It's the end of the world...

If you’re quick, there’s time to read these books about the End of the World / Armageddon / the Apocalypse (pick a name) before the Mayan Ap... Read more »

Recommendation: 'The Selection' by Kiera Cass

The Selection by Kiera Cass Welcome to Ilea, where the population knows its place and stays in its place. America Singer is a Five, one o... Read more »

Recommendation: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore The Short Film: by Moonbot Studios The App: by Moonbot Studios The Picture Book: Willia... Read more »

Recommendation: 'Pushing the limits' by Katie McGarry

Pushing the limits by Katie McGarry Echo is the popular girl who has fallen; she vanished at the end of her sophomore year and returned ... Read more »

Recommendation: 'Origin' by Jessica Khoury

Origin by Jessica Khoury Pia has been told she is perfect her whole life – she has heightened senses, her skin is impervious to cutti... Read more »

Recommendation: 'Decked with Holly' by Marni Bates

Decked with Holly by Marni Bates Christmas is coming! I like Christmas A LOT. I like the food, I like presents, I like Christmas carols, I... Read more »

Recommendation: 'Revived' by Cat Patrick

Revived by Cat Patrick Daisy is not your typical teenager – she is part of a secret drug trial for a drug called Revive, a drug that can ... Read more »

Recommendation: 'The Always War' by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The Always War  by Margaret Peterson Haddix For more than 70 years Tessa’s country has been at war. The whole society is geared to war ... Read more »

Recommendation: 'I Hunt Killers' by Barry Lyga

Jazz lives in a small town called Lobo’s Nod, a place famous for being home of Billy Dent, one of America’s worst ever serial killers – wh... Read more »

Movie Soundtracks are awesome and so is Birdy

I don’t watch a lot of movies, but one of the things I enjoy most about them is the music. A movie soundtrack can make or break a movie –... Read more »

Recommendation: 'Haunting Violet' by Alyxandra Harvey

Violet’s mother makes her living as a spiritualist – a fake medium who tricks high society Victorians into believing she has the ability ... Read more »

Recommendation: 'Company of Angels' by Lili Wilkinson

Company of angels by Lili Wilkinson. Gabriel is inspired by Stephan, a leader of a crusade made up of children, on their way to free t... Read more »

Flight of the Concords (and stuff like that)

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you should have seen/know about the cure kids Red Nose Day show for CureKids on TV3 last week. A h... Read more »

Recommendation: 'Dead Time' by Anne Cassidy

Dead time by Anne Cassidy Five years ago Rose’s world came crashing down around her, first of all when her mother went missing, and then ... Read more »

Recommendation: 'The girl of fire and thorns' by Rae Carson

The girl of fire and thorns by Rae Carson Each year YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) selects the top ten YA fiction books ... Read more »

Recommendation: 'Emerald' by Karen Wallace

Emerald by Karen Wallace Emerald and her brother have always had a distant relationship with their mother. Emerald is much closer to her ... Read more »

Recommendation: 'Dark inside' by Jeyn Roberts

Dark inside by Jeyn Roberts It's the end of the world (again). This time it's massive earthquakes happening all across the planet... Read more »

Recommendation: 'Trafficked' by Kim Purcell

Trafficked by Kim Purcell Since her parents died Hannah has lived with her grandmother, their life is not easy but at least they have eac... Read more »

Recommendation: 'A confusion of princes' by Garth Nix

Title: A confusion of princes Author: Garth Nix Publisher: Allen & Unwin Year: 2012 Khemri is an enhanced being – equipped wit... Read more »

Recommendation:' Wrapped' by Jennifer Bradbury

Title: Wrapped Author: Jennifer Bradbury Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers Year: 2011 Regency period romance with Egypti... Read more »

Farewell Margaret Mahy

I've spent the last few hours in a bit of daze, after hearing the news that New Zealand's - the world's! - beloved Margaret Ma... Read more »

Recommendation: 'The name of the star' by Maureen Johnson

The name of the star by Maureen Johnson Rory Deveaux, an entertaining teenager from a tiny town in New Orleans, moves with her family to ... Read more »

Retro read: 'Singer' by Jean Thesman

Singer by Jean Thesman Gwenore’s mother is a witch – the evil and powerful Rhiamon. Her whole life has been lived in fear of her mother’s... Read more »

Get en-FUSE-d!

