Storylines and the producers of the popular TV show What Now have worked together to develop a partnership to encourage young New Zealanders to read the best books by New Zealand children’s writers.

What Now (made by Whitebait Media and in its 39th year on television) is a top-rating, much-loved, madcap, live two-hour show. Broadcast on Sunday mornings on TV2, its target audience is predominantly primary school aged. The show works hard to create a wide range of content for children of all interests and backgrounds.

Storylines and What Now have developed an online competition, believing that engaging viewers to participate in a vote for a “Kids Pick” from the Storylines Notable Books Junior Fiction list is a wonderful way to encourage the What Now audience reading the 2019 Storylines selections for the best books published in 2018.

The vote will be promoted live on air over three weeks, with presenters directing viewers to the What Now website. There they will find video-reviews of each of the Storylines Notable Books Junior Fiction titles presented by a primary school aged reviewer. Viewers will watch the short, sharp reviews and select a favourite, with all those entering going into a draw to win a full set of the Storylines Notable Books Junior Fiction books for their school.

What Now aims to get the competition on air by the end of March.