Kickin’ It: the Richie Mo’unga Story

Thank you to staff, students and families of Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu students for a cool time with you doing writing workshops in Kirikiriroa Hamilton and Tauranga Moana.

It’s Niue’s 50th this week. What do you do if you can’t find a children’s book about Niue history and culture? Mele Nemaia, Carolyn Lagahetau and I found Niue children around the world and got them to write it! Today we launched the book Oceania Heritage: Niue at Niue Primary School with the writers and…

I’m so happy this book has been shortlisted in the NZ Children’s Book Awards. It means more children will read Alistair Te Ariki Campbell’s awesome poem and get to know his work. Sarah’s illustrations are so beautiful! Yu can purchase a copy here: https://readingwarrior.com/product/poem-for-ataahua/

I’ve spent the last two days in Napier and Hastings encouraging young people to believe in themselves and find out who they are  through reading. Finished at Hastings Boys’ High School whose motto is Ākina. This motto was given to them by local iwi and is a call to paddlers who may be losing energy…

I’ve been working with children from the Hindi College in West Auckland. We’re making a book that teaches children what to do in a flood. It’s been awesome learning Indian culture from these children and teachers and finding fun ways to incorporate their culture into the story. The project is one of four I’m doing…

(Ode To An(often dis)Regarded Audience) Earlier this year I started a writers club at Tupu Youth Library in Ōtara. It’s a place young people can come and just write without worrying that their writing will be judged or “marked”. This evening we launched a book of some of the writing – a collection by ten…