The 2020 Storylines Notable Books List, for the highest quality books in five genres published during 2019, is compiled from more than 110 entries from publishers by expert panels of authors, teachers, librarians, academics and parents.
The annual list was begun by Storylines in 1999 and selection is eagerly sought by authors, illustrators and publishers. It provides a useful reading and purchasing guide to families, schools and libraries, and to young readers, with the books in each genre listed in ascending order of age range suitability within each genre.
The 2020 Storylines Notable Books list (with books listed as recommended from youngest to oldest readers in each category) is:
Storylines Notable Picture Books (age range from birth to 18 years)
I Had a Brother
(One Tree House)
by Diana Menefy, illustrated by Malena Laugesen
Song of the River
(Gecko Press)
by Joy Cowley, illustrated by Kimberly Andrews
Granny McFlitter A Country Yarn
(Penguin Random House)
by Heather Haylock, illustrated by Lael Chisholm
The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo!
(Scholastic NZ)
by Elaine Bickell, illustrated by Raymond McGrath
Things in the Sea are Touching Me!
(Scholastic NZ)
by Linda Jane Keegan, illustrated by Minky Stapleton
The Gobbledegook Book
(Gecko Press)
by Joy Cowley, illustrated by Giselle Clarkson
Mr Kiwi Has an Important Job
(Potton & Burton)
by Heather Hunt
Bess the Brave War Horse
(Scholastic NZ)
by Susan Brocker, illustrated by Raymond McGrath
Storylines Notable Junior Fiction (age range from 7 years to 13 years)
Prince of Ponies
(HarperCollins)
by Stacy Gregg
Avis and the Promise of Dragons
(The Cuba Press)
by Heather McQuillan
Tūi Street Heroes
(Wildling Books)
by Anne Kayes
#Tumeke!
(Massey University Press/Annual Ink)
by Michael Petherick
Hazel and the Snails
(Massey University Press/Annual Ink)
by Nan Blanchard, illustrated by Giselle Clarkson
The Telegram
(Pipi Press)
by Philippa Werry
Bullseye Bella
(Scholastic NZ)
by James T Guthrie
Lizard’s Tale
(Text Publishing)
by Weng Wai Chan
To Trap a Thief
(Scholastic NZ)
by Des Hunt
Storylines Notable Young Adult Fiction (age range from 13 years to 18 years)
A Place of Stone and Darkness
(Penguin Random House)
by Chris Mousdale
White Lies, Maori Legends and Fairytales
written and published by Falstaff Dowling-Mitchell
Invisibly Breathing
(Penguin Random House)
by Eileen Merriman
Ursa
(Walker Books Australia)
by Tina Shaw
Wynter’s Thief
(One Tree House)
by Sherryl Jordan
Afakasi Woman
(One Tree House)
by Lani Wendt Young
Storylines Notable Non-fiction (age range from 3 years to 18 years)
Dinosaur Hunter: Joan Wiffen’s Awesome Fossil Discoveries
(Penguin Random House)
by David Hill, illustrated by Phoebe Morris
Tohorā: The Southern Right Whale
(Potton & Burton)
by Ned Barraud
Wildlife of Aotearoa
(Penguin Random House)
by Gavin Bishop
Mophead: How your Difference Makes a Difference
(Auckland University Press)
by Selina Tusitala Marsh
Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi
(Lift Education)
by Ross Calman and Mark Derby, illustrated by Toby Morris, te reo Māori text by Piripi Walker
Māui’s Taonga Tales: A Treasury of Tales from the South Pacific
(Te Papa Press)
edited by David Brechin-Smith and Ranea Aparehama, illustrated by Rewiti Arapere, Arika Brightwell, Te Hana Goodyear, Miriama Grace-Smith, Isobel Joy Te Aho-White, Huriana Kopeke-Te Aho, Josh Morgan, Munro Te Whata
The Adventures of Tupaia
(Allen & Unwin)
by Courtney Sina Meredith, illustrated by Mat Tait
Three Kiwi Tales: More Fabulous Fix-it Stories from Wildbase Hospital
(Massey University Press)
by Janet Hunt
New Zealand Nature Heroes
(Potton & Burton)
by Gillian Candler
First Map: How James Cook Charted Aotearoa New Zealand
(HarperCollins)
by Tessa Duder, illustrated by David Elliot
Storylines Notable Te Reo Māori (original texts or translations into Te Reo Māori, any genre)
Te Kī Taurangi a Puanga: He pūrākau Matariki
(Scholastic NZ)
by Kirsty Wadsworth, illustrated by Munro Te Whata i.
He Paki Taonga i a Māui: He putunga kōreo mai i Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa
(Te Papa Press)
edited by David Brechin-Smith and Ranea Aparehama, illustrated by Rewiti Arapere, Arika Brightwell, Te Hana Goodyear, Miriama Grace-Smith, Isobel Joy Te Aho-White, Huriana Kopeke-Te Aho, Josh Morgan, Munro Te Whata