so Finn is sent away to an exclusive boarding school to remove him from the small-town gossip machine. At first, he feels a bit like a fish out of water, but soon makes some good friends, and even scores with the much admired Mia, who plays in the symphonic band with him....

Redstar and Zephyr are on their own, once again, and this time they must find the fallen star. But Zephyr wonders and asks, “Is it a big huge rock, like a meteorite, or is it tiny, like the stars when she looked up at the night sky? Could she carry it or roll it or what?” The search leads them...

Teine Samoa means Samoan girl. It's a label that carries with it an unspoken duty to obey, serve, and respect your family and Samoan culture. But who can be a teine Samoa? When should you be a teine Samoa? And how can you be a teine Samoa outside of Samoa? Lani is an afakasi, and is unsure of her Samoan...

Four Christmases have passed since the world went to war in 1914. Struggling to survive in the trenches, close to enemy lines, amid the terror of gunfire and the whine of warplanes, Kiwi soldier Henry Hunt rescues a shaken little dog. He has no idea he’ll soon be facing a disciplinary hearing. To Henry’s relief, the Major allows the little...

As we Otago lads have only enough men for two squadrons, the General has decided that we are to be merged with the incoming Māori contingents to form a new battalion. Our new battalion will be ‘Pioneers’, doing behind-the-lines work: building barracks, railroads, roads, and trenches. As you can imagine, Father, we’re not happy–we want to fight, not dig holes....

Matiu Douglas has a bone tiki he stole from a tangi. His father's important new client wants it. Badly. And he has some very nasty friends. When Mat is forced to flee for his life, an unexpected meeting with a girl called Pania sets his world spinning. Suddenly he's running through the bush with a girl-clown, a dog who is...

Secrets, lies and love. A missing girl, a secret diary and unsettling revelations . . . Today is the first of September, the first day of spring, and it's been sixty-four days since I last saw Sophie Abercrombie. It's been sixty-four days since anyone saw Sophie Abercrombie. The prettiest Sophie. The missing Sophie. As Sophie MacKenzie - Mac - confides...

Kazuo Ishiguro meets The Hunger Games, following a new generation with enhanced powers and even more deadly challenges. Book 1 of the gritty, fast-paced, thought-provoking Eternity Loop Series. Promise you will never, ever mess with time . . . Both Rigel and Indigo are Offspring, born to virally optimised parents. With dire warnings about the possible consequences of time travel,...

Migration by Steph Matuku follows the story of Farah of Untwa, who joins a school dedicated to training fighters, strategic thinkers, and military personnel. This opportunity allows her to escape her domineering mother and the tedious duties associated with being part of a Ngati in the upper echelons of society. At the school, Farah, an intuitive, is paired with Lase,...

SHORTLISTED FOR THE YOUNG ADULT FICTION AWARD, 2024 NEW ZEALAND BOOK AWARDS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS Thorns, Tides, Embers, Storms, and Ores. All five covens are bound in servitude to the tyrant High Warden of Halstett. Penny Albright is a daughter of the thorn coven, forced to patrol the veil between the realms of Life and Death, keeping it...

'Deaf or disabled people get put in a box. It's frustrating, it's tiring and it's boring. I want that box to be broken open!' - Mojo Mathers In Out of the Box, an illustrated book for readers aged 12+, author Trish Harris shares the stories of 25 Deaf and disabled New Zealanders - artists, activists and adventurers - who have...

This book is a shout-out to the weird and wonderful endangered species in Aotearoa, those lesser-known creatures that don't regularly make the news. But they are just as important as the 'stars' like kakapo and kiwi, for they are the foundation of our unique biodiversity. Tiaki includes such exotic animals as the Smeagol gravel maggot, a sea slug found on...

A lively and warm family home turns dark overnight. When Tahi's parents are busted for dealing weed, his whole world is shattered. In the shadow of incarceration and addiction, Tahi is left alone in an empty house with only his absent older brother as a guardian. Isolated from friends and family, Tahi seeks connection in online spaces. But a first...

From the number one bestselling authors of She Is Not Your Rehab, This Is Not Yours To Carry is their debut children's book, created for a new generation of cycle breakers.

In the midst of World War Two, New Zealand faces a labour shortage as its men leave to serve overseas. To fill the gap, young women are called upon to work the land, becoming the nation’s ‘land girls’. Emerald (Emma) is one of those who answer the call, leaving her widowed mother and the comfort of home, to work on...

Donato has spent most of his life in a monastery, helping Cook in the kitchen, serving the monks at mealtimes, and trying to avoid the abbot, Brother Benito. His only comfort is time spent with his protector, Brother Francesco, and trips to the top of the church spire. It is the only life he knows, but it is not the...

