NZ Children's Book Week

We’re leading the first ever NZ Children's Book Week, working with other bookish groups, sponsors and friends on digital and in person events, and resources celebrating reading.

There are lots of ways to get involved no matter where you are in the country. Host your own event, join one of ours, spread the word, or use our online resources.

We encourage you to do something fun (whether low-fi or hard out) to celebrate and spread the word.

If you’re looking for a sign to go hard for reading, NZ Children's Book Week is it.

In person events

This page will continue to be updated as details are confirmed.

• Costume making workshop with Fifi Colston and Spotlight NZ: (Wednesday 8th August, Christchurch - SOLD OUT)
• Books on Board: a fun an interactive event taking place on the Wellington Kāpiti train line with live storytelling for pre-schoolers (Tuesday 18 August)
• Bookstore launch events: Saturday 15 of August, get in touch with your local bookstore to see what they have planned (locations varied)
• Books Alive: run by The New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, this is a large-scale, immersive event that brings hundreds of students in touch with award finalist authors and illustrators (Christchurch 13, 14 August; Wellington Weds 19 August, book here)
• The annual New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults: award ceremony run by the Book Awards Trust (19 August, more here)
• School Book Parade day: schools around the country are holding book parades today (Friday 21 August)
• A National Library of New Zealand children's reading panel chaired by Te Awhi Rito Kate De Goldi, with noted bookish experts in Wellington on Tuesday 18 August (more here)
• Dunedin Public Libraries Book Week panel event (details TBC)
• Treasury Tales at Tauranga City Libraries - the tīma here are running four events throughout the week, culminating in an event on Friday 21 August to celebrate the launch of Bookrapt's Treasury 
• Puke Ariki Writer in Residence Book Week events in New Plymouth - creative time with Steph Julien for some themed events (details)

Digital

• A national read along: let's all read together (details to come)
• Digital Writers in Schools sessions: happening in a computer near you (times and dates to come)
  
• Daily book recs: shared with us by publishers and school librarians
• Guest blogs: from authors, readers and miscellaneous bookish folk
• Author Sonya Wilson is running a writing competition: inviting young readers across Aotearoa to tell us a true story about a book that changed something in their life. Open to children 9-18, there are cash prizes up for grabs and winning stories will be published on The Sapling. (More here)

Have an idea for an event?

Get in touch with your local library and bookstore and ask how they're celebrating book week. If they have a really rad idea, we might be able to help them bring it to life.

If you have something planned already, get in touch with us for posters, resources or messaging to dress up your event.

Graphics, messaging and more

• Key message document - this covers what's what and who's who
• Social media assets - plus some more assets, message us if you need the pro files
  
• Let's yap about Book Week on social media - here are all our links
• Video coming soon

Here are the digital posters, which you can print at home or school and display. Alternatively, for that professional touch 🤌🤌 we have a limited number of professionally printed A2 and A3 size posters we can send out. 

Click the link below to let us know how many you would like, and your postal address.