Reading Warrior

Today ‘Alisi Tatafu and I launched our children’s book Rise of the To’a (the MMT story) online in Tonga. We would have been there if it wasn’t for COVID but there’s still so much to be thankful for, especially learning how beautiful Tongan culture is through this whole process.

I’m really proud of this book because it celebrates some of the greatest athletes from the islands of Oceania! You’ll be inspired by Valerie Adams, the unstoppable Tongan-Kiwi shot putter. You’ll cheer for Jerry Tuwai, the two-time Olympic gold medallist from Fiji. You’ll be amazed by Lisa Carrington, the first Māori woman to win an…

Today I was blessed to be invited to St Mary MacKillop School in Mangere as their “Author of the Month.” The student librarians wrote to me asking if I could visit because they want their friends and peers to do more reading. I think it’s so awesome that these young people have so much love…

Amazing day celebrating Solomon Islands culture and stories with the launch of 5 bilingual children’s books by Mary Polosovai illustrated by Chad Robertson. I met Irene Tufuga, Pasifika Librarian, who said it breaks her heart when children of minority groups come to the library asking for books about their own cultures and she has to…

When positive role models inspire (breathe life into) the next generation it’s always powerful. Janine Williams and her husband Charles are amazing – you can see their murals and sculpture all over NZ and in NY, France, China and the Pacific too. Janine is Ōtara-raised and shared wisdom with young writers at her old school,…

Today I got to visit students in the middle school at Sir Edmund Hilary Collegiate in Ōtara. I find these young people really inspiring because they have big dreams and they’re in the perfect place to build on the things their families have already been instilling in them. Our country has an amazing future because…