The Dorothy Butler Children's Bookshop

In case you thought we were twiddling our thumbs or reading all day - here are some things that have been happening in the bookshop lately.

Can't wait to get all Witchy with Anika Moa and Rebecca ter Borg Illustration! Love to see you here for book reading, songs and kai - after school on Monday the 9th Sept

***BOOK LAUNCH***

My new pukapuka is out soon and I’m doing a lil launch to celebrate it. Come along with your bubbas and tamariki and I’ll be singing some songs and reading my book. Extra prizes for the best dressed witch! Illustrations by the incredible

When - Monday September 9th
What time - 4pm
Where - Dorothy Butlers Book Shop in Ponsonby
What to bring - children and costumes
Snacks and drinks provided

Looking forward to seeing you!

This will be an inspirational talk about children and reading! I've heard Alan - our very own Te Awhi Rito in person and also attended a webinar with Sally. Highly recommended.

📚 A special conversation on the importance of reading!

On Monday, 16 September 2024, from 2pm to 3pm, Australian Children’s Laureate Sally Rippin and Te Awhi Rito New Zealand Reading Ambassador Alan Dingley will come together to discuss the power of reading in the lives of children and young people.

In this free online event, Sally and Alan will share their insights on how libraries and a supportive reading ecosystem can inspire and nurture young readers. Perfect for teachers, librarians, parents, and anyone passionate about literacy.

🆓 Free to attend—booking is required! Reserve your spot now through The Wheeler Centre.
https://www.wheelercentre.com/events-tickets/season-2024/the-need-to-read-sally-rippin-and-alan-dingley-in-conversation

Don’t miss this chance to learn from two experts dedicated to making a difference in young readers’ lives. 🌟

Happy Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day!
Here's a poem for you by Paula Green from her amazing Roar Squeak Purr, Treasury of NZ Animal Poems, illustrated by Jenny Cooper.
I'm inspired to try one myself. How about you? Here are some possible starting lines
Weta on the tree.
Lion in the Meadow
Cat on the Roof

Would love to see your poems! Post in the comments :)

The prizes are ready for the bookmark competition winners - bookmarks printed, Gecko Press books entwined with ribbon and book vouchers filled out.

And there's another prize - a wonderful pile of books from our excellent sponsors Gecko Press. The winner is picked randomly from the 732 children who entered the competition. This year the lucky winner, from Vauxhall School, is Jack Gladwell. Congratulations Jack!

⭐ Bookmark Design Winners! ⭐
Congratulations to these wonderful young artists -the winners and runners-up of our 2024 Bugs and Butterflies themed bookmark design competition. The winning bookmarks have been printed and become our official shop bookmarks for the year. We so look forward to handing them out to our customers. Thanks for entering everyone - and thanks for the prizes Gecko Press

Congrats to this lady for winning the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year last night at the . We think it's a well-deserved win and a top book that will appeal to readers of all ages 9 to 109.

A great night out at the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults last night. I got to read out the winner of the Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction, hang out with amazing book people and congratulate Stacy Gregg- the winner of the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award for her wonderful novel Nine Girls.
Penguin Kids NZ Gecko Press

Wow! - great opportunity for young writers on September 14th. Three writing workshops with five excellent NZ authors. Thanks to Storylines Trust Te Whare Waituhi Tamariki o Aotearoa!, Graci Kim Cribbens Anne Kayes Weng Wai Chan Vanessa Hatley-Owen Author and Sonya Wilson.

🌟✍️ Exciting Opportunity for Young Writers Aged 9-12 Years! 📚🎉

Is there a budding writer in your life eager to improve their skills? Join us on Saturday, 14 September in Auckland for an enriching afternoon!

📅 Date: 14 September
⏰ Time: 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM
📍 Location: Kohia Terrace School, Epsom, Auckland

Learn from award-winning authors:
📘 Character and Plot with Anne Kayes, Vanessa Hatley-Owen, and Weng Wai Chan
🌍 World Building with Sonya Wilson
📖 Writing A Page Turner with Graci Kim

💲 Cost: $150.00 (including GST)

Don't miss this unique chance to enhance your storytelling skills! Limited spots available. Reserve your place today!

https://www.storylines.org.nz/storylines-childrens-writing-workshops/

Just two sleeps to go!

