Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers:

A treasure trove for any reader, Amber Cayley

Annual 3
Edited by Kate De Goldi and Susan Paris
2022
Annual Ink

 

 

 

 

From crosswords to comic strips Annual 3, edited by Susan Paris and Kate De Goldi, has it all. This is a playful and clever book full of fun for people of all ages. It tosses many different texts together in one place and is truly a treasure trove of amazing literature!

If you want to read a short story, Annual 3 has it, if you want to read a poem Annual 3 has it, if you want to learn how to be a better environmentalist or cook with kai you’ve gathered or how to knit your own brains or play a game based on a camp or colour in a kakapo in a kimono, guess what… Annual 3 has it!  Read more

March, 2023 Melissa Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers:

A fresh look at housing through poems, Ava Preece

More than a roof
Various authors
Edited by Adrienne Jansen
Landing Press
2021

 

 

 


March 10, 2023

More than a roof is a collaboration of experienced and fresh new poets, published by Landing Press and edited by Adrienne Jansen.

I think this is such a good book, full of powerful poetry and very talented poets. So many emotions are portrayed throughout More than a roof, creating a heartfelt atmosphere of understanding and gratefulness. It’s magical! 

Though I’m new to reading it, I love to write poetry, which is why I chose More than a roof. I love poetry, and I find it’s a way to express yourself in different, more abstract ways.  Read more

March, 2023 Melissa Review archive, Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers:

Human and supernatural worlds collide in gripping quest, Nell Mace-David

Falling into Rarohenga
Steph Matuku
Huia
Published 2021

 

 

 

 

It’s so familiar: that wailing cry of a karanga, the call that women do when they welcome you onto the marae… It feels like home.

But this isn’t home. I don’t know where this is.

Tui and Kae are twins, and they do not get along. Now, I know everyone thinks that twins should be best friends, but in Falling into Rarohenga by Steph Matuku, that’s just not how it is. It probably doesn’t help that they are polar opposites. Tui is a straight-A student, who would never dream of getting in trouble.  Read more

February, 2023 Melissa Review archive, Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers:

A diverse treasure trove of work, Thora Moffat

Out Here: An Anthology of Takatāpui and LGBTQIA+ writers from Aotearoa
Edited by Chris Tse and Emma Barnes
IBSN 978 1 86940 931 9
Auckland University Press 2021

 

 

 

 

Feb 13, 2023

Out Here: An Anthology of Takatāpui and LGBTQIA+ writers from Aotearoa is a beautiful book edited by Chris Tse and Emma Barnes. It’s filled with poems, short stories, and even comic strips by LGBTQIA+ authors, giving them the opportunity to share their work free from discrimination.

The pieces are written by a wide range of authors and in many different styles and genres, making them an interesting read for anyone.  Read more

February, 2023 Melissa Review archive, Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers:

An action-packed story with extras, Amelia Mackenzie

Flying Furballs: Take-Off!

Donovan Bixley
Upstart Press
2022

 

 

 

February 13, 2023

Flying Furballs: Take-Off! is an amazing action-packed comic filled with fun and creative characters that will make you laugh. It is a large format full-colour collection of stories and fun facts, filled with maps, character bios, code crackers, puzzles, how-tos on drawing Flying Furball characters and heaps of other fun activities and diagrams.

Take-Off! is a short but exciting story in which a great war is underway. Cats and dogs once lived together in peace. That was before a pack calling themselves DOGZ (Dog Obedience Governed Zone) took over the kingdoms of Central Europe.  Read more

February, 2023 Melissa Review archive, Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers:

An exciting war story, Charlie Kaval Wilding

Coast Watcher

David Hill

Penguin NZ

2021

 

 

 

31 January, 2023

In Coast Watcher by David Hill we learn about the adventures of Frank Benson, a 19-year-old New Zealand radio operator who joins the army. Set in 1943 during World War II, the Japanese had acquired territory in the Philippines, parts of New Guinea and parts of the Solomon Islands, as well as many other areas. As a result, the countries that were fighting against Japan such as New Zealand and Australia were setting up coast watchers on different islands in the Pacific like Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu, Norfolk Island and the Solomon Islands.  Read more

January, 2023 Melissa Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers:

The touching tale of a beloved storybook staple, Mackenzie Johnston

The Life and Art of Lynley Dodd

Finlay Macdonald
Penguin Books
2022

 

 

 

 

January 31, 2023

The Life and Art of Lynley Dodd by Finlay Macdonald is a story about retaining childhood magic and joy. The book tells the history of Hairy Maclary author Lynley Dodd, examining her past to discover exactly how she created the book series that has been read and remembered by everyone as a beloved childhood tale.

Macdonald describes exactly why the Hairy Maclary book series is so iconic. He states that Lynley Dodd is able to tap into what she loved about books as a child, what appealed to her, and showcases that in her writing.  Read more

January, 2023 Melissa Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers:

An inspiring and relevant story about inequality, Hannah Anderson

Winter Of Fire
Sherryl Jordan
Scholastic
1992, republished 2019

 

 

 

January 20, 2023

Born into a life of slavery. Chosen to be in a position no other Quelled has experienced. Faced with the choices of being a leader. Elsha fights for her people and their freedom.

­Winter of Fire is an incredible story written by Sherryl Jordan. It has many relatable moments while still being an excellent story to read and has a really strong message that is relevant to today’s society.

Elsha is one of the Quelled. She is a slave for the Chosen. She has been branded and sent to work in the mines, searching and digging for firestones, to keep everyone warm in their eternal winter.  Read more

January, 2023 Melissa Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers: ,

A meaningful and inspiring read, Iris Moffat

Kia Kaha: A Storybook of Māori Who Changed the World
Stacey Morrison and Jeremy Sherlock
Penguin
2021

 

 

 

January 16, 2023

Kia Kaha: A Storybook of Māori Who Changed the World, by Stacey Morrison and Jeremy Sherlock, is by far one of my favourite books.  

Each page tells a meaningful, true story about some carefully chosen Māori who stood up and cared about what was right. Along with each story, there is a beautiful illustration that shows the person’s personality. Most of these stories have been forgotten, deleted from our history.  Kia Kaha shows that standing up for what’s right may have consequences, such as losing your job, being arrested, or being forgotten.  Read more

January, 2023 Melissa Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers: , ,

A vividly portrayed classic, Ciara McLellan

The Changeover
Margaret Mahy
Hachette
First published 1984

 

 

 

 

December 20, 2022

Margaret Mahy’s The Changeover follows the journey of Laura Chant and her family. When her little brother Jacko gets stamped by the evil Carmody Braque and falls terribly ill, Laura must find her true magical potential to overcome and reverse this horrible incident.

Fourteen-year-old Laura Chant, who lives with her mum Kate and three-year-old brother Jacko in Gardendale, Christchurch, gets premonitions, and is what is known as a ‘sensitive.’ Laura’s had premonitions before, so when one morning before school, she gets another one, described by the author as ‘the vibration of a plucked string…’ and ‘that inexplicable tremble in her blood…’ she doesn’t pay too much attention, briefly mentioning it to her mother, who also brushes it aside.  Read more

January, 2023 Melissa Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers: , ,
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