The current strength 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.
“There are outstanding books in every category,” says Trust chair Christine Young.
“Despite difficulties posed by Covid–19 over the past 18 months, the skill and creativity of authors and
illustrators has not been dulled, and New Zealand publishers’ commitment to producing quality
books for young people remains strong. The chosen books feature a healthy mix of new authors
and illustrators alongside names well known to New Zealand children and teens.
The Storylines judging panels have acknowledged the depth of talent and quality by naming highly
commended titles in three categories, in addition to the 10 award–winning books.”
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, totalling 35 from across the country.
Storylines’ annual Notable Book Awards were begun in 1999 to provide young readers and adult
buyers with authoritative lists of the best ten books in each genre published in the previous calendar
year. The 2021 awards, covering the previous 18 months, are released in November to highlight
the quality of books available and function as a Christmas buying guide for family and friends.
The full lists of award–winning books (in no particular order) are:
Picture Books
• I am the Universe, Vasanti Unka (Penguin Random House NZ 2020)
• Moose the Pilot, Kimberly Andrews (Penguin Random House NZ 2020)
• My Elephant is Blue, Melinda Szymanik, illustrator Vasanti Unka (Penguin Random House NZ
2020)
• Dozer the Fire Cat, Robyn Prokop, illustrator Jenny Cooper (Scholastic NZ 2020)
• Sharing with Wolf, Melinda Szymanik, illustrator Nikki Slade Robinson (Scholastic NZ 2020)
• The Hug Blanket, Chris Gurney, illustrator Lael Chisholm (Scholastic NZ 2020)
• This Is Where I Stand, Philippa Werry, illustrator by Kieran Rynhart (Scholastic NZ 2021)
• Flit the Fantail and the Matariki Map, Kat Quin (Scholastic NZ 2021)
• Mummy Monster, Stephanie Thatcher (OneTree House 2020)
• Hare & Ruru, A Quiet Moment, Laura Shallcrass (Beatnik Publishing 2020)
Highly Commended
• Hound the Detective, Kimberly Andrews (Penguin Random House NZ 2020)
• BatKiwi, Melinda Szymanik, illustrator Isobel Joy Te Aho–White (Scholastic NZ 2021)
Junior Fiction Books
• Mallory, Mallory: The Revenge of the Tooth Fairy, James Norcliffe, illustrator Emily Walker
(Penguin Random House NZ Puffin 2020)
• The Inkberg Enigma, Jonathan King (Gecko Press 2020)
• Viola Vincent Reporting – Troubled Water, Anna Kenna (Tiromoana Publishing 2020)
• Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea, T K Roxborogh, illustrator Phoebe Morris
(Huia Publishers 2020)
• Red Edge, Des Hunt (Scholastic NZ 2020)
• Spearo, Mary–anne Scott (OneTree House 2020)
• Three Scoops, Stories David Hill, illustrator Lisa Allen (OneTree House 2021)
• The Memory Thief, Leonie Agnew, illustrator Kieran Rynhart (Penguin Random House NZ –
Puffin 2021)
• The Tunnel of Dreams, Bernard Beckett (Text Publishing 2020)
• The Ghosts on the Hill, Bill Nagelkerke, illustratTheo Macdonald (The Cuba Press 2020)
Highly Commended
• Partners in Slime, Belinda O’Keefe (Scholastic NZ 2021)
• The Forever Horse, Stacy Gregg (HarperCollins 2020) 
Young Adult
• Hello Strange, Pamela Morrow (Penguin Random House NZ 2020)
• A Trio of Sophies, Eileen Merriman (Penguin Random House NZ 2020)
• The Calling, Fleur Beale (Penguin Random House NZ 2021)
• The Pōrangi Boy, Shilo Kino (Huia Publishers 2020)
• Violet Black, Eileen Merriman (Penguin Random House NZ 2021)
• The King’s Nightingale, Sherryl Jordan (Scholastic NZ 2021)
• Half My Life, Diana Noonan (OneTree House 2020)
• Displaced, Cristina Sanders (Walker Books Australia 2021)
• These Violent Delights, Chloe Gong (Hachette NZ 2020)
• Falling into Rarohenga, Steph Matuku (Huia Publishers 2021)
Non–fiction
• Kuwi & Friends Māori Picture Dictionary, Kat Quin, translator Pānia Papa (Illustrated
Publishing 2020)
• Mophead Tu: The Queen’s Poem, Selina Tusitala Marsh (Auckland University Press 2020)
• My Little Book of Bugs Taku pukapuka iti mō ngā pepeke (Te Papa Press 2020)
• Going to Te Papa Asiasiga ‘i le Falemata’aga i Te Papa, Dahlia Malaeulu, translator Niusila
Faamanatu–Eteuati (Te Papa Press 2021)
• Egg and Spoon: An Illustrated Cookbook, Alexandra Tylee, illustrator Giselle Clarkson (Gecko
Press 2020)
• My Name is Henry Fanshaw, Gillian Torckler, illustrator Adele Jackson (Bateman Books 2021)
• How Do I Feel? A Dictionary of Emotions for Children, Rebekah Lipp, illustrator Craig Phillips
(Wildling Books 2021)
• North & South: A tale of two hemispheres, Sandra Morris (Walker Books Australia 2021)
• The New Zealand Wars, Matthew Wright (Oratia Books 2021)
• The Reading Tribe, David Riley (Reading Warrior 2021)
Highly Commended
• How Did I Get Here? Soliloquies of Youth, edited Ben Brown (The Cuba Press 2020)
• You’re Joking: Become an Expert Joke–Teller, Tom E. Moffatt, illustrator Paul Beavis (Write
Laugh Books 2020)
• New Zealand Disasters: Our response, resilience and recovery, Maria Gill, illustrator Marco
Ivancic (Scholastic NZ 2021)
Te Reo Māori Books
• Kuwi & Friends Māori Picture Dictionary, Kat Quin, translator Pānia Papa (Illustrated
Publishing 2020)
• Pipi Kiwi, Helen Taylor, translator Hēni Jacob (Penguin Random House NZ 2020)
• Ngake me Whātaitai, Ben Ngaia, illustrator Laya Mutton–Rogers (Huia Publishers 2021)
• Te Uruuru Whenua o Ngātoroirangi, Chris Winitana, illustrator Laya Mutton–Rogers (Huia
Publishers 2021)
• Te Whānau Kauri, Suzy Cato & Arthur Baysting (deceased), illustrator Craig Fletcher,
translator Ngaere Roners (Scholastic NZ 2020)
• Ko Flit, te Tīrairaka me te Mahere Matariki, Kat Quin, translator Pānia Papa (Scholastic NZ
2021)
• He Wheke Wai Mamangu Au, Stephanie Thatcher, translator Pānia Papa (Scholastic NZ
2021)
• Ko Pekakiwi, Melinda Szymanik, illustrator Isobel Joy Te Aho–White, translator Pānia Papa
(Scholastic NZ 2021)
• Ko Rona Māhina, Tim Waitai Tipene, illustrator Theresa Reihana (Oratia Books 2020)
