New Zealand Children's Books for Homeschoolers

This blog is a project to research and document New Zealand Children's living books for homeschooling.

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Green Gold & Valley of Heavenly Gold by Eve Sutton

Kirsten Edwards

Jun 112 min read

Green Gold & Valley of Heavenly Gold by Eve Sutton

The first and last books written by Eve Sutton - adventures in early New Zealand.

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Kirsten Edwards

Apr 43 min read

Shining Rivers by Ruth Dallas

Johnie Crawford is only 14, but soon catches the "gold fever" and heads to the gold fields in this novel about the NZ gold rush in the 1860s

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Kirsten Edwards

Mar 171 min read

A Dog Called Wig by Ruth Dallas

A stray dog is adopted by a boy called Archie, but can he convince his family and the dog that it is his?

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Kirsten Edwards

Dec 28, 20233 min read

The Boys of Puhawai by Kim

Three boys, Hemi, Peter and John spend their spring and summer months having adventures in their small seaside New Zealand town.

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Explorer Zach & Moko's Hideout - both by Elsie Locke

Kirsten Edwards

Dec 13, 20232 min read

Explorer Zach & Moko's Hideout - both by Elsie Locke

Two picture books by Elsie Locke - Explorer Zach and Moko's Hideout.

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The Boy with the Snowgrass Hair by Elsie Locke & Ken Dawson

Kirsten Edwards

May 30, 20233 min read

The Boy with the Snowgrass Hair by Elsie Locke & Ken Dawson

Tom is a keen South Island tramper, but with inexperienced Lou tagging along, will he get to do with the tramping he wants to do?

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Kirsten Edwards

May 14, 20234 min read

The End of the Harbour by Elsie Locke

David and his family settle in Auckland during the 1860s while the Taranaki War continues not far from his colonial town.

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Kirsten Edwards

Aug 16, 20223 min read

Wanganui Adventure by Ken Saunders

The two teenage boys, Howard and Lindsey, are 14 and 16 and they are out on their own canoeing down the river. Everything changes....

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Falter Tom and the Water Boy by Maurice Duggan

Kirsten Edwards

Jun 15, 20222 min read

Falter Tom and the Water Boy by Maurice Duggan

Falter Tom lived by the sea's edge, for he'd been a sailor in his younger days and the sea was his life.

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Kirsten Edwards

May 19, 20222 min read

Moa Hunter by Eve Sutton

Kotiri was the Chief's son and naturally expected to succeed his father as leaders of the tribe...

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Kirsten Edwards

Mar 6, 20222 min read

Tuppenny Brown by Eve Sutton

The story of little Tuppenny Brown and his journey from thief to an honest worker is a great read.

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Kirsten Edwards

Sep 16, 20211 min read

Surgeon's Boy by Eve Sutton

It is 1840 and Jamie Fenton has accompanied his father, who has emigrated as a ship's doctor, to Sydney.

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Kirsten Edwards

Apr 22, 20213 min read

Kidnapped by Blackbirders by Eve Sutton

This is a fast-paced and gripping read and will be interesting if you are studying the Polynesian Islands or Australian history.

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Kirsten Edwards

Apr 11, 20212 min read

Johnny Sweep by Eve Sutton

I did not have any issues such as language or attitudes, etc. A wonderful story for younger readers.

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Kirsten Edwards

Mar 2, 20212 min read

Boy and the Sea Beast by Anne De Roo

Another wonderful book by Anne de Roo. This time she enters the mind of a young Maori boy who lives on a Pa with his mother...

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On The Trail of Te Kakaha by Hazel P. Harris

Kirsten Edwards

Feb 22, 20213 min read

On The Trail of Te Kakaha by Hazel P. Harris

Fifteen-year-old Ken Hayward is determined to find the missing half of Te Kakaha before the Christmas holidays finish.

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Kirsten Edwards

Feb 10, 20212 min read

Traveller by Anne de Roo

Here is the story - based on a true incident - of a remarkable dog called Traveller, and a boy who befriended her.

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