Storylines Children’s Literature Charitable Trust of New Zealand Te Whare Waituhi Tamariki o Aotearoa
1 November 2022
2022 Storylines Notable Book Awards announced
The excellence of New Zealand publishing for children and young adults is reflected in the list of Storylines Notable Books in five genres announced today by the Storylines Children’s Literature Trust Te Whare Waituhi Tamariki o Aotearoa.
“Entries to this year’s Storylines Notable Book Awards indicate that New Zealand children’s and young adult literature is in good heart. Not only were there a record number of entries, but the quality of the books selected is, once again, outstanding,” says Storylines Trust chair Christine Young.
“We’re particularly delighted to see an increase in the number of books – and high calibre books – published in te reo Māori, as well as books with Māori and Matariki themes in the non-fiction genre, which are described by the judges as of ‘terrific standard’. The diversity and high production values of the non-fiction Notable list was also noted by the judges.
“There was a pleasing increase in the overall quality and number of junior fiction books submitted. To acknowledge this, besides the ten named as Notable, five were named by the judges as highly commended.
“Clearly New Zealand publishers’ commitment to producing quality books for young people remains strong.”
Storylines Notable Books are selected in five genres (junior fiction, young adult, picture books, non- fiction and books in te reo Māori) by expert panels of teachers, booksellers, authors, academics, librarians and parents from across the country.
The 2022 Awards cover books published between 1 August 2021 and 15 November 2022. Storylines’ annual Notable Book Awards were begun in 1999 to provide adult buyers and young readers with lists of the ten best New Zealand books published in the latest year in each genre, that will inspire tamariki and rangatahi and their whanau to share and enjoy reading. Announced each November, they function as a buying guide for families’ Christmas presents, and for schools and libraries.
The writers are available for interviews.
The Notable Books are:
Non-Fiction
- Atua: Māori Gods and Heroes, Gavin Bishop (Penguin Random House)
- Kia Kaha: A Storybook of Māori Who Changed the World, Stacey Morrison, Jeremy Sherlock (Penguin Random House)
- Why is That Spider Dancing? The Amazing Arachnids of Aotearoa, Simon Pollard, Phil Sirvid (Te Papa Press)
- Get Outdoors: Brilliant Boredom Busters for Kiwi Kids, Paul Adamson (Penguin Random House)
- Roar Squeak Purr: A New Zealand Treasury of Animal Poems, edited by Paula Green, Jenny Cooper (Penguin Random House)
- I Am Autistic: An Interactive and informative guide to autism (by someone diagnosed with it),Chanelle Moriah (Allen & Unwin)
- Te Wehenga; The Separation of Ranginui & Paptūānuku, Mat Tait (Allen & Unwin)
- One Weka Went Walking, Kate Preece, Pippa Ensor (Bateman Books)
- Matariki Around the World: A Cluster of Stars, a Cluster of Stories, Miriama Kamo & Rangi Matamua, ill. Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Scholastic NZ)
- Standing In My Own Shoes: Letters from New Zealand Olympians and Paralympians, edited by David Riley (Reading Warrior)
Highly Commended
- Weather and Climate New Zealand, Sandra Carrod, Karsten Schneider (Oratia)
- Nature’s Wildlife Weapons, James Ryan (Bateman Books)
Te Reo Māori
- Tu Meke Tuatara! A little kindness goes a long way, Malcolm Clarke, Hayley King (aka Flox), translator, Evelyn M Tobin, (Mary Egan Publishing)
- Te Kōkōrangi, Witi Ihimaera, Isobel Joy Te Aho-White, translator, Hēni Jacob (Penguin Random House)
- Ngā Ngeru, Amiria Stirling, Sarah Illingworth (Huia Publishers)
- Ko Īhaka me te Manuwhiri i Puta Ohorere mai, Kirsty Wadsworth, Zak Waipara, translator, Pānia Papa (Scholastic NZ)
- Mokopuna Matatini, Pania Tahau-Hodges, Story Hemi-Morehouse (Huia Publishers)
- Ko Tōku Māmā te Kuini o te Rori, Jennifer Beck, Lisa Allen, translator, Kawata Teepa (Huia Publishers)
- Ngā Taonga e Waru mā Te Wheke, Steph Matuku, Laya Mutton-Rogers, Kawata Teepa (Huia Publishers)
- Kua Whetūrangitia a Koro, Brianne Te Paa, Story Hemi-Morehouse, (Huia Publishers)
- Te Taonga Huna o Awatea, Fraser Smith, translator, Piripi Walker (Huia Publishers)
- Tiare Tangaroa me Taipō Moana, T K Roxborogh, Phoebe Morris, translator, Kanapu Rangitauira (Huia Publishers)
Young Adult
- The Tomo, Mary-anne Scott, (OneTree House)
- Black Spiral, Eileen Merriman (Penguin Random House)
- Coastwatcher, David Hill (Penguin Random House)
- Black Wolf, Eileen Merriman (Penguin Random House)
- Tama Sāmoa, Dahlia Malaeulu and Mani Malaeulu (Dahlia Malaeulu)
- Indigo Moon, Eileen Merriman (Penguin Random House)
Highly Commended
- The Other Sister, Philippa Werry (Pipi Press)
Junior Fiction
- Kākāpō Keeper, Gay Buckingham (OneTree House)
- Masher, Fifi Colston (Penguin Random House)
- Spark Hunter, Sonya Wilson (The Cuba Press)
- Little Tales of Hedgehog and Goat, Paula Green, Kimberly Andrews (Penguin Random House)
- The Ghost House, Bill Nagelkerke, Theo Macdonald (The Cuba Press)
- Holding The Horse, L. (Janine) Williams (Ocean Echo Books)
- ECHO, Arlo Kelly (Sparrow Press)
- Kidnap at Mystery Island, Carol Garden (Scholastic NZ)
- The Crate: A Ghost Story, James Norcliffe (Quentin Wilson Publishing)
- Children of the Rush, James Russell (Dragon Brothers Books)
Highly Commended
- The Astromancer: The Rising of Matariki, Witi Ihimaera, ill. Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Penguin Random House)
- Clash of the Cousins, Louise Shaw (Louise Shaw)
- The Last Fallen Star, Graci Kim (Hachette NZ)
- Torn Apart: The Partition of India, 1947, Swapna Haddow (Scholastic NZ)
- ToiToi Jillion 2, edited by Charlotte Gibbs (Toitoi Media)
Picture Books
- Goose the Artist, Kimberley Andrews (Penguin Random House)
- The Lighthouse Princess, Susan Wardell, Rose Northey (Penguin Random House)
- Granny McFlitter: The Knit Before Christmas, Heather Haylock, Lael Chisholm (Penguin Random House)
- The Grandmothers of Pikitea Street, Renisa Viraj Maki, Nikki Slade Robinson, translated by Kanapu Rangitauira (Oratia Media)
- The Eight Gifts of Te Wheke, Steph Matuku, Laya Mutton-Rogers (Huia Publishers)
- The Greatest Haka Festival on Earth, Pania Tahau-Hodges, Story Hemi-Morehouse (Huia Publishers)
- My Mum is Queen of the Road, Jennifer Beck, Lisa Allen (Huia Publishers)
- How My Koro Became a Star, Brianne Te Paa, Story Hemi-Morehouse (Huia Publishers)
- Roo and Vladimir, Minky Stapleton (Scholastic NZ)
- Pelorus Jack the Dolphin Guide, Susan Brocker, Raymond McGrath (Scholastic NZ)
- There Are No Moa, E Hoa, Melinda Szymanik, Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Scholastic NZ)
Ends
