(Our) New Zealand Book List

We often get asked for the titles of the New Zealand based literature and referencing books we are using during our home educating journey so we typed up the pdf, linked below, as a help - hopefully -  for others. 

While we make good use of our local library I prefer to use what we have off our own shelves first.

The books on our list have been sourced in, well over, 20 years of me buying , trading, and fossicking through many used book sales so please just ignore the titles you can't get or source more easily - using what one can find or already has makes life so much more relaxed.   It's what I'm learning to do more and more as we homeschool along   {insert wry smile}   .....  if we don't have a title that seemed to be the better read aloud, right then,  for our history studies then that's a good space to switch in a title we do have, even if it's slightly off tangent.

(We're known to sidestep a pre-scheduled title if we come across a New Zealand book we want to read more.)

We don't like to read diary formated books so you won't find any of the New Zealand "My Story..." series listed in our pdf  which can be found at:

Chelle's New Zealand Book List  downloadable pdf  Link updated 06/2018

List Copyright © 2011-2018 Chelle G



Chelle’s List of New Zealand History, Reference and Picture Books
The following is by no means an exhaustive list of all NZ books available, it’s simply a list of books we personally have and use in our home educating journey.
**Updated June 2018

History Picture Books  (in timeline order)
The Treaty House ~ LeAnne Orams     1830’s +     (semi time travel, child looks back into history)
Tarore and Her Book ~ Joy Cowley 1830's - missionaries
Come Back Ginger: A Tale of Old New Zealand ~Dorothy Butler   1845
The Immigrants ~Alan Bagnall/Sarah Wilkins    1862
Freedom is a Wobbly Sack ~Peter Minturn    1890’s ?
Seadog – A Tale of Old New Zealand ~Dorothy Butler    1890
Caesar The Anzac Dog ~Patricia Stroud    1900s
By Jingo ~Dorothy Butler    1905
Harry and The Anzac Poppy ~John Lockyer and Raewyn Whaley   WWI  1917
Torty and the Soldier: A Story of a True WWI Survivor ~ Jennifer Beck  WWI
The Anzac Violin ~ Jennifer Beck  WWI
A Present From the Past ~Jennifer Beck WWI  in Britian to modern NZ
The Donkey Man ~Glyn Harper     Gallipoli during WW I
Isabel’s Upside-Down Day ~ Rosamond Rowe  Napier Earthquake  1931                                          
The Bantam and The Soldier ~Jennifer Beck    WW II
Papa’s Island ~Melanie Drewery    WW II
The Sky Soldiers ~Glyn Harper    WW II
Stefania's Dancing Slippers ~Jennifer Beck   WW II
Nicky and Wi ~Iris Wallace    1960’s

Picture Books Written by NZ Writers
~
Glenda Turner   Books
~
Joy Watson   Books (Grandpa’s .. slippers cardigan etc.)

Hairy Mclary    Series of Books    ~Lynley Dodd
Nobody’s Dog ~Jennifer Beck

The Little Digger ( series) ~Betty Gilderdale 
The Light House Keeper   (series of books)  ~Ronda Armitage
Mechanical Harry   (+ sequel)   ~Bob Kerr

Birthday Rain ~ Dorothy Butler
My Brown Bear Barney  (+ sequels) ~Dorothy Butler
The Best-Loved Bear ~Diana Noonan
The Duck in the Gun ~Joy Cowley
Sydney and The Sea Monster (+ sequels) ~David Elliot   (sea life)

N/F & Reference Junior – Highschool
Essential Dates – A Time line of New Zealand History ~Alison Dench
Aotearoa – A History of New Zealand ~Olive Baldwin
Illustrated History of New Zealand ~ Marcia Stenson
Reed Illustrated History of New Zealand ~ Matthew Wright (upper grades)
Builders of New Zealand - An Illustrated History for Young People ~ A.W Reed (our middle years NZ hist spine)
The Story of New Zealand ~ Bassett, Sinclair, Stenson (our highschool years NZ hist spine)
The Kauri and the Willow ~ Elsie Locke (Story Format: stories of NZ’s history)
New Zealand Disasters ~ Nicola McCloy
Nice Day for a War: Adventures of a Kiwi Soldier in World War I ~ Chris Slane                                 
Fighting Past Each Other – The NZ Wars 1845-1872
The New Zealand Wars ~Ross Calman
History Makers – Conquerors of Everest (Sir Edmund Hillary) ~ Piccolo Explorer Bks
How Parliament Works in New Zealand ~John Lockyer    (2004 ed)
First Words in Maori ~Paul Tilling    (like Usborne First Words books in format)

