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Welcome to the Stay Home Book Club

08 April 2020

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The Stay Home Book Club is a new online reading challenge from Read NZ Te Pou Muramura. We want to help Kiwi kids explore new and familiar stories during this stay-home time. Children aged 5-14 are invited to register for free and choose their team to play for. Each team is named after a native bird. Spot prizes of Booksellers Tokens are up for grabs, and a special book prize for the top player of each team will also be awarded.

In recognition of the fact that it’s more difficult to buy or borrow new books during the Level 4 lockdown, there are various ways that children can log an entry.

They can choose from these options:

  • Read a book they have already read
  • Read a new book
  • Listen to an audio or video story (see links below for some ideas)
  • Take part in an online Writer in Schools session, library storytime, author activity (see links below) or similar

Upon logging an entry, players will be given a drop-down list of options to choose from. They will also need to tell us what they read or listened to.

Sign up for the Stay Home Book Club by registering at reading-challenge.org.nz

For reading tips and other information, click here.

We hope your child enjoys being part of the Stay Home Book Club. Please email us if you have any questions or concerns: accounts@read-nz.org

Free stories to read or listen to, from New Zealand authors and artists

For more ideas about e-resources including library information, click here.


For young children

Best of RNZ Storytime – a selection of audio stories for young listeners

Goodnight Kiwi clips – NZ children’s books read by well-known Kiwis

Paraweta (Poo Bum), by Stephanie Blake, read by Karena Kelly

Deano Yipadee live shows each day on Facebook

Swapna Haddow reads Little Rabbit’s Big Surprise

Ruth Paul reading some of her books on YouTube

Paula Green reads Aunt Concertina and her Niece Evalina

Storytime with Kyle Mewburn

Little Rabbit and the Sea, by Gavin Bishop, read by Ruth Paul

Snake and Lizard, by Joy Cowley and Gavin Bishop

The Longest Breakfast, by Jenny Bornholdt and Sarah Wilkins, read by Baz MacDonald

Grandad and the Three Greedy Goats by Clayson and Mike Howell

The Three Greedy Pigs and the Big Friendly Pig Dog by Clayson & Mike Howell

Moth by Holly Dunn

The Fire Fox by Mike Gwyther and Nester

What Are You Supposed To Be? by Paul Beavis

Mrs Mo’s Monster by Paul Beavis: the book and resources and Paul reading it

The Marae Visit by Rebecca Beyer and Linley Wellington, illustrated by Nikki Slade Robinson, read by Rebecca Beyer

Te Reo Singalong Books author, Sharon Holt, has created a site for children and teachers to use for free during the 4 weeks of lockdown.

My New Red Car by David Minty

Sarah Johnson reads her book The Spaghetti Giraffe (one chapter a day)

Down the Back of the Chair, written and read by Margaret Mahy

Three stories by Joy Cowley

My Sloppy Tiger by Joy Cowley, illustrated by Peter Stevenson

Waiting for Goliath, by Antje Damm, read by Baz MacDonald

Tui Allen reads Captain Clancy the Flying Clothesline

Helen Fletcher and The Children’s Bookshop bring you a morning storytime

Alexandra Tylee reads If I was a Banana

Moa's Ark by Peter Millett, read by Lucy Hiku

Chris Lam Sam reads his book Inspector Brunswick - Case of the Missing Eyebrow

Storytime with the Walker Bear (a selection of stories by Walker Books Publishing)

University Book Shop Otago daily storytime sessions

Abigail and the Birth of the Sun- read along video

Rumpus at the Vet- read along video

Puffin Books Storytime – Charlie Changes into a Chicken, read aloud

Duffy Books Role Model Reading Corner - Tim Tipene and Jackie Clarke

Fairy Helen (Vivienne Fletcher) reads Bella's Fringe by Marie Munro

Fairy Helen (Vivienne Fletcher) reads Nana's Shed by Marie Munro

Christchurch City Libraries Wā Kōrero: Storytimes (lots of different stories being read here)

Sam Neill reads Slinky Malinkey by Lynley Dodd

Storytime with Baz at Vic Books (reading a selection of Gecko Press picture books)

