Waimārama Writers

Our Normal is a series of intimate and honest conversations with some of New Zealand’s most talented Paralympians. The athletes tell us about the books, food, music, people, places and taonga they love. They share the challenges they face living with disabilities, and the ways disabilities enrich their lives. And they talk about the assumptions and…

Stephen Crichton tells how a young Samoan from Australia became one of the stars of the NRL! Stephen Crichton is a Reading All Stars book. Reading All Stars books are written for people who need support with reading, whatever their age. The text is written in short bites, in simple language and with lots of…

Reading Warrior has a new sports-life biography to help celebrate Uike Kātoanga’i ‘o e Lea Faka-Tonga – Tongan Language Week. Kickin’ It: the Richie Mo’unga Story is the inspirational story of Richie’s journey to rugby stadiums around the world. But it’s more than a rugby story. It’s about the power of self-belief. The need to make sacrifices. The joy of seeing…

Have you heard of the Ice Bucket Challenge, the Level Up Challenge and the Kiki Challenge? Today I helped Kedgley Intermediate launch the Reading Chain Challenge. Children who sign up for it receive spot prizes along the way and special prizes when they’ve read 7 books. They’re also encouraged to tag 3 other people (family…

I’m working with children from Manurewa West School on a bilingual (Māori and English) book about Matariki. As part of the project we went out to Kurawaka Animation Studio in West Auckland and the children got to learn digital illustration skills from Stan, Dean, Wailer and Jayden. It’s an awesome program they’ve got going teaching…

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…