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Notable New Zealand children's and young adults' books honoured by Storylines


The Storylines Children's Literature Trust is pleased to announce the 2012 Storylines Notable Books List for children's and young adult novels, picture books and non-fiction published in 2011.

The list was announced at the Storylines annual Margaret Mahy Day in Auckland on Saturday 31 March.

The Storylines Notable Book List was established in 2000 to reflect the wide-ranging achievements of New Zealand authors, illustrators and publishers.

This year over 160 books were considered as part of the judging process. Storylines does not accept nominations for these awards.

The list allows for the inclusion of anthologies and works by New Zealand writers and illustrators published internationally.

Selection is made by a panel of current children's literature professionals, including teachers, librarians, writers and artists. Several have served as judges for the New Zealand and LIANZA children's book awards.

The panel meets regularly throughout the year. Up to 10 books can be selected for each category.

For more information about the Storylines Notable Books List visit the Storylines website.

Storylines Notable Picture Books 2012

  • Nana's Colours by Pamela Allen (Penguin) 
  • Whetu: The Little Blue Duck by Jennifer Beck, illustrated by Renee Haggo (David Ling). 
  • Bruiser by Gavin Bishop (Random House) 
  • Out of Bed, Fred! by Lucy Davey, illustrated by Harriet Bailey (Scholastic) 
  • Phoebe and the Night Creatures by Wendy Hessell, illustrated by Donovan Bixley (Scholastic) 
  • Tom & the Dragon by Juliette MacIver, illustrated by Scott Tulloch (Scholastic) 
  • Hester & Lester by Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Harriet Bailey (Random House) 
  • Stomp! A Dinosaur Follow-the-Leader Story by Ruth Paul (Scholastic) 
  • Râhui by Chris Szekely, illustrated by Malcolm Ross (Huia) 
  • Lest We Forget by Feana Tu'akoi, illustrated by Elspeth Alix Batt (Scholastic) 
  • Storylines Notable Junior Fiction 2012
  • Super Finn by Leonie Agnew (Scholastic) 
  • Just Jack by Adele Broadbent (HarperCollins) 
  • The Travelling Restaurant by Barbara Else (Gecko Press) 
  • At the Lake by Jill Harris (HarperCollins) 
  • The Peco Incident by Des Hunt (HarperCollins) 
  • The Flytrap Snaps by Johanna Knox, illustrated by Sabrina Malcolm (Hinterlands) 
  • Nest of Lies by Heather McQuillan (Scholastic) 
  • The Loblolly Boy and the Sorcerer by James Norcliffe (Random House) 


Special Mentions:

  • Just One More: Stories by Joy Cowley, illustrated by Gavin Bishop (Gecko Press), although ineligible as much of the material has been published previously, however the Storylines Notable Books judging panel considers this collection worthy of highlighting. 
  • The Judging Panel would like to make special mention of the Nitty Gritty Series, published by Pearson Education, as a consistently good series for this age group.


Storylines Notable Young Adult Fiction 2012

  • Dirt Bomb by Fleur Beale (Random House) 
  • Yes by Deborah Burnside (HarperCollins) 
  • The Bridge by Jane Higgins (Text Publishing Company) 
  • Finder's Shore by Anna Mackenzie (Random House) 
  • Sacrifice by Joanna Orwin (HarperCollins) 
  • Shaolin Burning by Ant Sang (HarperCollins) 

Storylines Notable Non-fiction 2012

  • When Gulls Fly High by Peter Bland, illustrated by Joanna Bland (Penguin) 
  • Our Children Aotearoa: O Tatou Tamariki by Sue Copsey (Pearson Education) 
  • Nice Day for a War: Adventures of a Kiwi Soldier in World War I by Matt Elliott, illustrated by Chris Slane (HarperCollins) 
  • The Call of the Kokako by Maria Gill, illustrated by Heather Arnold (New Holland) 
  • New Zealand Hall of Fame: 50 Remarkable Kiwis by Maria Gill, illustrated by Bruce Potter (New Holland) 
  • Yates Young Gardener: Get Your Hands Dirty by Janice Marriott (HarperCollins) 
  • Digging Up the Past: Archaeology for the Young & Curious by David Veart (Auckland University Press) 
  • The Taniwha of Wellington Harbour by Moira Wairama, illustrated by Bruce Potter (Penguin) 
  • Party Food for Girls by Allesandra Zecchini & Arantxa Zecchini-Dowling, photographs by Shaun Cato-Symonds (New Holland) 
  • I Spy NZ Art: New Zealand Art from the Collection of Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki (Auckland Art Gallery)