Poetry
I’m Glad the Sky is Painted Blue (poems for the Very Young) ~Rosalyn Barnett
I will Build You a House – poems for Cushla Chosen by ~Dorothy Butler

Puzzle books
Magic Eyes: I Spy NZ History (1840-2000) ~Carol Atkinson 

Nature - Non-Fiction
~Andrew Crowe Books
Life-Size Guide tot the New Zealand Beach
Life-Size Guide to Insects and Other Land Invertebrates of NZ
Natural Alphabet  (younger)
Which New Zealand Bird?
Which New Zealand Insect?

Nature Study ~D. Beggs (a worthy 2nd hand book shop purchase)
Tea for the Tui  ~Rosemary Tully   (N/F - recipes)
Butterflies of New Zealand   (Reed Science Colourbooks) ~ A.H. + A.W. Reed  (youngers)
Opossums (Reed Science Colourbooks) ~ A.H. + A.W. Reed  (youngers)   
The Life Cycle of the Royal Albatross ~ Betty Brownlie
Birds Seen in the Manawatu ~ Alex L. Scott
Collins Birds of New Zealand ~ Chloe Talbot Kelly
Common Birds in New Zealand : Town, pasture and freshwater birds ~ Janet Marshall (Mobil Series)
Common Insects: Insects of the field and garden ~ Annette Walker (Mobil Series)
From Weta to Kauri: A Guide to the New Zealand Forest ~ Janet Hunt and Rob Lucas
(The) Life Cycle of The Kiwi ~Betty Brownlie
New Zealand Birds: A Diverse Selection ~Paul Gibson
New Zealand's Forest Treasures ~ Ronald Cometti
Penguin Natural World of New Zealand, The (Encyc) ~ Gerard Hutching
Grow a Gift ~Pauline Cartwright  (younger)
Know, Sow & Grow Kids' Book of Plants, The ~ Diana Noonan   (youngers)
Look Under the Leaves ~ Elsie Locke (ecology and NZ's natural history)
New Zealand Backyard Creatures ~ Brian Mackness  (youngers)
Wildtrack Book, The  ~Donna Bryant   (younger)
Wildtrack: What's Going on Over the Fence  ~ Donna Bryant   (younger)
A Kea on My Bed ~Molly Falla    (story format)
A Pocketful of Penguins ~Molly Falla    (story format)
A Sketchbook of New Zealand Birds ~Molly Falla   (story format)
Mary-Lou: The Story of a High-country Lamb ~ Mona Anderson   (story format)
Draw New Zealand Birds ~ Heather Arnold  (Art instruction)

Nature - NZ  Picture Books - Story Format
After Dark: Creatures of the New Zealand Forest ~Julia Crouth
A Booming in the Night ~ Ben Brown
Archey's Frog ~Andrew Crowe   
Elwyn's Dream: Saving the Takahe ~ Ali Foster
Godwit’s Journey ~Sandra Morris     ~ Philip Temple and Chris Gaskin                                               
The Very Important Godwit ~ Jenny & Laughton Pattrick (incs music cd) 
The Pukeko ~ Bill Gillies (incs early maori)                                                                                                                
Hutu and Kawa Find an Island ~ Avis Acres
Kotuku ~ The Flight of the White Heron
Moko’s Hideout    (story format)    ~Elsie Locke
My Kiwi ~ John Lockyer   
My Spoonbill Book ~Alex Scott      poetic format
Old Blue: The Rarest Bird in the World  ~Mary Taylor
Classic New Zealand Animal Stories
(NZ Golden Books) ~ compiled by Julia Graham
OPO – Dolphin/ JAMES – Captain Cook Pig/ KAHU - Kiwi/ BYAMUL – Black Swan/ PIPPA – fairy penguin