Seeking an Aurora by Elizabeth Pulford: a video reading

Waimakariri Library's online storytime sessions for young children

Fifty-five Feathers by Ben Brown and Helen Taylor, read by Ben Brown

Wellington City Libraries bedtime story series (on Facebook)

For older children

The Taniwha of Wellington Harbour by Moira Wairama – audio story in te reo Māori or English

Poetry Box bubble time: Barbara Else reads from Go Girl

Paula Green reads her poem Anifables

Paula Green reads her poem Lick Lick Riff

He Paki Taonga i a Māui (Māui’s Taonga Tales): Whakapiri mai ki a Māui me āna paki taonga mā ngā tamariki mai i ngā kohinga taonga a Te Papa. (Join Māui as he shares stories for tamariki based on taonga from the Te Papa collection.)

Tūi Street Tales (select ‘read aloud’ in menu)

Kyle Mewburn’s Zombie Ponies of Fairweather Farm (free e-book download)

Free spooky ebooks by Sue Copsey (8-13 year olds)

Uncle Duncan’s Lockdown Storytime by Duncan Eddy

Peter Millett reads his book The Anzac Puppy

Funny stories by Raymond Huber

Cautionary Rhymes by Raymond Huber

Dave Armstrong reads Soldiers from The Curioseum

Weirdo – free ebook by young author Ben Spies

Suzy Cato reads Johnny Danger by Peter Millett. Listen to the first chapter here

Aroha’s Way by Craig Phillips

Free ebooks for junior readers (age 7 +) by Tom Bradley

Chapter-by-chapter video reading of Tessa Duder's Alex

Taika Waititi and friends read Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach


Other useful and fun resources

RNZ Storytime audio story selection

Ministry of Education's Wellbeing at Home resources

Greedy Cat shakes those lockdown blues (short video clip from Robyn Belton)

Playwright Holly Gooch’s creativity activities

Any Questions – a homework help website where students can chat with a real-life librarian

Creative resources from author and artist Fifi Colston

Swapna Haddow activities page

Clips for the Elastic Island book series by Karen McMillan

National Library of New Zealand teaching and learning resources

Craft activities from author and illustrator Vasanti Unka

Writing exercises by Anne Ingram

Selection of fun activities from Hachette Publishers

Discover Nature: activities and resources for children by author Gillian Candler

Selection of fun activities from Penguin Books

Duffy Books in Homes resource and activities page

Shorts in Schools Kit– a collection of NZ short films (aged 8-12)

Writing tips from author Ella West

Full performance of Donovan Bixley’s 2019 concert with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. A fun and enlightening concert, based on his illustrated biography Mozart The Man Behind The Music.

Activities and free downloads from Donovan Bixley

A special creative writing classroom for teens, hosted by Wellington City Libraries (but open to teens anywhere in NZ)

NZ Writers Read: NZ Society of Authors YouTube channel where authors read their work

Karen McMillan's Elastic Island competition to have a character named after you in the next book!

Puffin Activity Packs for a variety of ages

Puffin the Architect colour and build Moose’s treehouse

Little Hector Activity pack

Rufus and the Rain (book trailer by author Mark Laurent) and a song to match: All I Do

I Love Bugs printable search sheet (from OneTree House publishers)

Read First Chapters of some new NZ books


International ebooks and audio stories

International Children’s Digital Library

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Goodnight with Dolly storytime series

Harry Potter at Home

Cressida Cowell reads her book How to Train your Dragon on YouTube

American actors read children's books (Jennifer Garner's collection of more than 150 story videos)

StoryNory- audio story library for children

Littlest Listeners – free audiobooks from Audible

Free audio stories from author David Walliams

Elementary, Tween and Teen – free audiobooks from Audible

Oliver Jeffers’ Stay at Home Storytime readings on Facebook

Mac Barnett’s Book Club daily storytime on Instagram

Eddie Redmayne reads Zog by Julia Donaldson

Free ebook explaining the coronavirus to children, illustrated by Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler

Princess Eugenie reads Guess How Much I Love You

Sarah Ferguson's YouTube channel (with lots of story videos)

The Book of Hopes, edited by Katherine Rundell - free ebook with new children's stories and illustration by top authors

UK Book Trust - HomeTime activities

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