2026 Winter Reading Guide: Books for Tamariki and Rangatahi
From fantastical adventures to historical heroines, we’ve got reading covered for tamariki and rangatahi this winter.
For the very youngest readers, Hairy Maclary is back with a brand-new lift-the-flap board book!
There are beautiful new picture books showcasing the rich coastal wildlife of Aotearoa New Zealand, introducing birds with fun rhymes, and touching on the life of world-renowned Tongan New Zealander, Jonah Lomu. Picture book readers can travel through time to discover space and baking (you read that right!), travel through dreams, and travel in the myths of Matariki.
Graphic novel readers will love the latest adventures of Detective Beans, and Miles and Jones. Both series have just released book three.
Chapter books come in different shapes and sizes, and primary-aged readers will love a pacy, thrilling new dragon series, while older readers move on to fictional accounts of New Zealand history, surfing dramas, or an atmosphere folk horror fantasy.
We also have non-fiction readers covered, with stories from deaf and disabled New Zealanders, riders and the horses they love, and an ex-Prime Minister.
Explore the full list below and enter our competition to WIN a huge selection of children and young adult books from the 2026 Winter Reading Guide!
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