The Man Who Loved the Sea ~ Tracy Duncan
The Story of the Kakapo: Parrot of the Night ~Philip Temple and Chris Gaskin

Seasons
A Year on Our Farm ~Penny Matthews and Andrew McLean  2000’s
Gone Fishing ~Margaret Albert    1990’s

Myths and Legends
~Peter Gossage bks
The Battle of the Mountains
The Fish of Maui
Maui and the Sun

How the Kiwi Lost it’s Wings ~Alwyn Owen
Tamure and the Taniwha ~Ron Bacon
Guardian of the Bridge ~ Diana Harris (The Taniwha &  history of The Auckland Harbour Bridge)

History Chapter Books (in time line order)
30 Hideous and Hilarious New Zealand Historical Stories ~ editor Barbara Else   (ancients to today)
Moa Hunter ~Eve Sutton    pre-settler (early maori)
Maori and Settler ~G.A Henty    1800’s
Shadow of the Boyd ~ Diana Menefy    1809
Journey Under Warning ~Elsie Locke   (bks mostly 1800’s)
The Runaway Settlers ~Elsie Locke
Canoe in the Mist ~Elsie Locke
Bats’ Nest, The ~Anne de Roo    1844 
Traveller ~Anne de Roo    1850’s
Sergeant Sal ~Anne de Roo   1850
Tuppenny Brown ~Eve Sutton    (convicts 1800’s)
A String of Gold Nuggets ~Pauline Cartwright    (Otago Goldfields)
Trip with My Father ~Pauline Cartwright    (Otago Goldfields)                                                      
Shining Rivers ~Ruth Dallas    1860s Gold Rush  
Where the Flag Floats ~ D.C. Grant 1863
Great Monsieur Vertelli, The ~Robin Peirce   (our favourite Wanganui book) 1867 
Rifle and Tomahawk ~Mona Tracy    1868
Pelorus Jack: The Story of New Zealand's Famous Dolphin ~ Tania Atkinson   1870s - 1912
Wild Boy in the Bush, The ~Ruth Dallas   1891
Call of the Cruins ~Elizabeth Pulford   Pioneers
…. then there were Nine ~ Phyllis Johnston  1900
No One Went to Town ~Phyllis Johnston   1907
Black Boot and Buttonhooks ~ Phyllis Johnston   1909
A Comet in the Sky ~ Phyllis Johnston   1910
The Children of Clearwater Bay ~E.M Ellin  Pioneers
Kid from Matata, The - (Memories of a Post War Pakeha Childhood) ~David McGill    1950s
Night Race to Kawau
~Tessa Duder     (modern fict – boating)
Gold Dog, The
 ~Anne De Roo     (gold panning, modern times)
Dovers Road Collection, The: Adventures in New Zealand
~Joyce West (modern)
Where Lions Roar at Night, Bk 1
~Rosie Boom  (modern home educating family)
Where Arrows Fly , Bk 2
~Rosie Boom    (modern home educating family)
Where The Crickets Sing, Bk 3
~Rosie Boom  (modern home educating family)
Where the River Rises , Bk 4
~Rosie Boom    (modern home educating family)

Historical and Biographical – Story Format
New Zealand’s Christian Heritage - God’s History Makers
~Col Stringer
How the Maori’s Came
  ~A.W.Reed
Petticoat Pioneers: North Island Woman of the Colonial Era  ~Miriam Macgregor
Petticoat Pioneers: North Island Woman of the Colonial Era.  Bk2  ~Miriam Macgregor
Petticoat Pioneers: South Island Woman of the Colonial Era.  Bk3 ~Miriam Macgregor
Tales of Pioneer Women ~ Collected by The Women's Institute of New Zealand
(oop) 
(I find the above book interesting to pick up and put down in true sip-reading style)

A Land without Taxes
~Elsie Locke
Reaching the Summit – Sir Edmund Hillary’s Story
~Alexa Johnson with David Larsen
Soldier of the Yellow Socks - Charles Upham ~Janice Marriot (my favourite NZ Read Aloud)
Opo – The Hokianga Dolphin (pictorial) ~Eric and Elizabeth Lee-Johnson

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