Adele Broadbent's Blog, page 8

Anahera – The Mighty Kiwi Mama

Anahera is a kiwi who was born in 1979. Her and her brother were found by forestry workers when they were clearing trees. They were both taken to the Ōtorohanga Kiwi House where Anahera lived for 43 years!

The volunteers looked after her and other kiwi in the Kiwi House, and Anahera soon caught the attention of a male kiwi named Rongo. Together, this kiwi couple had over 30 chicks!

Anahera had two more suitors while she was at the Ōtorohanga Kiwi House, having even more chicks. Anahera stayed fit and strong, even if she did miss her partners when they were released into the wild.

When Anahera had raised more than 60 chicks, a group called Capital Kiwi came with an idea to reintroduce kiwi to the wild in the hills around Wellington. After much discussion, an extensive pest control program by locals, landowners and iwi, and the kiwi’s transport to land above Raukawa Moana (Cook Strait), Anahera and other kiwi were released into the wild in 2022.

The volunteers at Ōtorohanga Kiwi House knew that Anahera was calm, determined and strong and would be able to look after herself in her new home away from home.

 

This sumptuously illustrated narrative non-fiction is told in the point of view of a young girl, and the tales of a young kiwi by her kuia. Her kuia was a teenage volunteer at the Ōtorohanga Kiwi House when Anahera arrived and was named.

The story then shows young readers Anahera’s life as she grows, meets male kiwi and raises chicks. The story effortlessly allows readers to learn some kiwi behaviours and also the work carried out at the Kiwi House. Speech bubbles help share the tale, as the girl grows and her kuia ages.

In the last pages of this beautiful picture book, there are coloured spheres of information about Anahera and her astounding life and motherhood of over 60 chicks. Some of which have gone on to zoos or been released in sanctuaries or the wild.

A stunning NZ story of an amazing bird only New Zealand can call their own – from a multi-award winning author and illustrator.

Ruth Paul is a local participant in Capital Kiwi’s project. Her own property has predator proof fencing and hosts wild kiwi.

 

Author/Illustrator – Ruth Paul

Picture Book

Non-Fiction

 

Learn more about the Ōtorohanga Kiwi House here

Learn more about the Capital Kiwi Project here

 

 

 

 

(2025, Penguin Random House NZ, Aotearoa New Zealand, Kiwi, Birds, Icon, Breeding program, Wellington, Ōtorohanga Kiwi House, Volunteers)

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The Cursed Melodies

Astrid and Jonas feel like they will never fit in anywhere. As twins, at least they have each other and the solid vow between them that – it’s them together, against the world.

The world has driven them to this, as they have no idea who their parents were or where they came from. They have moved from school to school and between foster homes because they are seen as strange by all who meet them. With their blonde white hair and intense stares, they attract the wrong kind of attention, and their doctor and social worker are at their wits end.

Astrid and Jonas seem to have strange powers. No one knows how they seem to be connected to the nature around them. The twins can hear the songs of trees, flowers and even grass, and also hear screams of warning from them too. Their doctor knows they are different and has performed test after test on them, and now that Astrid and Jonas are teens, they’ve had enough.

Little do they know that they are about to meet someone who will bring them (almost) all the answers they have been searching for their entire lives.

Gwen is upset and embarrassed that she cannot control her magic. Her sister now attends the prestigious school for magic but Gwen must stay home. She’s tried and tried to summon her Bloom, but the results are too frightening for her to achieve anything. A desire to prove herself once and for all, takes her into a tunnel that Astrid and Jonas are also in as they are testing their own powers.

From Gwen, the twins learn that they are Bloom bloods – folk with magical powers. The humans they have grown up with and who have found them strange, are all Red Bloods – humans without magic. Finally, Astrid and Jonas feel more understood.

They are accepted into a new home with Gwen and her Bloom blood family, but find it hard to trust any one. Even here they are seen as different, and as Gwen keeps a terrible secret, Astrid and Jonas build their powers. None of the three teens realise how important they are to the future of humankind – and to each other.

 

A new world of magic – with those who have powers and those who have no idea magical folk walk among them. It’s hard not to compare this magical worlds with one that broke the mould in 1997, but even with comparison, this new series of good and evil types of magic, twins and a stubborn young girl and their journey to discover their true selves – is intriguing and a great read.