There's just over a week to go before registrations open for Fuse - our teen programme. Are you en-fuse-d yet? We are! Follow the la... Read more »

Recommendation: 'Department 19' by Will Hill.

Department 19 by Will Hill Anyone who likes vampires will enjoy reading this one. The cover is deceiving and I found it an excellent read... Read more »

Warp your brain

Found on the interwebs... a physics professor getting up close & personal with time - warped... Personal fav? The balloon. What's yo... Read more »

Retro read: 'The tricksters' by Margaret Mahy

The tricksters by Margaret Mahy A retro-read, perfect for mid-year, dreaming of summer... Margaret Mahy has written many a fascinating r... Read more »

Book cover faux pas

Do you ever look at book covers and wonder: what were they thinking?! That so does not work! Maybe you've wondered about the clothing w... Read more »

Recommendation: 'Grave mercy. by Robin LaFevers

Grave mercy by Robin LaFevers Ismae is a daughter of Mortain, the god of death. Carrying his mark from birth, Ismae has had a hard life, ... Read more »

Recommendation: 'Mortal chaos' by Matt Dickinson

Mortal chaos by Matt Dickinson Each second of each person’s or thing’s life is separate and distinct from every other second. And yet how... Read more »

Recommendation: 'Daughter Of Xanadu' by Dori Jones Yang

Daughter Of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang Often it really is true that there is a book written about every subject.Cover of 'Daughter of ... Read more »

Recommendation: 'Every other day' by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Every other day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes Every other day Kali is human. And, on the other days, not so much. On those days, she’s resistan... Read more »

Recommendation: 'Being friends with boys' by Terra Elan McVoy

Being Friends with boys by Terra Elan Mcvoy I haven’t read an awesome teen book in ages (really only a couple of weeks, but it feels like... Read more »

Retro read: 'Stanley's aquarium' by Barry Faville

Stanley’s aquarium by Barry Faville This little-known New Zealand book is worth hunting down. Robbie takes on a weekend job mowing lawn... Read more »

Recommendation: 'Putting makeup on dead people' by Jen Violi

Putting makeup on dead people by Jen Violi Donna decides her career path – her life goal – at a classmate’s funeral: she wants to be a fu... Read more »

New, hot, and recommended for May 2012

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Wow – talk about wow. What can I say about this book that hasn’t already been said? Is it amazing? Sh... Read more »

Retro read: 'Briar Rose' by Jane Yolen

Briar Rose by Jane Yolen Regular readers of this blog probably won’t be surprised if I admit a taste for books based on fairy tales, an... Read more »

3 NZ Music Month reads

NZ Music Month is back! To celebrate, I attempted to find some great music-themed NZ teen fiction. Here are a few music-related reads with s... Read more »

Retro read: 'The blue sword' by Robin McKinley.

The blue sword by Robin McKinley I’ll be honest with you – I adore this book (and pretty much anything written by Robin McKinley - that i... Read more »

Recommendation: 'Cleopatra confesses' by Carolyn Meyer

Cleopatra confesses by Carolyn Meyer At the age of 10, Cleopatra knows she would make a good queen of Egypt – better than her vain and je... Read more »

Retro read: 'Winter of fire' by Sherryl Jordan

Winter of fire by Sherryl Jordan Elsha lives in our future, a world where the sky is dark and the cold is unforgiving. In her world ... Read more »

Recommendation: 'Warriors in the crossfire' by Nancy Bo Flood

Warriors in the crossfire by Nancy Bo Flood This short little novel 140-pages is set on the North Pacific island of Saipan during the clo... Read more »