David Hill
Puffin
Genre: Middle

A fast-paced, powerfully told novel for middle-grade readers about limb loss, resilience and becoming excited about the future again. What if you took a shortcut below some rocks and your entire life came sliding down?

High on the shingle slopes of Pangonui, 14-year-old Ben cuts below a pile of huge, half-buried boulders. All of a sudden there's a terrible sound, and a massive rock is tumbling towards him. In the painful weeks that follow a surgery to remove Ben's shattered lower leg, his mind returns to the mountain, his impatience, that split-second decision. Will anything ever be ‘normal’ again? One goal keeps him going: he will finish the climb he started.

Sacha Cotter and Josh Morgan
Ringakōreko translated by Kawata Teepa
Huia Publishers
Genre: Illustrated

The cow says ‘moo’ the chicken says ‘cluck’ and the pig says … ‘Dazzlehands!’ As hard as the farmer tries, pig won’t go ‘oink’. Instead, pig gets all the animals moving to: ‘Train hands, rain hands, fly-it-like-a-plane hands. Bursting with the razzle, gotta liberate these...DAZZLEHANDS!'

To participate in the Dazzlehands Live Read Along, sign up before August 12.

Rachael King
Allen & Unwin
Genre: YA

An atmospheric folk horror fantasy set in a world both terrifying and mysterious, from the award-winning author of The Grimmelings.

On the isolated island of Brack, the people live by an ancient bargain: every year, a sacrifice must be made to the Glimm, the creature that haunts the salt marshes. Eight years after the monster spared her, 16-year-old Lotta tends the Council's sacrificial horses and keeps her distance from the villagers who whisper about her fate. But something is stirring. The island is dying. It hums beneath her feet, and a song threads through her dreams. Is the Glimm calling Lotta back?

A chance encounter with Moss, a village outcast, will change both their lives, and the fate of the island, forever. To uncover Brack's deepest secrets, Lotta and Moss will need to trust each other and risk everything they hold dear. Because on Brack, monsters come in many forms.

Ned Barraud
Te Papa Press
Genre: Illustrated

This beautifully illustrated and handsomely packaged guide to the evolution, habitats and variety of the rākau (trees) and ngahere (forests) of Aotearoa for young readers is written and illustrated in award-winning Ned Barraud’s hallmark accessible, informative and captivating style.

Featuring gatefolds and framed throughout by core mātauranga Māori and the expertise of curators at Te Papa, New Zealand’s national museum, Rākau takes young readers from pre-history to the present day. It introduces key species and highlights the significance and use of different native trees and the impact of humans on their vitality.

Ideal for both the library and home, this engrossing book helps young readers discover what makes our rākau so special and worthy of our care.

Li Chen
Penguin NZ
Genre: graphic novel, junior

Your favourite kitten detective is back with a new mystery to solve . . . and treasure to find!

When Captain Scuttlebeard gives Beans a treasure map, Beans is determined to find the prize at the end. The clues take him all over Cat Town – to places he doesn’t expect! With Biscuits by his side, and with help from some other familiar faces, can Beans find the treasure . . . and get home in time to clean up his room?

Swapna Haddow
Scholastic
Genre: Graphic novel, junior

Zeb the zebra, Marg the penguin, and Barry the lemur continue to unlock new adventures with their unconventional superpowers. But when Barry comes across a cape that gives him the ability to fly, he gets a taste of being a true hero… and the price of it.

This is the third title in the hilarious bestselling series, ‘The Terrible Trio‘, written by Swapna Haddow and illustrated by Minky Stapleton.

Mat Tait
Allen & Unwin
This is the English and te reo Māori version
Genre: Illustrated

Kupe's voyage to Aotearoa!

Kupe found that a huge, fearsome wheke (octopus) was taking all the fish in the ocean and the people of Hawaiki had nothing to eat.

So Kupe chased that wheke across Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa (the Pacific Ocean).

Finally Hine-te-Aparangi, Kupe's wife, saw land and a long white cloud: Aotearoa!

Find out what happened when the wheke and Kupe had a massive battle . . .

Perfect for readers who love:
- Aotearoa's earliest stories
- pūrākau about our land
- exciting chase stories
- beautiful, bright illustrations

Jacinda Ardern
Penguin NZ
Genre: Children's & YA

When Jacinda Ardern became prime minister of New Zealand, she was one of the youngest people in the world leading a country. Many people thought she would never succeed — herself included. Wouldn’t her insecurity, overthinking, worrying, and tendency to empathise stop her from being able to achieve her goals?

As she soon learned, though, it was exactly those attributes — as well as kindness and wanting to listen to and serve others — that made her into the empathetic, adaptable, and effective leader that she was.

While sharing her own experiences and challenges as a young person, and then as prime minister, Jacinda Ardern encourages readers to realise that true strength, success, and power come from embracing ourselves just as we are — imposter syndrome and all.

Donovan Bixley
Puffin
Genre: Illustrated

Discover a fantabulous world where each creature plays its part in perfect harmony, with a honking of horns, a slither of scales and a bumbling buzz in the air.

A joy to read aloud, The Fantabulous Animal Orchestra starts off with a roar, but gets quieter and quieter as the animals leave. The orchestra reunites with a flourish, and the story finishes with a bursting, beautiful gatefold.

A celebration of biodiversity, this very special book's sumptuously detailed artwork is accompanied by melodious words. This is the wildly talented Donovan Bixley at his best.