This first book in the series is perfectly fine for middle-grade readers as the romance component is only lightly touched upon. It’s these romantic influences that have the twin main characters keeping secrets from each other for the first time in their lives. I’m looking forward to seeing if these outside friendships turn into something more, and maybe even go on to cause tension between the tight-knit twins.

A great tale about the fighting forces of good and evil, finding your true self, working together, and humans and nature working together. 

For fans of the Harry Potter and Nevermoor series’ and other magical worlds.

Author – Connie Glynn

Age – 12+

 

 

 

 

(2025, Penguin NZ, Magic, Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Historical, Music, Mystery, Secret, School, Dark Forces, The Bloom, Red Bloods, Prince, Control, Experiments, Twins, Nature, Fountains Abbey, Series)

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Millie and Stella – Best Friends Forever (1) The Lost Ponies

Millie and Stella are the very best of friends and do everything together at school and after school with their ponies. They are both keen readers too and are vying for the librarian job at the new caravan library at their school. The caravan looks amazing, painted like a ladybird, and the inside is all set up with lots of shelving ready for books.

Lots of others in school want to be librarians too, so the competition is tough. Their biggest competition is a student called Gwyneth. She always arrives in a big black fancy car with her mother, and usually wins everything. Some kids don’t even bother competing if Gwyneth is in the running. Millie and Stella will have to apply like everyone else and wait and see.

Another thing on their minds is a lack of feed for their horses. There might be a solution but it worries Millie more than her friend. Stella is confident and kind and the best friend ever, especially when Millie is feeling overwhelmed or sad, but Millie needs her pony to help with her feelings too.

There are other ways that help with being neurodivergent, and Millie relies on them all. The pony feed solution however, only brings more problems. Millie must rely on all her riding skills and find her own confidence with a bully to solve a mystery once and for all.

 

The first in a series about friendship, Millie and Stella – Best Friends Forever is a lovely story about two girls. Stella is confident and brave, and Millie is neurodivergent and successfully uses tools she has learnt and resources around her, to build her own self-confidence.

This episode deals with a wealthy student, used to getting their own way and behaving badly. But it’s Millie who soothes through the problems that arise throughout the story.

With medium font and pictures throughout, this will be a sweet series to follow, for mystery fans, horse lovers and readers aged from 7 years old. 

 

Author – Josephine Moon

Illustrator – Jedda Robaard

Age – 7+

 

 

 

(2025, Penguin Random House Australia, Friendship, Horses, Ponies, School, Librarians, Neurodivergent, Understanding, Animals, Mystery)

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REEK

Sparrow is a courier in Edinburgh, Scotland. Life is hard, as the city like everywhere else in the world, is consumed by the Reek, a cloud of pollution that kills anything in its path. Now to live, people must use tanks to breathe outside, or have special equipment to purify the air inside homes.

This ability to breathe has come from technology by the Zephyr Corporation, but at a price. Zephyr’s growth and powerful reach is everywhere in Sparrow’s life, and they seem to be getting richer every day.

Paying for air to breathe for herself, her little sister and grandfather, takes a large chunk of Sparrow’s earnings. She can’t see a way out of their poverty, after having to leave school early to work. She constantly urges her little sister to study hard and not find herself in the same situation.

When not working, Sparrow likes to visit a friend named Miriam who was once a rocket scientist. She is constantly tinkering with equipment, including Sparrow’s hover skates and i-pad that aids her work.

On a visit one day, she finds Miriam’s warehouse on fire, with her friend inside. From that moment, Sparrow’s life is in danger, as Miriam was working on a new project. Little does Sparrow know, she is the key to changing their polluted world – forever!

 

This Cli-Fi (Climate Fiction), novel for Dyslexic or Reluctant Readers is intriguing from the very first page. Young teenager Sparrow lives in a futuristic Earth, covered by pollution so bad, it is impossible to breathe in it. The special equipment is costly, driving an even bigger divide between rich and poor.

But just like in the movie ROBOTS (2005), someone is working on new ideas and equipment, in this case to help those who struggle to pay the fees just to breathe.

