The Dream Factory by Steph Matuku, illustrated by Zak Ātea (published by Huia) The Dream factory stood at the end of town. In the evenings, when the sun sank behind the hills and the townspeople were in bed, the dream machine switched on. Lights flashed. Cogs turned. Belts whirred. Screens beeped. And the nearby townfolk were gifted with wonderful dreams. They dreamt of riding unicorns, and swimming with mermaids and other wonderful dreams. It made the townsfolk creative, happy, and made their dreams come true. But one day a freak accident stops the dream factory from working. The townspeople ..read more

Xandar and the Pen by David Lawrence, illustrations by Cherie Dignam  (EK Books) Xandar draws in response to the world. Funny sketches are his specialty, so when classmate Timmy is picked on by the school bullies – the Clagg brothers – he draws a sketch of Timmy as a superhero reducing the brothers to ‘toast’ in a fight. The sketch cheers Timmy up, but is the gateway to trouble for Xandar after it falls into the Clagg brothers’ hands. They want revenge and set out to get it. So begins the fast-paced adventure of Xandar and the Pen. It is while Xandar is being pursued by the Clagg brother ..read more

Butterfly Girl by Ashling Kwok and Arielle Li (EK Books) Two Rabbits by Larissa Ferenchuk and Prue Pittock (EK Books) My Heart by Katrina McKelvey and Deb Hudson (EK Books) Nova’s Missing Masterpiece by Brooke Graham and Robin Tatlow-Lord  (EK Books) A quartet of new picture books by EK Books (an imprint of New Zealand publisher Exisle Publishing) share several things in common. EK Book’s mission is to publish “Books with Heart on Issues that Matter”. Its books unpack “complex issues, making them engaging and memorable for even the youngest readers”; books that “other publishers fear to t ..read more

The Antipodean Express: A journey by train from NZ to Spain by Gregory Hill (Exisle Publishing) I inquired about traveling on the Trans Siberian railway many years ago. I can't remember the reason why I didn't use it to travel to China (just after it opened up to foreigners in the early 1980s). The price wouldn't have been the problem because it was very cheap back then. Instead I flew into China from London and I've always regretted not doing the Trans Siberian rail trip.  The author of 'The Antipodean Express' opens with how he had always wanted to do that trip after hearing about it w ..read more

Creative Writer's Sourcebook by John Gillard (Exisle Publishing) What a treasure this is! It includes 50 world-famous authors and 175 writing exercises. It's the perfect book for people wanting to develop their own creative writing skills whether you're a children's author, social commentary writer, magical realism writer, fantasy/sci fi/horror writer, southern gothic, modern/beat writer, experimental/existential writer, postmodern writer, or a postcolonial writer. That's quite a wide coverage of writing styles and authors. Usually children's/YA writers are left out of these type of books but ..read more

The Resilience Toolkit: A proven four-step process to unlock your true potential by Dr Alia Bojilova (Harper Collins) After our numerous disasters over the last couple of years, the word 'resilience' has become better known. We now know that it is a skill we can develop to help us overcome problematic and stressful times. Dr Alia Bojilova, a peak-performance psychologist has drawn on her work with the SAS, Olympic athletes, modern leaders and successful entrepreneurs to write this practical handbook. It will help you build and sustain resilience, get beyond basic recovery following a setback ..read more

Maddison McQueen and the Cupcake Mystery by Kate Gordon-Smith (Relish Books) 2024 This the first book in the Red Collie Mysteries. Ten-year-old Maddie loves baking cupcakes, spending time with her group of friends – and best of all, she loves dogs. She owns a red-and-white Border Collie called Ruby. All her friends have dogs, including Josh who owns a Chocolate Labrador called Bear. Life is pretty good until Maddie’s grandmother discovers someone has stolen a tray of cupcakes put aside as an entry for the local A & P Show. Maddie and her friends (with the exception of Izzie, who has been ..read more

Play Wild: Nature Craft Projects for Tamariki by Rachel Clare (Bateman Books) There's a fabulous introduction to this book: 'Come Outside! There are flowers to pick, leaves to gather,  seeds to collect, moss to pat, rain to smell, and earth to dig. Love Nature! It invites the reader in and encourages excitement for outdoor adventures. And there's lots of wonderful things to do in this book. For example: wild art projects like petal pictures, miniature gardens, pressed flower lanterns, etc. water play such as bubble wands, floral perfumes, ice flower kitchens grow wild such as egg hands ..read more

Hatch & Match by Ruth Paul (Walker Books) I remember when we first got chickens for our lifestyle property. There were all such characters and I could watch them for ages. They loved to fluff up their feathers then settle into the dirt to give themselves a dirt bath. When they laid an egg they had to tell everyone about it. And the little devils were always hiding their nest of eggs. They were fascinating and the kids loved them. So, I can understand Ruth - who also lives on a lifestyle property - writing and illustrating a book with chickens centre stage. She starts: Chickens roosting in ..read more

Ruby Loud Mouse and the Ruru by Alice Pearce, illustrated by Dïne the Fox (Bateman Books) I think Alice Pearce ruminated on the saying 'as quiet as a mouse' and thought of a creature that was the opposite. It must have given her the idea for Ruby Loud Mouse. Perhaps in response to being called a loud girl and now woman herself. In Alice's dedication she acknowledges the 'lovely loud women who raised me and my lovely loud friends who sing alongside me.' People who are themselves and laugh joyously and speak their mind. Not afraid to speak up. Hurrah, we haven't had a story celebrating this typ ..read more