Best of the Year - Tamariki
Here is a selection of the best new titles for kids and young adults added to our collection each year. You will find something here to excite, enthuse, enthral and inform.

Most Popular 2023
Most Popular 2023: Tamariki - Kids
Here are the most popular pukapuka for tamariki in 2023!
Most Popular 2023: Rangatahi - Teens
The Heartstoppers series by Alice Oseman took out the top FOUR spots! See what other books were popular with teens.
Most Popular 2023
Find out what was popular this year - fiction, non-fiction, books for tamariki and rangatahi, and more!
Best of the Year 2022
Best eBooks for Children 2022
A selection of award winners, bestsellers and well-reviewed eBooks from 2022 for toddlers to 12 year olds.
Ka Mau Te Wehi Ngā Pukapuka o Ngā Pakiwaitara 21/22
To mark the end of the Matariki period we have created Ka Mau Te Wehi Ngā Pukapuka O Ngā Pakiwaitara 21/22 - The Best Story Books of 21/22.
More Staff Picks of the Best of 2022
Rachael's Best books of 2022
These are Rachael's favourite reads of the year! Mostly fiction and YA.
Amy's Best YA of 2022
In no particular order, here are some of Amy's favourite Young Adult novels from this year.
Claire's Best Manga of 2022
It's awards season! Someone who reads far too much manga hands out arbitrary genre awards to the series that they enjoyed reading the most.
2018
- Picture books
- Younger fiction
- Older fiction
- Young Adult
- Activities and Art
- Science and Technology
- People and Places
- Books, Stories, Poetry and Language
- Nature
- Graphic novels
2017
- Picture books
- Younger fiction
- Older fiction
- Young Adult
- Art and activities
- Science and technology
- People and places
- Poetry, fairy tales, language, or literature
- Natural world
- Graphic novels
Picks from the Best (and Worst) Children's book evening
- Best Older Fiction and Young Adult Reads in 2017 as picked by Rachael King, WORD Christchurch Literary Director.
- Best Junior Fiction Reads in 2017 as picked by Zac McCallum, Halswell School Librarian.
- Best Picture Books in 2017 as picked by Sophie O'Rourke, junior school teacher at Waitakiri Primary School.
2016
- Picture books
- Younger fiction
- Older fiction
- Young Adult
- Art and activities
- Science and technology
- People and places
- Words and Children's literature
- Natural world
- Recommended read-aloud picture books
2015
- Picture books
- Younger fiction
- Older fiction
- Young Adult
- Te Reo Māori
- Information books: animals, science and geography
- Information books: history, art and literature