A savvy battle between rich and poor has an incredibly satisfying and thrilling ending.

Perfect for anyone, but particularly dyslexic readers as Barrington Stoke are experts in this genre.

 

Author – Alastair Chisholm

Illustrator – George Caltsoudas

Age – 9+

Dyslexic Read

(Reading Age 8 – Interest Age 9+)

 

Find more Alastair Chisholm titles here

 

 

 

 

(2024, Barrington Stoke, Action, Family, Conflict, Courage, Crime, Dystopian, Future, Greed, Poverty, Dyslexic Read, Dyslexia, Reluctant Readers, Cli-Fi, Clifi, Edinburgh, Scotland, City, Hover Skates, Breathing Masks, Courier)

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The Only Branch on the Family Tree

Gemma and her mum have always been very close. They only have each other and they are like best friends.

But when Gemma’s teacher Mrs Wellcome announces a new class project, Gemma begins to worry. A family tree project? How can she make a family tree when her family only has one branch?

She watches her best friend’s tree spread across her project and begins to miss any cousins, aunts and uncles she’s never missed before. With some help from Mrs Wellcome, Gemma can see there are other ways to show family, and she sets about to do just that.

Gemma and her mum are queens of selfies, and there are so many pictures to choose from. On her search through their computer and boxes of photos, Gemma finds a photo she hasn’t seen before.

Could it be her nan? But it isn’t an old photo, and mum said she was dead….?

 

This touching middle-grade verse novel tells a story of love, heartache, confusion and discovery. Rich in beautiful similie and with just the right words that portray so much, Sherryl Clark has given readers a story that will touch their hearts.

Gemma’s world is forever changed by the realisation of a lie from the person she trusted more than anyone else in her world. Her mum.

This moment of growing up is brave on the page, with Gemma deciding for herself what she wants for her future family tree.

A few illustrations are scattered through the pages, but the most powerful one is of a tree that begins with only two branches. As the story progresses, so does the growth of the tree, promising so much more for Gemma in the final picture.

Gorgeous.

 

Author – Sherryl Clark

Illustration – Astred Hicks

Age – 10+

 

 

 

(2025, UQP, Australia, Ancestry, Family Tree, School Project, Identity, Estrangement, Argument, Problems, Conflict Resolution, Family, Growing up, Love, Mystery, School, Secret, Verse Novel)

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The Lost Saint

Ana is still hurting from her break up with her boyfriend. Having to face him every day on a planned group holiday isn’t helping, and she is only just holding it together. Falling apart in front of her university friends has been embarrassing, not to mention her studies being thrown out the window. She just has to get through the holiday and try to force him from her mind.

A covert trip into a cave system guided by two local guys one night sounds like a fun way to try and forget. The caves prove to be awesome, with candles flickering, music playing and alcohol flowing – and someone looks interesting. But then the ground begins to shake.

Fleeing through falling rocks and hearing screams from all directions, Ana stumbles out of the entrance with others into… daylight. And a raging battle.

Ana’s problems with her ex, her shame and her shattered heart are nothing to what she is about to face. She is suddenly on her own, being hunted, tied up, rescued, or doing some rescuing of her own. Learning she is no longer in the 21st century, but the Year of Our Lord 1303, is too confusing to comprehend. She is alone with strangers – some of which want to kill her, capture her, or determine if she is a witch.

Leon is confused by this strange girl who seemed to appear from nowhere. Her clothing is skant, her mouth foul and her courage huge. Who is she and where is she from? It is this stranger that bandages his wounds and then fills his mind for days as she is taken, then found then taken again. Does his enemies have her? Is she part of some prophecy? His feelings go from responsibility, to repaying a debt, to something more. If only he can find her again.

 

Told in two points of view, The Lost Saint is masterfully written, with a rich medieval backdrop and constantly clashing characters. Being thrown back more than 700 years into the past is the largest time-slip gap I have read in a long time, and the contrasts between the two were most entertaining.

I loved the way main character Ana stood up to the condescension of the men she met, how she tricked them with her acting talent and how she got herself out of many terrifying situations. Other characters were introduced, and I’m looking forward to getting to know them better as this series progresses.

