The 2022 Storylines Notable Books List, for the highest quality books in five genres published between August 2021 and November 2022, is compiled from more than 160 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 valuable 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 2022 Storylines Notable Book Award winners
Storylines Notable Picture Books (age range from birth to 18 years)
Goose the Artist
written and illustrated by Kimberley Andrews
(Penguin Random House NZ 2022)
The Lighthouse Princess
text by Susan Wardell, illustrated by Rose Northey
(Penguin Random House 2022)
Granny McFlitter: The Knit Before Christmas,
by Heather Haylock, illustrations by Lael Chisholm
(Penguin Random House NZ 2022)
The Grandmothers of Pikitea Street
text by Renisa Viraj Maki, illustrated by Nikki Slade Robinson, translated by Kanapu Rangitauira
(Oratia Media 2022)
The Eight Gifts of Te Wheke
text by Steph Matuku, illustrations by Laya Mutton-Rogers
(Huia Publishers 2021)
The Greatest Haka Festival on Earth
text by Pania Tahau-Hodges, illustrations by Story Hemi-Morehouse
(Huia Publishers 2021)
My Mum is Queen of the Road
text by Jennifer Beck, illustrations by Lisa Allen
(Huia Publishers, 2022)
How My Koro Became a Star
text by Brianne Te Paa, illustrated by Story Hemi-Morehouse
(Huia Publishers 2022)
Roo and Vladimir
written and illustrated by Minky Stapleton
(Scholastic New Zealand 2022)
Pelorus Jack the Dolphin Guide
text by Susan Brocker, illustrated by Raymond McGrath
(Scholastic New Zealand 2022)
There Are No Moa, E Hoa
text by Melinda Szymanik, illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White
(Scholastic New Zealand 2022)
Storylines Notable Junior Fiction (age range from 7 years to 13 years)
Kākāpō Keeper
Gay Buckingham
(OneTree House 2021)
Masher
Fifi Colston
(Penguin Random House 2022)
Spark Hunter
Sonya Wilson
(The Cuba Press 2022)
Little Tales of Hedgehog and Goat
text by Paula Green, illustrated by Kimberly Andrews
(Penguin Random House 2022)
The Ghost House
text by Bill Nagelkerke, illustrated by Theo Macdonald
(The Cuba Press 2022)
Holding The Horse
J L (Janine) Williams
(Ocean Echo Books 2022)
ECHO
Arlo Kelly
(Sparrow Press 2022)
Kidnap at Mystery Island
Carol Garden
(Scholastic New Zealand 2022)
The Crate: A Ghost Story
James Norcliffe
(Quentin Wilson Publishing 2022)
Children of the Rush
James Russell
(Dragon Brothers Books 2022)
Highly commended
- The Astromancer: The Rising of Matariki, by Witi Ihimaera, illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (Penguin Random House 2022)
- Clash of the Cousins, by Louise Shaw (Louise Shaw 2021)
- The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim (Hachette New Zealand 2021)
- Torn Apart: The Partition of India, 1947 by Swapna Haddow (Scholastic New Zealand 2021)
- Jillion 2 edited by Charlotte Gibbs (Toitoi Media 2022)
Storylines Notable Young Adult Fiction (age range from 13 years to 18 years)
The Tomo
by Mary-Anne Scott
(OneTree House 2021)
Black Spiral
Eileen Merriman
(Penguin Random House NZ 2022)
Coastwatcher
David Hill
(Penguin Random House 2021)
Black Wolf
Eileen Merriman
(Penguin Random House 2022)
Tama Sāmoa
Dahlia and Mani Malaeulu
(Mila’s Books 2021)
Indigo Moon
Eileen Merriman
(Penguin Random House NZ 2022)
Highly commended
The Other Sister, Philippa Werry (Pipi Press 2021)
Storylines Notable Non-fiction (age range from 3 years to 18 years)
Atua: Māori Gods and Heroes
Gavin Bishop
(Penguin Random House 2021)
Kia Kaha: A Storybook of Māori Who Changed the World
Stacey Morrison and Jeremy Sherlock
(Penguin Random House 2021)
Why is That Spider Dancing? The Amazing Arachnids of Aotearoa
text by Simon Pollard, illustrated by Phil Sirvid
(Te Papa Press 2021)
Get Outdoors: Brilliant Boredom Busters for Kiwi Kids
Paul Adamson
(Penguin Random House 2022)
Roar Squeak Purr: A New Zealand Treasury of Animal Poems
edited by Paula Green, illustrated by Jenny Cooper
(Penguin Random House 2022)
I Am Autistic. An Interactive and informative guide to autism (by someone diagnosed with it)
Chanelle Moriah
(Allen & Unwin 2022)
Te Wehenga: The Separation of Ranginui and Paptūānuku
Mat Tait
(Allen & Unwin 2022)
One Weka Went Walking
text by Kate Preece, illustrated by Pippa Ensor
(Bateman Books 2022)
Matariki Around the World: A Cluster of Stars, a Cluster of Stories
text by Miriama Kamo & Rangi Matamua, illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White
(Scholastic New Zealand 2022)
Standing In My Own Shoes: Letters from New Zealand Olympians and Paralympians
edited by David Riley
(Reading Warrior 2021)
Highly commended
Weather and Climate New Zealand by Sandra Carrod, illustrated by Karsten Schneider (Oratia 2022)
Nature’s Wildlife Weapons by James Ryan (Bateman Books 2022)
Storylines Notable Te Reo Māori (original texts or translations into Te Reo Māori, any genre)
Tu Meke Tuatara! He atawhai iti, ka painga roa
text by Malcolm Clarke, illustrated by Hayley King (AKA Flox), translated by Evelyn M Tobin
(Mary Egan Publishing 2022)
Te Kōkōrangi
text by Witi Ihimaera, illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White, translated by Hēni Jacob
(Penguin Random House 2022)
Ngā Ngeru
text by Amiria Stirling, illustrated by Sarah Illingworth
(Huia Publishers 2022)
Ko Īhaka me te Manuwhiri i Puta Ohorere mai
text by Kirsty Wadsworth, illustrated by Zak Waipara, translated by Pānia Papa
(Scholastic New Zealand 2022)
Mokopuna Matatini
text by Pania Tahau-Hodges, illustrated by Story Hemi-Morehouse
(Huia Publishers, Oct 2021)
Ko Tōku Māmā te Kuini o te Rori
text by Jennifer Beck, illustrated by Lisa Allen, translated by Kawata Teepa
(Huia Publishers 2022)
Ngā Taonga e Waru mā Te Wheke
text by Steph Matuku, illustrated by Laya Mutton-Rogers, translated by Kawata Teepa
(Huia Publishers 2022)
Kua Whetūrangitia a Koro
text by Brianne Te Paa, illustrated by Story Hemi-Morehouse
(Huia Publishers 2022)
Te Taonga Huna o Awatea
by Fraser Smith, translated by Piripi Walker
(Huia Publishers 2022)
Tiare Tangaroa me Taipō Moana
text by T K Roxborogh, illustrated by Phoebe Morris, translated by Kanapu Rangitauira
(Huia Publishers 2022)