🎉 There are just two sleeps to go until we find out which of this amazing line-up of books are our winners. Want to know how to join the fun on Wednesday 14 August?

🌟 Attend in person. Tickets are available here and you might still be able to nab one if you're quick: https://bit.ly/4dDtrBk

🌟 Join us remotely. Our live stream will be available on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/events/1152577465809256) and via YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC84gWSQXkg)

🌟 Celebrate on social. We'll have updates across all our social media channels as winners are announced on Wednesday night. Use the hashtag to join in the fun.

📚 July Bestsellers 📚
Here's what sold well last month!

1. A Teaspoon of Light by Peter O’Connor (NZ) and Nisaluk Chantanakom
2. Around the World with Friends by Philip Waechter (Not Pictured)
3. Ruru Night Hunter by Katie Furze and Ned Barraud (NZ)
4. The Anaconda Attack by Sam Smith and Cesar Lador(NZ)
5. Moon Bear by Clare Helen Welsh and Carolina T. Godina
6. Little Axel’s Axolotl by Juliette MacIver (NZ) and Christopher Nielsen
7. The Raven’s Eye Runaways by Claire Mabey (NZ)
8. The Noisy Book by Soledad Bravi (Not Pictured)
9. Marnie Midnight and the Moon Mystery by Laura Ellen Anderson (Not Pictured)
10. Magicalia: Race of Wonders by Jennifer Bell

Katie Furze - Author Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand Gecko Press Scholastic NZ Allen & Unwin NZ Walker Books Australia

🌟 Bookmark Design Competition - Finalists Announced! 🌟

Congratulations to the 18 artists who have been chosen as finalists for this years' Bugs and Butterflies themed competition. We think all of your designs are amazing!

Thanks to all 700 children who entered and all the teachers and parents who helped them.

Look out next week for the winning Bookmarks - our staff are busy judging them now (but we'd love you to comment below to tell us your favourites). The winners in each category will be our official bookmarks for the year. The winning artists will receive 50 of their bookmarks to keep and give away, 2 books from Gecko Press and a $50 voucher to spend at our shop.

We have absolutely loved receiving your entries and seeing all the effort you have put into your designs. Ka pai!

Have you got any of these books on your shelves? -Well, it's your chance to win!

WIN! It's day! Help us celebrate Aotearoa's amazing authors and illustrators and be in to win spot prizes. Simply share a photo of a 2024 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adult finalist on social media today. It might be lurking on a shelf, shimmering in a bookstore, being read by a child or displayed in a library. We want to see all the many and varied places this year's finalists can be found.

👉 Create your own post and tag the Book Awards people. Pop on the hashtags and you could win a brand new book. (also tag )

📖 Not sure which books are finalists? Check out the full list here: https://bit.ly/4bRFqKX

🌟 Open to NZ residents only. Winners will be picked at random from eligible posts and receive a 2024 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults finalist. Winners must be page followers. Prize must be claimed by COB 17/08/2024. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Meta 🌟

Did you hear Claire Mabey talk to Susie Fergusson on RNZ on Saturday about her brilliant book The Raven's Eye Runaways?
I've read it and loved it - perfect for fans of Katherine Rundell and anyone who likes a good adventure, complex and interesting characters and children bravely taking on a repressive regime.

Claire Mabey: The Raven's Eye Runaways You may know Claire Mabey as the founder of the Verb Wellington Festival, perhaps as co-curator of the Aotearoa NZ Festival of the Arts writers programme, or as a book reviewer. Now she's adding author to that CV. Claire's first book has just been published - The Raven's Eye Runaways, aimed at young...

We had so much fun with stories and singing yesterday. Thanks heaps to everyone who came along and especially to Claudia Robin Gunn - Music for Kids for her amazing music. Lots of happy children - that's what we like to see!