Some characters were aggravating, and I’m hoping for their comeuppance. Romance is only just touched upon with a few lingering kisses, but there is a very strong possibility of more sparks flying in future episodes.

 

Author – Rachael Craw

Age – 14+

 

 

 

(2025, Allen & Unwin, NZ Author, New Zealand Author, Series, Time travel, Action, Romance, Conflict, Courage, Fantasy, Historical, Magic, 1303, Medieval, Prophecy, Palace, Rescue, Escape, Saint, Sword play, War Horse)

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Bravepaw (2) and the Clawstone of Rotwood Mire

Titch is finally on the adventure she has always dreamed of, with her bestie Huckleberry and her pet Dollop along for company. But even with the Heartstone Staff of Aluria in her hand, this adventure isn’t quite what she’d planned.

Lost in a swamp and with the rain beating down, Titch wishes she was home again, warm, fed and bored. It doesn’t seem so bad after all, now she is off her protected plateau, and out in the real world.

The last straw is a huge, angry monster that roars up in front of them out of the swamp depths. They are suddenly cornered and no amount of waving the staff and wishing for it to do something works. Suddenly, a red streak of rescuer leaps to their aid, banishing the monster. Relieved and incredibly grateful, they meet Briar Nettlebrush, a sword bearing swash buckling squirrel.

This squirrel might seem confident and brave, but she has a major problem too. Somebody has taken over her entire village and banished her!

Can Titch and her friends repay the favour and help Briar? In doing so, Titch learns more about her quest set by a prince, and her confidence gets a boost too.

 

The second in this action packed series – full of monsters, courage, friendship and a mysterious quest. Bravepaw is perfect for young readers who have ever dreamed of becoming a hero. Titch is kind, brave, but not super confident in the quest she has been given, bringing empathy for her and her loyal friends.

Bravepaw and the Clawstone of Rotwood Mire brings more clues to Titch about her way ahead. A map in the front of the book shows readers where the adventurers are and where they must venture next.

Add the beautiful black and white illustrations and fun fonts portraying the action and emotions, and Bravepaw is one of my favourite junior chapter book series on the shelves.

 

Author – L M Wilkinson

Illustrator – Lavanya Naidu

Age – 6+

 

 

(2025, Albert Street Books, Allen & Unwin, Series, Animals, Adventure, Courage, Friendship, Loyalty, Quest, Jewels, Power, Control, Village, Swamp, Monster, Confidence, Action)

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Dreamslinger

Aria is incredibly proud of her father. He has always believed that the gene-compromised Dreamslingers in their community are not as dangerous as they are believed to be. Aria lives with her father in a centre he has established for Dreamslingers, which helps them control their extraordinary powers. This centre is called Resthaven, and now that Aria herself has discovered she has the Dreamslinger gene, she too follows the centre teachings, in order to keep everyone safe.

Dreamslingers are much maligned, as 10 years before there was an event now called The Great Outburst, where Dreamslinger’s were found responsible for the deaths of many – including Aria’s own mother.

But the practices of Resthaven have been proven to work, and government officials are considering the funding for many more centres across the country to help Dreamslingers – until an uninvited guest ruins everything.

Aria is soon on a quest to save her father’s dream, and the safety and welfare of other Dreamslingers across her country. She must travel to The Kingdom of Royal Hanguk and enter 3 trials. Along the way she hopes to learn more about the people who threaten everything for her kind and her father.

What she finds is far from what she knows, including secrets from her own past. She also finds friendship, a part of her she didn’t realise was missing and a different future for herself and other Dreamslingers.

 

The first in a new series – The Slinger Series, Dreamslinger is a window into a world of magical creatures, Korean culture and tradition and a series of trials main character Aria must succeed in.

It’s also a mirror on our own society as a marginalised part of their community is misunderstood, shamed and treated badly. Graci Kim gives the reader a world where this can be solved in understanding, honour, kindness and ultimately an exciting and fun read!

Aria is a likeable character as she tries to put wrongs right, stands up for others and changes across the novel, the more truths are revealed to her. The world building is exquisite, the magical creatures breath taking and the plot fast-paced.

Fans of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, Harry Potter and Nevermoor will gobble this up with more in the series to come. 

