Tangata O Le Moana: New Zealand and the People of the Pacific
edited by Sean Mallon, Kolokesa Mahina-Tuai, and Damon Salesa
This illustrated history tells the amazing story of Pacific people and their relationships with, and contributions to, New Zealand society. In a great feat of exploration and migration, Pacific Islanders became the first people to step foot on these shores some 800 years ago.
(Te Papa Press, May 2012)
Colour the Stars
Dawn McMillan, illustrated by Kienyo White
,In this beautiful, evocative text, Isaac does his best to explain colour to his blind friend Luke using sensation and touch.
(Scholastic NZ, May 2012)
Little Kiwi and the Noisy Morning
Bob Darroch
Early in the morning, just before dawn, the first sweet sounds of singing birds floated through the quiet forest. Join Little Kiwi and Little Sister as they take a walk through the bush. Lift the flaps to help them find all the birds that make the dawn chorus.
(Penguin NZ, May 2012)
Munkle Arvur and the Bod
Nikki Slade-Robinson
The Bod proceeds to use the canyon as a place to dump waste ...and gradually the canyon fills up. It is up to Munkle Arvur to find a way to rescue the canyon - by recycling the waste!
(Scholastic NZ, May 2012)
Spino-Rottysaurus
Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Donovan Bixley
Even better than Captain Underpants! The continuing adventures of Arg, the evolved Neanderthal boy, and his T-rex friend Skeet, the talking dinosaur. This is the fifth title in a brilliant new series by award-winning author Kyle Mewburn.
(Scholastic NZ, May 2012)
A Mammoth in the Fridge
Michael Escoffier
Noah discovers a mammoth in the fridge. At first, his father doesn't believe him - but the evidence is too strong. It's sitting in the fridge! They call the fire department, but the mammoth slips past their net and hides in a tree. But where did the mammoth come from?
(Gecko Press, May 2012)
Blow me Socks Off
Marion Day
Blow Me Socks Off comes hot on the heels of the popular youth hunting book, Cor Blimey, Mate. There's even more action, more fun and fright, more blood and guts, more adventure... In this follow-up book of hunting stories, you'll dart to and fro from the known to the great unknown.
(Halcyon Press, May 2012)
Snakes and Ladders
Mary-Anne Scott
Finn's druggie Dad is on trial for manslaughter, and 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-lusted-after Mia.
(Scholastic NZ, May 2012)
Trapped outside a Cage
Ken Benn
Guilty until proven innocent ...Rochelle's brother, Jack, is in prison for the murder of Methsy, and Rochelle is convinced he didn't do it. But if Jack is innocent, then why has he confessed to the crime and why is he staunchly standing by his confession?
(Penguin NZ, May 2012)
Gutted
Ken Benn
Rochelle is playing hockey for New Zealand against a dirty Australian side, Jack is in a youth facility for a crime he didn't commit, Drew is walking a fine line between right and wrong, and Geek's life is spiralling out of control.
(Penguin NZ, May 2012)
We are the Rock!
David Riley
In We are the Rock! we hear the stories of contemporary Niueans, as well as historical and legendary figures - their struggles, impressions and achievements. They are Niuean taoga (treasures) and include: Tigilau Ness, Dene Halatau, Luisa Avaiki, Che Fu, Dr Vili Nosa, and many more.
(David Riley, May 2012)
Making it Mine
Gilt Edge Publishing
This is a follow-on from our popular title Painting My Teacher Blue. Making It Mine adds to the substance of Painting My Teacher Blue by focusing on the heart of art education programmes - the development of children's personal creativity.
(Gilt Edge Publishing, May 2012)
Janet Martin, illustrated by Ivar Treskon
A young boy visits a moa at the museum, and imagines what it would be like if Noah the Moa came back to life, taking him back into the past. Written in rhyme. Includes sheet music of song inside cover.
(Jampot Productions, April 2012)
Ulf Nilsson, illustrated by Eva Eriksson
A sweet, funny picture book about overcoming stage fright, being brave, and embracing your talents. 'My little brother thinks I'm the best singer in the world. But I can't sing if there are too many people. When I was six, we were having a performance at school to celebrate spring…’
(Gecko Press, April 2012)
Ken Catran
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.
(HarperCollins NZ, April 2012)
Tricia Glensor
Set in 1942 in Occupied France, Telling Lies is the story of a 15-year-old girl, Simone, whose family are supporters of the Resistance. Simone finds herself taking an active part in helping a New Zealand airman who has parachuted out of his crippled RAF bomber near their farm.
(HarperCollins NZ, April 2012)
Julian Aharanga, illustrated by Andrew Burden
Shot down off the coast of Germany, Pohe was held prisoner at Stalag Luft III, near Sagan in present-day Poland. Digging a tunnel under the camp, Pohe was one of the prisoners who escaped in a mass breakout which was immortalised in the film The Great Escape.
(Huia Publishers, April 2012)
Ben Brown, illustrated by Helen Taylor
Poor Sunday Jones lives with his monster of a father and pines for his dearly departed mother. Then, one day, a talent show is announced at school and Sunday practises hard to become The Great Orlando - a magician who can make things disappear ... even himself.
(Scholastic NZ, April 2012)
Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Ali Teo and John O’Reilly
Melu decides to follow his dream, instead of the herd ... The mules had been clip-clopping around the sun-baked hills for generations. They always clip-clopped in the same direction: west towards the setting sun. And they never ventured down to the glittering green sea. But Melu was different. He was always out of step.