Lots of lovely Bugs and Butterflies bookmarks coming in for our competition. We love seeing all your creative designs! Which one of these is your favourite?
Just a reminder, the last day for entries is next Wednesday 31st.

Story Time - Sunday 28th July - 11am with Claudia Robin Gunn!
Join us for stories and singing this Sunday!
The amazing Claudia Robin Gunn - Music for Kids has a new song out - I Love Books - a song we can relate to!

So delighted that Claudia Robin Gunn - Music for Kids will be with us at Story Time next Sunday singing her new I Love Books song. Please come along for some Sunday fun at 11am.

Calling all bookworms! This sweet song for little library lovers, bookstore babies and bibliophiles everywhere is bright, bouncy and bookwormy (no worms included except earworms 🥰👂🎧🎶)

It’s a ditty for the library helper kids, budding authors and everyone with big imaginations; for curious toddlers, ravenous readers and dedicated teachers alike. 📚📕📖💭

Credits:
Songwriter: Claudia Robin Gunn
Producers: Marshall Smith and Tom Fox at The Sound Room
Video: edited by Claudia Robin Gunn at Little Wild Music
Stock footage from Motion Array
Supported by NZ On Air Music NZ On Air Tamariki

Watch on YT🎥
https://youtu.be/t5R6pb5fkYg?feature=shared

Listen everywhere 🎧💭
https://vyd.co/Ilovebooks

Children of the Rush Book 3 - OUT TODAY!
The third instalment of this popular series featuring three youngsters from the NZ's gold rush past is out today. Congratulations James Russell
And if you haven't read the first two books in the series you really should do that first. Great for 8-12-year-olds.

Look what Ross Hamilton made for us! Goat + Ruru - how cool! Come along to the Goaty Story Time this Sunday 14th July at 11am. Author of Goat on a Trampoline Amy Harrop and illustrator Ross will both be with us. There will be huge artwork and silly stories to enjoy. All welcome!

Amy Harrop, Children's Author Bateman Books

Put this on the to do list for these holidays!
Tim Bray Theatre Company

"Five Go on an Adventure, with its skilful adaptation and direction is another triumph for the Tim Bray Theatre Company."

Thank you to Red Raven News for this lovely review of Five Go on an Adventure! Check it out👇
https://redraven.news/2024/07/03/five-go-on-an-adventure-pumphouse-theatre-29-june-2024-review/

Five Go on an Adventure NOW ON! Get your ticket today.

🎟️https://timbray.org.nz/five-go-on-an-adventure/
🎭29 June-20 July
📍The PumpHouse Theatre

📷David Rowland/One-Image Photography

If you haven't seen inside this book you should really take a look. It blows the mind!

Today's Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction finalist is 'Ultrawild: An Audacious Plan to Rewild Every City on Earth' written and illustrated by Steve Mushin.

This is a book for everyone who is delighted by design, creative thinking and fascinating inventions – and anyone who cares about the implications of climate change. Dense with intricate illustrations, Ultrawild presents dozens of offbeat but plausible inventions aimed at rewilding our cities and saving our planet. A truly unique and inspiring read.

Allen & Unwin NZ

Check out the new website of the fab Kete Books - the best place to go for info on NZ books - children and adults!

📚 Bestsellers June 📚

These were out top reads for June - what were yours???

1. Matariki by Gavin Bishop (NZ)
2. Nanny Rina's Amazing Nets by Qiane Matata-Sipu and Isobel Joy Te Aho-White (NZ)
3. The Cat Who Couldn't Be Bothered by Jack Kurland
4. The Spaceman by Randy Cecil
5. Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat by Li Chen (NZ)
6. The Elephant and the Sea by Ed Vere (Not Pictured)
7. Nine Girls by Stacy Gregg (NZ)
8. The Secret of the Moonshard by Struan Murray
9. I am Rebel by Ross Montgomery
10. P**i and Pou and the Waves of Destruction by Tim Tipene (NZ)

Bateman Books Walker Books Penguin Books NZ Scholastic NZ

It's official! Just announced by pub date for №4 in the Nevermoor series is next April 30th. We are soooo looking forward to it.

So true! :)

It's a good idea to start early