Aotearoa's best children's books for 2024 revealed

Nine Girls, a novel that masterfully weaves comedy, fantasy and history together in a profound exploration of identity was named the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year at the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults during an exuberant ceremony held this evening at Wellington’s Pipitea Marae.

Nine Girls by Stacy Gregg (Ngāti Mahuta, Ngāti Pūkeko, Ngāti Maru Hauraki) was described by the judges as “a taonga from a masterful storyteller”.

“After careful deliberation, both judging panels came to a unanimous decision on a book that not only exemplifies the highest standards, but that we believe will make a lasting contribution to Aotearoa’s national literature for children and young adults; and as such, deserves the accolade of supreme winner,” said 2024 convenor of judges, Maia Bennett.

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Stacy is one of Aotearoa’s biggest selling authors with millions of copies of her popular pony series sold worldwide. Nine Girls is the first time she’s explored te ao Māori, with the coming-of-age tale drawn from her own childhood in Ngāruawāhia.

“Vivid and well-developed characters populate a fast-paced, eventful narrative as we follow the young protagonist’s journey to discovering her Māori identity. Te ao Pākehā and te ao Māori are equally uplifted as the text explores our bicultural history,” said the judges.

As well as receiving the highest accolade in New Zealand children’s literature, Stacy was awarded the Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction.

Winners in a further six categories were announced on the night. The Picture Book Award went to Paku Manu Ariki Whakatakapōkai by Michaela Keeble which was written with her son Kerehi Grace (Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Porou) and illustrated by Tokerau Brown. Described as a sophisticated picture book which can be enjoyed by all ages, the judges found it to be groundbreaking, deeply creative and completely original.

The Young Adult Fiction Award was won by Catch a Falling Star by Eileen Merriman who has been nominated in this category a number of times previously, but never before won. The judges praised the remarkably authentic portrayal of the complicated and endearing teenage protagonist’s escalating mental health problems.

Ultrawild: An Audacious Plan to Rewild Every City on Earth by Steve Mushin was named the Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction winner. The book is a deadly serious quest to design a way out of climate change, packed with concepts that are ingenious, technically plausible and often humorous – encouraging readers to see the explicit connection between creativity and science.

The winner of the Russell Clark Award for Illustration needs no introduction. Gavin Bishop (Tainui, Ngāti Awa) has collected more awards at the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults than any other author or illustrator. The judges considered Patu: The New Zealand Wars to be more than just a historical recounting and felt the stark compositions and limited colour palette spoke to a deeply personal tale; “one of mamae discovered, mamae long felt, and mamae yet to be healed”.

The Wright Family Foundation Te Kura Pounamu Award went to Nani Jo me ngā Mokopuna Porohīanga, written by Moira Wairama and illustrated by Margaret Tolland. The judges said the book uses inclusive language to convey the significance of stories, their role in helping us make sense of our world, and the importance of poroporoaki to the grieving process.

Finally, the NZSA Best First Book Award was awarded to Ned Wenlock for Tsunami, a graphic novel for older readers. It stood out to the judges due to its sophisticated understanding of the comic form, telling an often-disturbing story of a troubled and bullied boy with skill and a complexity that trusts readers to meet the book's challenges.

View the full list of winners and our reading list here. Find out about the books that inspired this year's finalist authors here.