Alyssa is a combat-trained sixteen-year-old from New Zealand. She's courageous, ambitious and highly skilled; she needs to be, because she's heading to New York. The city is populated by Marines, rebels, vigilantes, the wealthy elite and the hard-working lower class - and it's entirely cut off from the rest of the world, imprisoned in self-sustaining anarchy. Alyssa can't wait. But...

Three Scoops by David Hill is a compelling collection of stories that beautifully weave together themes of history, fantasy, and the future. Historical: Coming Home - The story of Harry and his loyal horse Blaze during New Zealand's rush to support the British in the Boer War. On the eve of departure, Blaze panics and escapes, leaving Harry to face...

Ryan has had seventeen years of being compared to Cody, part of his toxic fractured family, so you'll forgive him for some epic eye-rolling when it comes to Mr Perfect. Although not related to him by blood, Cody has always been annoying background noise in Ryan's life. It doesn't help that Cody's a high-achieving musician, while Ryan's life ambition doesn't...

Sean has emigrated to New Zealand with his mother from South Africa after the death of his father. He is finding it hard to fit in at school while coping with his grief and homesickness. Mason, a boy in his class who is a mad keen spearo, offers to teach him how to free dive. Sean gradually becomes involved with...

A selected history of the protests in New Zealand that shape modern day Aotearoa, starting with the early 1800s, through to anti-nuclear and land rights. Mandy Hager looks at the background, the structure of the protest and how it affected attitudes. Includes a brief look at the Pacific Islands claims for independence.

Eighteen-year-old Witi's father is listed as having abandoned his family, and that's just how Witi sees it. But when he is on his surfboard, feeling the surge of the sea, he somehow feels close to him. He also knows his rock-star father was diagnosed as schizophrenic, and lately, Witi has been wondering if it is something he could have inherited....

Eighteen-year-old Grace has struggled all her life with her place in this family and in the world. Obviously of Asian descent, she has been unable to get the truth about her parentage from her mother, a woman who is struggling with her own demons that date back to her life in Taiwan where she survived an earthquake while giving birth...

Cassie Clark: Outlaw follows Cassie, who has survived a hit and run. Now, just out of hospital, she hears that her father has disappeared—supposedly run off with a news reporter. As a senior congressman and Speaker of the House, her father is an important player in the tense world of American politics. Cassie knows he would not walk away from...

The conflict in Malaysia during and after World War Two, as seen from the perspectives of a Kiwi soldier (Peter) and a Chinese Malay freedom fighter (Ng). Against a background of culture clash and political and individual conflicts, two young men are drawn inexorably together as victims and products of the Malay conflict. Will events or their deeper selves guide...

Twelve-year-old concert pianist Jasmin Lee has spent her life on the road. She’s brilliant, tired, and done with music. When her parents take her to Kohatu House to rest, she expects only a quiet holiday. Instead, a carved wooden arch, a whispering melody, and a secret stone staircase drop her into 1893 where a musically gifted eight-year-old boy named Jacob...

It's New Year's Day, 1967, and Chris has made a resolution: he is going to stop his older cousin, Roger, from bullying him. What can he really do about it, though? Roger is a National Championship wrestler, while Chris is puny and bookish—the two boys despise each other. But as the summer progresses, Chris begins to think there may be...

Sione, Lima, Tavita, and Filipo are high school friends, uso, or brothers. They are part of a special letter-writing project that helps to start a brave new conversation, an open and honest talanoa with themselves, starting with the words, Dear Uso ... Here they share the cultural challenges they face, and without realising it, their need to belong, to be...

I'm too busy to babysit, so I hope you and that mongrel are up for the job. Phil, and his father's beloved heading dog, Blue, have to spend the Christmas break working on a sheep station while Phil's dad undergoes out-of-town cancer treatment. The station manager, Chopper, isn't happy having a teenager in his care and certainly not a sheepdog...

Jordan Baxter, a talented songwriter and musician, is determined to keep his home life a secret. He lives with his mother, who has a hoarding disorder, and his little sister, Tabitha, who is not thriving in the filthy, cluttered environment their mother calls home. When Tabitha is injured, the family is thrown into the spotlight, forcing Jordan to choose to...

Whakaari

Life is already unfair for 15-year-old Mariana. Her father's missing and her activist mother is dead. Marooned with her grandparents in the cyclone-wrecked South Island, life is dominated by Carapace, a corrupt corporation. When Mariana wears a red dress to her new school, she breaks an obscure rule and puts her family at risk. Mariana yearns to stand up for...

What if the worst thing that could ever happen to you had already happened, but you didn't realise? Like your brain couldn't handle it, so you turned it into a comic. Then closed it. Fourteen-year-old trainee lifeguard Mandy Malham has wanted to beat Jen in the surf lifesaving championships at Soldier Tree Bay ever since Jen bullied her in primary...

As soon as his family pull up outside the old whare, Rewi knows something is wrong. It's not just that the house is a crumbling wreck; there is something darker. Rewi feels it but can't make sense of it. Then the nightmare begins... When the Kehua Calls by Kingi McKinnon is a gripping tale that draws the reader into a...