(Scholastic NZ, April 2012)
The Tjong-Khing
An adventurous look-and-find book, with multiple stories to follow and new things to discover every time you read the story. Told entirely through pictures, The Birthday Cake is a detective story, filled with humorous details and red herrings.
(Gecko Press, April 2012)
James Norcliffe
The Enchanted Flute sweeps Becky Pym and Johnny Cadman from the realities of modern day school and the suburbs into an ancient Arcadian world where an old battle is about to be reignited and where even older forces are preparing themselves. The flute Becky's mother bought at a pawn shop proves to be a catalyst, a prize all forces seek.
(Random House NZ, April 2012)
David Hair
Matiu Douglas's father, Tama, is a defence lawyer, a job that has cost him the love of his wife. Mat is used to his father's job creating stress, but when Tama takes on a high-profile case in magical Aotearoa - the defence of Donna Kyle and her father, Asher Grieve - family tensions run high.
(HarperCollins NZ, April 2012)
Dave Gunson
At first glance, it might seem that the average New Zealand garden is not the best place to find wildlife - but look again. Bugs and ants are climbing trees while geckos wait in the foliage for their lunch, hedgehogs are sleeping in the back hedge and spiders are getting kicked out of their homes by tree wetas.
(New Holland Books, April 2012)
Frank Newman
Norman Normal was a normal eight-year-old. He lived in a normal house on Normal Street, with his normal family. But things were never really very normal in Normalsville. Everyone in Norman's family was musical, except Norman. But all that changed the day he got the tingle, jingle, twitch and itch, and made farty armpit music.
(South Pacific Press, April 2012)
Hugh Brown
Raised by octogenarian grandparents after his narcissistic mother left to join a retreat centre, Will Clark is an uncomfortable mix of teenage shyness and adult candour. Fiercely loyal to his mother, he resents his father, whom he blames for her leaving.
(HarperCollins NZ, April 2012)
Melinda Szymanik, illustrated by Gabriella Klepatski
There is something different about the Gingerbread Woman. The snowman feels it too. When you make things with love something special is bound to happen. From the award-winning author of The House That Went to Sea and The Were-Nana, this new picture book, beautifully illustrated by Gabriella Klepatski, is a warm and magical tale of love.
(David Ling Publishing, April 2012)
Michael Oehley
Daren Saner and his friends take a forbidden jaunt in the space pods and bring back a deadly virus to the spaceship. Daren makes a miraculous recovery but his friends remain in a coma ... and the plague begins to spread through the ship.
(Scholastic NZ, April 2012)
David Hill, illustrated by Fifi Colston
Young soldier Jim McLeod waits in the trenches of World War I for the order to attack the enemy. With him are his friends, and Nipper, the messenger dog. Includes a song by Rob Kennedy.
(Scholastic NZ, March 2012)
Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Katz Cowley
Seesaw Po is a story about how showing kindness to others can have the most delightful (and unexpected) consequences. Also available in te reo Maori.
(Scholastic NZ, March 2012)
Kathy Taylor
Iris’s Ukulele is a humorous story about a rap musical and a pair of best friends … and dreams of a brand new purple ukulele.
(Scholastic NZ, March 2012)
Ken Catran
When his two elder brothers join up to fight in the Boer War, James is left to help his father run the farm, as well as helping out in the local store for the irascible old ‘Croaky Fred’, who has nothing good to say about war in any form. But Fred has a secret …
(Scholastic NZ, March 2012)
Helene Rajcak, illustrated by Damien Laverdunt
A fascinating journey aound the world of extinct animals, combining cartoons with naturalist drawings, and mythology with science. Arranged by geographical region. Contains two New Zealand birds - the Moa and Haast Eagle.
(Gecko Press, March 2012)
Ali Foster, illustrated by Viv Walker
A delightfully told and illustrated story that interweaves the story of eels migrating across the ocean from a New Zealand river near an historic bridge commemorating the soldiers who lost their lives when they also travelled thousands of miles to fight in the Great War.
(Fraser Books, March 2012)
Jack Lasenby
It's the 1930s. Our storyteller is crook in bed trying to get over a long sickness and wanting to go back to school, when Uncle Trev arrives to let Mum go out and do the shopping. Uncle Trev tells one story after another about the animals out on his farm, and about his neighbour Gotta Henry.
(Gecko Press, March 2012)
Justine Payen, illustrated by Philip Webb
When you take afternoon tea with Miss Tilly, there is no knowing where you will end up: from ancient Egypt to outer space, via Atlantis and Loch Ness ... What is for sure is that you'll have one helluva ride and a generous helping of fun!
(HarperCollins NZ, March 2012)
Fredrik Brouneus, illustrated by Tony Tarasiewicz
What happens when we die? This has been the third question on mankind's faq list since the dawn of time (numbers one and two being: Is this edible? and Excuse me, would you care to breed? ). I know what happens. Believe me, I'd rather not. But I do.
(Steam Press, March 2012)
Gerry Paul, illustrated by Tom Armstrong
A great Antipodean story for 4-8 year-olds. It has fantastic, funny colour illustrations, a CD to play along with the story and a great message - with some creative thinking, you can trick the meanest creatures in the world!
(Publishers Distributors Ltd, March 2012)
Sally Sutton, illustrated by Brian Lovelock
Swing the ball. Swing the ball. Thump and smash and whack. Bring the top floors tumbling down. Bang! Clang! Crack! Load the trucks. Load the trucks. Lift and shift and heap. Drive away the piles of junk. Whump! Whop! Beep!
(Wheelers Books, March 2012)