 

Author – Graci Kim

Age – 8+

 

 

 

 

(2025, Penguin NZ, NZ, Action, Adventure, Series, Friendship, Fantasy, Courage, Secret, Dragons, Korean Traditions, Korean Culture, Test, Trials, Undercover, Guilt, Truth, Diversity, Quests, Boarding School,

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Then There Was One

Bex can’t deal with it any more. Her father has made it very clear what he thinks of her, wanting to marry her off as soon as possible so he doesn’t have to even look at her in their home. A chance to escape comes with an entry to The Pinnacle – a competition every planet in their system has heard of. Sure, she’s no athlete, and hardly a scholar, but anything is better than staying home. The prize money means escape… finally.

Zane is the son of a wealthy politician. But wealth does not mean happiness. On Zane’s planet, arranged marriages are the norm. He’s not sure about his upcoming nuptials, as he doesn’t want his bride’s family to know any more about his own. There is too much to hide.

Raya lives on The Moons. These are the planets mined for their minerals and riches, with none of the wealth going to the miners. In fact, it has proven itself again and again since Raya was eight years old and alone, that miners are to be worked to death, with little if any pay and no rights whatsoever. Raya is tough, street smart and loves her dog Zircon. If she could win The Pinnacle, her and Zircon could leave The Moons, buy a house and never have to fight or steal food again.

They are only three of ten contestants for the competition – all looking each other over as they buckle themselves into the shuttle that will take them to the venue. Will it be a desert, a jungle or an icy mountain? What will the challenges be, and should they find allies early?

All these concerns are soon forgotten when one of them dies. Then another. And another. Someone knows what they have all done at home. Someone wants justice.

 

Set 400 years in our future, this YA novel is a little Hunger Games, a little Lord of the Flies and a lot riveting! Ten teens, are all desperate to win a huge cash prize after eliminating their competition. But as the bodies pile up, the realisation that they might not be accidents, ups the tension ten-fold.

The stress is high as they try to figure out who the killer is, who to trust and how much to admit of their past lives. Three of the characters tell the tale, with the other seven as collateral damage in the plot.

A page-turning plot and contrasting characters make this a compelling read. 

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC of this exciting novel.

 

Author – Wendy Cross

Age – 12+

 

 

 

(2024, Penguin Books, Action, Dystopian, Sci Fi, Guilt, Aventure, Game, Competition, Murder, Crime, Secrets, Family, Island, Friendship, Future, Mystery, One by one, Revenge)

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The Biggest Kiwi in the World

When WWI was over in 1919, there were thousands of soldiers waiting for a ship home. In England, New Zealand soldiers lived at Sling Camp in Salisbury while they waited… and waited.

They had survived the war and now were keen to return home to their families. While waiting, they worried about their loved ones and the devastating flu that was racing around the world. Add delayed ships and port strikes and the tension inside Sling Camp became unbearable.

Soldiers finally began to leave the camp, but many were still waiting. They needed something to do while they waited, and so Sergeant Major Percy Blenkarne, Sergeant Major Victor Low and Captain Harry Clark put together an idea.

With the help of 250 soldiers, they carved a symbol of their time there, in nearby Beacon Hill. What remains to this day is a 128 metre long kiwi for all to see. It has needed some care and maintenance over the years, but the Bulford Kiwi still shines bright from the hill.

 

The Biggest Kiwi in the World is much more than a historical tale.

Inside the front cover is an activity for readers, with answers in the back of the book. Along with these is a map, a timeline, information on the key men in the story, and the reason why we are called kiwis!

Inside the story are photographs of the Bulford Kiwi and simply beautiful artwork of a girl and her grandfather walking among the ghosts of the past as he tells her the story of the kiwi on the hill.

Another Colleen Brown and Emma Lay story to add to home and school Anzac collections.

 

Author – Colleen Brown

Illustrator – Emma Lay

Picture Book

Non-Fiction

 

 

 

(2025, Non-Fiction, Colleen Brown Books, NZ Expeditionary Force, New Zealand, Soldiers, World War 1, WWI, England, Salisbury Plain, The Bulford Kiwi, Beacon Hill, 1919, Sling Camp, Historical, True Story, Chalk Hills, NZ Author, NZ Illustrator)

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