Books by NZ authors donated to Kaiapoi school

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Northern Outlook

From local democracy reporter David Hill:

Kaiapoi High School and the Karanga Mai Young Parents’ College have received a generous donation of 150 books.

The books were donated by Laura Caygill, from Waimakariri Libraries.

Laura was part of the judging panel for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults and was given a copy of each book to read as part of the role.

‘‘You could definitely say I had a summer of reading,’’ Laura says.

All books entered in the awards are written by New Zealand authors and Laura says she was very impressed with the calibre of entries.

‘‘It was fantastic. There certainly were a lot of books, with such a diverse range of themes and perspectives.

‘‘We are so lucky to have so many talented authors in New Zealand and these awards are a fantastic way to showcase that talent and engage young people in reading.

‘‘We had some wonderful discussions on the judging panel and I know we were all really impressed with the books coming through for our young readers in New Zealand.

‘‘Many of these books would easily stand up on the international stage,’’ Laura says.

Waimakariri Libraries, in collaboration with the community have created online virtual storytimes to celebrate the awards.

They have also produced a Books Alive digital event showcasing one of the Young Adult Fiction finalists - Learning to Love Blue by Saradha Koirala.

Students from Kaiapoi High School have been involved in the Books Alive event, reading chosen excerpts from the book.

This was made available to view online on August 9.

Kaiapoi High School principal Jason Reid, librarian Heather McCorquodale and Karanga Mai English teacher Carola Crawford were delighted to receive all 150 books.

‘‘We are very grateful for the generosity. It’s amazing to see the wealth of knowledge laid out on this table,’’ Jason says.

‘‘They are all new and fresh and written by New Zealand authors, which makes them very relevant and engaging for our young people.’’

The category finalists were announced on Thursday, June 2.

The awards ceremony and announcement of winners of the 2022 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults was held on August 10.