Thatchthorpe (Bloodtree Chronicles #3) by Elizabeth Pulford 1 wrong move. 1 secret code. 1 last chance. In a thrilling bid to outsmart the dastardly Rackenard from becoming king, Abigail needs to solve one last puzzle. Catsquin Castle holds part of the answer, but where is the other half? Flint and Bramble can help, but ultimately, the fate of the Silvering...

Snakes and Ladders by Mary-Anne Scott follows the story of Finn, whose father is on trial for manslaughter. To shield him from the relentless gossip of their small town, Finn is sent away to an exclusive boarding school. Initially, Finn feels like a fish out of water, but soon he makes some good friends and even shares a budding romance...

Twenty-five years ago, young Liam's small fishing village on the Irish Coast was raided and its population decimated by brutal corsair pirates from the Barbary Coast who killed, plundered, and took a number of his people back to Northern Africa as slaves to Muslim masters. And now a pirate ship has been wrecked in Liam's bay, and survivors are struggling...

The Professor has always been weird, but an explosion in his backyard laboratory seems to have sent him over the edge. Then he disappears—in bizarre circumstances. Three of his young proteges, Max, Jian Xin, and Cleo, start receiving cryptic messages, which look like plans for a nuclear device—one which could solve all of mankind’s energy problems. The children decide to...

17-year-old Bob Sunday has stolen his brother’s identity to enlist in World War I. Keith was killed at Gallipoli, so doesn’t need it any more, anyway. But Bob is keen to join the Royal Flying Corps, and soon finds himself flying patrols over the front line in France, up against the likes of the Red Baron – Manfred von Richthofen....

Alfie watches as the city he calls home crumbles in the Christchurch earthquake. From this tragedy, he gets a second chance at life; a heart transplant that links him forever to one of the victims. Dani’s diagnosis is grim. She’s already survived cancer once, but knows there’s no escaping it this time. She refuses to suffer like her mother did,...

The third gripping, futuristic Young Adult novel in the bestselling Blood of the Lamb trilogy. This book had me on the edge of my seat every time I picked it up and constantly dreading turning the page but unable to stop. Maryam's story once again captivated me. I'm going to recommend this to my friend who has also read the...

When Kieran was twelve, he crashed a liberated car deep in the suburban wilds. The accident left his cousin Lucas in hospital and Kieran pretty much done with breaking rules. Four years later, he's reconsidering. Lucas's Allocated recovery time is almost up, and if Kieran can't help him, Lucas is dead. Midnight hospital break-ins and dodgy internet remedies look a...

A practical and therapeutic guide to managing anxiety, written specifically for those aged 14–25 by a psychologist with over 15 years of experience working with adolescents and young adults. Everything Anxiety Ever Told You Is a Lie is aimed at young people who are experiencing anxiety in their everyday lives, across the breadth of the anxiety spectrum. It emphasises that...

Your teacher is laying out the exam papers in front of you and you’re starting to stress. You have only a few minutes to get yourself together before the exam begins … how do you stay calm? At a party, someone you’re keen on is walking your way. You always seem to get nervous about dating, so how do you...

Uncle Jeremy has been helping the family out for a while now, by dropping off meat he's shot. The offer to go hunting sounds great to fourteen-year-old Wolf...a chance to get away from the family stress. But this hunting trip proves to be more than he bargained for. Sticking With Pigs by Mary-Anne Scott is a gripping story that captures...

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...

Long ago, Tangaloa cast a fiery net upon the waters and drew forth the ocean's might – in the crashing waves and surging tides that speak to Masina the moon. In Fire's Caress the story continues with the next generation of Telesa.

Hamish Graham is intelligent, disciplined, resourceful and fearless, and scorns all weakness. His heroes include Charles Upham, Alexander the Great and Te Rauparaha — all men of action. But he is also a fourteen-year-old with an anger problem and a disturbing past, and these have landed him in a series of boys' homes for violent and troubled young offenders. The...

Which street racer really controls the strip? An award-winning young adult novel full of fast cars, burn-offs, and an unwritten code of loyalty. Thunder Road. You find it in any city after the cops are in bed. It's where street racers go to test their machines—and their nerve. For me, it was the steep rising pitch of the turbo, the...

Riveting post-apocalyptic YA fantasy, this is a thriller you can't put down. The heroine, Ness, is imaginative and independent and questions and seeks meaning in a world that her elders would drain of all variety and joy. Ness lives on Dunnett Island, where people are in constant fear of all things that come from the sea, having lost many of...

What is the source of the Limping Man's monstrous power? Nobody can withstand it, a soft crawling that seeps into your skin and wriggles into your mind, making you powerless with love for him even as his cruelties multiply. When Hana's mam chooses to swallow frogweed poison rather than die in the great witch-burning in People's Square, Hana flees the...