it is absolutely thrilling to watch nominations come in for the Le Guin Prize but there's one thing I want to say one more time: middle grade and YA novels are eligible for this prize! I would really love to see more nominations come from those categories

COVER REVEAL! I’m pleased to share the cover of the ANZ edition of Song of the Saltings, published by the wonderful folk at @allenandunwinnz.bsky.social Gorgeous and strange illustration by Corinne Reid and designed by Kate Barraclough. Coming 28 April. @allenandunwin.bsky.social

The death of children caused by any government regardless of the context should be considered a crime against humanity I don’t care how unhinged I sound I’m tired of govt policy translating to children suffering. It’s disgusting.

Just envision that a Government came to power and cancelled a whole raft of essential programmes which would reduce the country's dependence on fossil fuels, only for there to be a once in a century oil crisis.

Countries that have adopted electric vehicles the fastest will suffer the least from oil price spikes caused by the US/Israel attack on Iran. NZ is not one of those, thanks to Luxon’s poor leadership.

Imagine a parallel world where NZ had spent the last 2 years doing everything possible to reduce fossil fuel dependency in energy and transport. We’d have lower climate pollution and a more resilient economy. Instead the Govt subsidised fossil fuels and now we are exposed to Trump’s madness.

Post a pic you took, no context, to bring zen to the feed 💐

This is a lovely balm to the news of the world…

Big people in books for little people – Annelies Judson examines the role of adult protagonists in picture books: www.thesapling.co.nz/big-people-i...

10/10! But I reckon I’d have gotten 8/10 if I hadn’t written the questions… www.thesapling.co.nz/quiz-nz-book...

OMG!! Totally recommend this to anyone feeling a bit flummoxed about the literacy lingo 📖🙌

Save millions? How much have the monthly one in a hundred year floods been costing the country? You absolute climate criminal ghouls.

And @thesaplingnz.bsky.social for children's books. www.thesapling.co.nz

What's a phonic when it's at home? Samantha Montgomerie has created a guide to literacy lingo for parents and others who aren't quite sure what all those terms around learning to read mean: www.thesapling.co.nz/literacy-lin...

Buy REAL books by REAL authors and illustrators. Here's a couple of mine huia.co.nz/search?q=rox...

I’ve done some catalogue searching and am fairly confident in saying that 5/10 titles in this list do not exist (1, 2, 4, 5 and 7). Sloppy, unacceptable, and a real kick in the guts to real authors with real books they’d love people to buy and read!

We've solved Christmas for you! We asked the children's bookstores around the country what books you need this Christmas, and here's what they said: www.thesapling.co.nz/from-the-sho...

'… what is becoming an adult if it isn’t working out to use your little piece of power, for the good of others, or yourself' @forster81.bsky.social reviews the new YA novel from @elizabethknoxnz.bsky.social: www.thesapling.co.nz/review-kings...

The Govt's stated reason for restricting voter enrolment in the last two weeks of the election has been speeding up the final count. But the Electoral Commission just told the Justice Select Committee that wouldn't happen - with or without the law change it would take 20 days. t.co/N0vRXHMbMt

Ruby Jones on her collaboration with @jacindaardern.bsky.social: www.thesapling.co.nz/comic-ruby-j...

The PANZ Book Design Awards are announced tonight! We asked the finalists for the children's category to quiz each other on their work shorturl.at/l6iGo

Ko He Taonga Te Toka te pukapuka mō te Rāapa o Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori. Nā Sacha Cotter rāua ko Josh Morgan (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Rongowhakaata) tēnei taonga i hanga—koinei tētahi kōrero ātaahua e tūhura ana i te mahamaha, i te mōhio. shorturl.at/xSYjh

He aha te pukapuka mō te Rātū o Te Wiki o te Reo Māori? How Many Times?/Me Hia Rawa Ngā Wā?, nā Tim Tīpene rāua ko Nicoletta Benella! Ko pukapuka reorua tēnei, heoi anō, e whai take ana tēnei mō ngā ākonga reo. He ngahau te karere o te pukapuka mō ngā mātua–(whakarongo ki tō māmā!) shorturl.at/pOhYE

Nā Kimberley Ngareta Kearney (Ngāti Maniapoto, Tuhoe) rāua ko Taylor Terewai Tiave (Ngāpuhi) The Lost Words, te pukapuka tuatahi. E whakamihatia ana ngā kupu o te kaikōrero e mātou: ‘These words are our words. And they will never be lost again': shorturl.at/ccjvF

Hei whakanui i Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, ka tukua e rima ngā Whakatauira nā ētahi pukapuka pikitia mīharo.

