The latest NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults has announced a shortlist of 28 finalists from an impressive 175 submissions.
There were two panels of judges - a bilingual English and Māori panel and Te Kura Pounamu, which takes care of the reo Māori entries.
The bilingual panel includes two fluent reo Māori speakers Kitty Brown (Kāi Tahu, Waitaha, Kāti Mamoe, Ngāti Kahungunu and Mat Tait (Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, Rangitāne o Wairau, Ngāti Kuia).
The judging panels were sent books in batches over the summer to be read from last December to March this year.
Tamariki and rangatahi were also involved in the judging process. Some 75 schools including kura kaupapa Māori, kura Māori and primary and intermediates were invited to review books - and judges received over 500 reviews from tamariki across the motu.
Quintin Te Maari (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa and Tūhoe) a judge in Te Kura Pounamu panel, said this was important because the books were made for them.
Te Maari joined Te Kura Pounamu panel this year. He said he had been a bookish kid, spending his holidays and weekends in the library. It was especially important to him to be part of the kaupapa Māori section and he said it was his way of giving back to a community that had given him so much.
He said he had a deep passion for storytelling and connecting back to tūpuna and a Māori world view.
The top five finalists for Te Kura Pounamu were both relatable and inspirational for the next generation, he said.
I believe that they’re perfect bridge between te ao Māori and te reo Matatini and it’s just the great bridge that’s been built for our kids to cross. And that all of them have related back to us as te iwi Māori, us and our own pūrākau.
— Quentin Te Maari
The convenor of judges, Maia Bennet (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Tūwharetoa), was impressed by the submissions.
She said there was a lot of humour and joyful titles but pointed to a big theme in this year’s submissions.
“There were a lot reflecting on our country’s history and we think that has to do with the Aotearoa New Zealand histories curriculum coming into play. There were a lot of books that touched on that and again big topics about identity and climate change, grief and mental health, lots of really big meaty topics. So they kind of wrapped up in a way that kids can understand,” she said.
Bennett said she was really pleased to see themes of te ao Māori woven through the submissions and the effortless use of te reo.
Te Maari and Bennett said they had seen the bolstering of Māori publishing in their lifetimes and it was great that tamariki had so many options, so it was really important they selected books that kids would like to read.
“The figures are all saying that [kids] aren’t reading as much as they used to. And you know the government was just talking about the literacy figures and how it has to focus on a new reading programme to get children’s literacy up. But, alongside that, it’s really important that children have really good choices of things that they want to read.”
It’s really important that children have really good choices of things they want to read and that they see themselves represented and other people represented because everyone deserves to have their stories told.
— Maia Bennett
The winners of each of the six main categories will receive $8500 and are in the running to be named the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year, with a further $8500 prize money. On top of that, the judges will award a best first book prize of $2500 to a previously unpublished author or illustrator.
The winners of the awards will be announced in a ceremony at Pipitea Marae in Wellington on Wednesday, August 14.
Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award finalists:
- He Tārū Kahika, Melinda Szymanik, illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tahu), translated by Pānia Papa (Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, Ngāti Mahuta) (Scholastic New Zealand)
- Nani Jo me ngā Mokopuna Porohianga, Moira Wairama, illustrated by Margaret Tolland (Baggage Books)
- Te Pīkari Pipi, Angie Belcher, illustrated by Lily Uivel, translated by Pānia Papa (Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, Ngāti Mahuta) (Scholastic New Zealand)
- Te Pukapuka ka kore e Pānuihia, Tim Tipene (Ngāti Kurī, Te Uri-o-Hau, Ngāti Whātua), illustrated by Nicoletta Benella, translated by Kanapu Rangitauira (Te Arawa, Ngati Porou, Te Whakatohea) (Oratia Books)
- Te Rā Kura Ki Aotearoa, Donovan Bixley, translated by Darryn Joseph (Ngāti Maniapoto, Rereahu) (Upstart Press)
Picture Book Award finalists:
- At the Bach, Joy Cowley, illustrated by Hilary Jean Tapper (Gecko Press)
- Dazzlehands, Sacha Cotter, illustrated by Josh Morgan (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Rongowhakaata, Te Whānau-a-Kai) (Huia Publishers)
- Hatch and Match, Ruth Paul (Walker Books Australia)
- Lucy and the Dark, Melinda Szymanik, illustrated by Vasanti Unka (Penguin Random House NZ)
- Paku Manu Ariki Whakatakapōkai, Michaela Keeble, illustrated by Tokerau Brown (Gecko Press)
Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Junior Fiction Award finalists:
- DoubleDippers!, Raymond McGrath (Scholastic New Zealand)
- Lopini the Legend, Feana Tu’akoi (Scholastic New Zealand)
- Nine Girls, Stacy Gregg (Ngāti Mahuta, Ngāti Pūkeko, Ngāti Maru Hauraki) (Penguin Random House NZ)
- Take Me to Your Leader, Leonie Agnew (Penguin Random House NZ)
- The Grimmelings, Rachael King (Allen & Unwin)
Young Adult Fiction Award finalists:
- Catch a Falling Star, Eileen Merriman (Penguin Random House NZ)
- New Dawning, A M Dixon (One Tree House)
- The Sparrow, Tessa Duder (Penguin Random House NZ)
- Tonight, I Burn, Katharine J Adams (Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand)
- Tsunami, Ned Wenlock (Earth’s End Publishing)
Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction finalists:
- Patu: The New Zealand Wars, Gavin Bishop (Tainui, Ngāti Awa) (Penguin Random House NZ)
- The Observologist: A Handbook for Mounting Very Small Scientific Expeditions, Giselle Clarkson (Gecko Press)
- Tuatara: A Living Treasure, Katie Furze, illustrated by Ned Barraud (Scholastic New Zealand)
- Ultrawild: An Audacious Plan to Rewild Every City on Earth, Steve Mushin (Allen & Unwin)
- Wot Knot You Got? Mophead’s Guide to Life, Selina Tusitala Marsh (Auckland University Press)
Russell Clark Award for Illustration finalists:
- Dazzlehands, illustrated by Josh Morgan (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Rongowhakaata, Te Whānau-a-Kai) (Huia Publishers)
- Paku Manu Ariki Whakatakapōkai, illustrated by Tokerau Brown (Gecko Press)
- Patu: The New Zealand Wars, illustrated by Gavin Bishop (Tainui, Ngāti Awa) (Penguin Random House NZ)
- Samples from the Lab, illustrated by Rob Foote (Creativity Unleashed)
- The Dream Factory, illustrated by Zak Ātea (Te Āti Awa Taranaki) (Huia Publishers)
NZSA Best First Book Award finalists:
- A M Dixon, New Dawning (One Tree House)
- Tokerau Brown (illustrator), Paku Manu Ariki Whakatakapōkai (Gecko Press)
- Tangaroa Paul (Muriwhenua) (author), Rere Atu Taku Poi! Let My Poi Fly! (Oratia Books)
- Ned Wenlock, Tsunami (Earth’s End Publishing)
- Steve Mushin, Ultrawild: An Audacious Plan to Rewild Every City on Earth (Allen & Unwin)