So much of "the economy" is fake, propped up by lies and bad behaviour, hoovering up money and pumping out shit.

'When you step into a New Zealand forest, the world changes. The light shifts, the air is damp with earth ... You feel small, but also connected to something that has been here far longer than you.' Ned Barraud on his stunning new book: shorturl.at/Fih5H

Context: this knocks back Marsden funding levels next year a whole two decades to (inflation adjusted) the same level funding as the 2005 Budget.

Kelly Ana Morey, remembered by Catherine Chidgey

plummeting literacy rates shadow our long white cloud. It would seem our meadow has not been cultivated to allow the seeds of literacy to thrive. Promises of a structured literacy reading framework are being hailed as the answer … literary-rich landscapes are not grown from a reading programme alone

I ain't doing your so called "strategic voting". I am voting as progressive as possible so that Te Pāti Māori and Pati Kākariki can drag Labour and have bargaining power.

David Hill on writing about Whina Cooper, te reo Māori and the vision and endurance of the eminent New Zealanders he has written about: www.thesapling.co.nz/interview-da...

This is a very charming interview with Josh Morgan!

Seven hours.

We're running a competition! To enter the draw to win a complete set of all the NZCYA winning books and a rare-as-hen's-teeth 2025 NZCYA tote bag please subscribe to our newsletter by the end of Thursday 28 August, by entering your details at this link: eepurl.com/ibMEE9

In a just world she would have to resign over this

@babybookdel.bsky.social tells us about the path to publication for her brand new picture book, Turkey Hurly-Burly: www.thesapling.co.nz

I'm sounding the "Cool new addition to the #WORDChch programme" klaxon!. A book launch for @rachaelking70.bsky.social - part two of the awesome Violet and the Velvets series. wordchristchurch.co.nz/programme/bo... It's on Thursday 28 August at Scorpio Books - get your free tix ASAP. ^DR

The children's literature community are normally a polite bunch, so heckling the Hon. Paul Goldsmith was out of character. Here's a blow-by-blow account of all the winners & vibes from last night's NZCYA awards: shorturl.at/jFR5s

By popular demand, we present the junior fiction finalists for the #NZCYA awards interviewing each other on their books & writing lives www.thesapling.co.nz/nzcya-2025-j... #BooksAlive @macdibble.bsky.social @exocomics.com @cravenjaney.bsky.social @rachaelking70.bsky.social @clairemabey.bsky.social

Have an election and we’ll show you who should be ordered from the fucken chamber

Five of the 29 finalists in the NZ Book Awards for Children & Young Adults are self-published. Claudia Palmer spoke with those creators for tips on self-publishing: www.thesapling.co.nz/five-authors...

@stephm1.bsky.social what a fab review! Neville and Alex worked out a daily page goal to reach the deadline... but Alex soon sped beyond it & was exhorting his father to catch up .... His excitement convinced Serena and Zoe to read it too, and soon ‘there was a lot of discussion at the dinner table

My son B & I had a LOT more to say about these books than there was room for in this article – I’m grateful to @mandyh.bsky.social & Mary-Anne Scott for these novels and the conversations they sparked

Because of his government’s underfunding GP fees are heading towards $100. 🤧👎

'It is no coincidence that declining literacy rates have coincided with sustained under-investment, devaluing and neglect of school libraries in Aotearoa' This week is Aotearoa School Library Week, but many schools around the country lack access to libraries: shorturl.at/MnLth

Omar is trying to feed his family of 11. They really want flour. You can make a difference for just one family. www.gofundme.com/f/help-omar-...

Personally I love it when the government works very hard to keep massive law changes a secret and then retrospectively releases all the information about it at 8.34pm on a Thursday www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

'The reckless and foolhardy decision to disestablish the Resource Teachers of Literacy (RTLit) by the current government will bring about a day of reckoning in the education system.' Belinda Whyte on the government's decision to disestablish RT Lits: shorturl.at/i3VEy

‘The reckless and foolhardy decision to disestablish the Resource Teachers of Literacy (RTLit) by the current government will bring about a day of reckoning in the education system’