THE GROOVE BOOK REPORT

The Story Search for Issue 18 is an artwork by 11-year-old Laura Sohn. Send a response by September 27 to submit@toitoi.nz . The winning submission will be published in Toitoi 18 with additional illustrations by Laura. For more info:  https://www.toitoi.nz/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Toitoi-16-Story-Search.pdf

The latest edition of Toitoi (#16) is now available. This is a gorgeous collection of writing and art from primary school children all over Aotearoa. This edition features a stunning cover by 13-year-old artist Rangimarie Mckay-Maxwell. For this edition the editors received a very moving poem by Sophie Blacklock from Churton Park School about her experience of visiting the Children's Holocaust Memorial at the National Library in Wellington. In response they commissioned young artist Wilkie Proudfoot from St Anthony's School, Seatoun, to illustrate the poem. When they received Wilkie's art, they were blown away. Here's a sample: Sophie, Wilkie and their families were recently hosted by the  Holocaust Centre of New Zealand  and their work is now on display. You can order the latest edition here:  https://www.toitoi.nz We at the groove book report just love these tiny champions of our literary future and urge you to support them in any way you can. Bu...

Midsummer’s Eve, 1648, and England is in the grip of civil war between renegade King and rebellious Parliament. The struggle reaches every corner of the kingdom, even to the remote Tidelands – the marshy landscape of the south coast. Alinor, a descendant of wise women, crushed by poverty and superstition, waits in the graveyard under the full moon for a ghost who will declare her free from her abusive husband. Instead she meets James, a young man on the run, and shows him the secret ways across the treacherous marsh, not knowing that she is leading disaster into the heart of her life. Suspected of possessing dark secrets in superstitious times, Alinor’s ambition and determination mark her out from her neighbours. This is the time of witch-mania, and Alinor, a woman without a husband, skilled with herbs, suddenly enriched, arouses envy in her rivals and fear among the villagers, who are ready to take lethal action into their own hands.

" It's no coincidence, I think, that at the most emotional times of our lives – weddings, the births of children, funerals – we so often turn to a poem when looking to commemorate the occasion, or for ballast, comfort, joy and/or hope.   At these and other moments, a poem expresses perfectly the things we feel deeply, but may not be able to put into words. On such occasions, a poem – in its emotional intensity and integrity – also encapsulates life, real life, its wonder, struggles and uncertainties, and thereby reminds us, we are not alone ."    Siobhan Harvey -  Poetry is for all the times in your life   With around 150 events and activities across New Zealand on or around Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day, the Calendar of Events gives everyone a chance to unleash the power of poetry and rub shoulders with New Zealand’s poets.  We're very excited to share the 2019 Calendar of Events, where poetry royalty joins forces with poetry...

Can Lily keep a rescued kitten secret while trying to earn her silver slippers?  Emily reads up and tries to find out.  This is the second book of the Lily - the littlest angel series, which has just been reprinted for a new generation of kids like me!  In this story Lily finds and rescues a small, cute kitten that's hurt itself. Although she knows it's not the right thing to do she must look after it until it gets better.  But how can she she when no animals allowed at Amelia's Angel Academy (Only Frumblepuss!).   This is her world.  She can not risk it.  Therefore, the kitten will need to be her secret. Like every Lily story (there are 6 in the series), she goes through a series of mishaps and adventures while she tries to earn her silver slippers while trying to keep her little friend hidden.  Like all the books in this series, this is a very sweet story.  I read most of this book in one night.  It's only 102 pages, so n...

After 7 years pondering and 2 years in production,  Jan Hellriegel  has released  Sportsman Of The Year - A Suburban Philosophy , her 4th studio album, with a unique twist:  Sportsman Of The Year  is also available as a beautifully produced book with photos and 12 chapters based on the stunning new collection of songs. Taking advantage of all multimedia platforms, Jan also released a  podcast series  which was produced by Radio NZ and is now available on all digital streaming sites. At one stage in her ambitious new album and book project, Jan joked about calling it ‘A Loser’s Guide To Winning’. Only she wasn’t joking. “Sportsman of the Year is about finally arriving at a place where she can look back at failures, disappointments, and rejections with a sense of accomplishment and pride, knowing that without them she wouldn't be doing what she is today. It is about following your dreams and never giving up” commented J...

A new Nesbø novel is always a cause for celebration.  Apart from the arrival of anything by Stuart McBride, it's the only time I'll stop what I’m reading and defect the very minute it appears in the post. Nesbø readers already know that he's the reigning king of Scandi- crime and have come to expect a lot from him. But can he continue to deliver again on this one? On the surface, the answer is 'yes!'  We get heavy, dense but digestible layer cake of a plot; a gritty atmosphere; intense and immersive pacing: a boat load of red herrings; and, best yet, the return of our beloved and troubled hero - detective Harry Hole. Honestly, I really thought he was done for. After the last few books, you have to wonder what more physical and psychological injuries Nesbø can inflict upon him. He's lost body parts, been knifed, shot, beaten up, fired, and quagmired! Was there anything left - physically, emotionally or spiritually? Fortunately, Knife dials back the ove...

Grandma McGarvey Rides again! Jenny Hessell created her zany character over 30 years ago.  Loosely based on an anti-ageist antagonist that continuously proves that brute force and youthful agility are no match for years and wisdom, Hessell took great delight in placing her hero in over a dozen ridiculous predicaments. In this 30th anniversary release, just in time for the footy season, Grandma McGarvey's car is stuck in the mud.  So she nobbles down to the local club where a game in in full swing.  Inadvertently, she's roped in and ends up at the bottom of the scrum.  Quick thinking and catlike skills get her out of the maul and she breaks to score the winning try for the home team. The story is told with irreverent rhyming couplets and simple, almost child-like pictures.   Her choice of words is witty and whimsical.  Sometimes she even makes up words to make the rhymes work.  I like that. My girls pounced on this book when it arrived....

Children love rhyming books.  No question.  Especially interactive ones, where they can second guess the ending of a phrase or stanza.  A simple, eloquent story, with an uncomplicated direction always works best.  That's exactly what Wellingtonian Elaine Bickell has done here.  Never mind that her readers (3-7 years) probably have never experienced ghosts or goblins (even on film).  This is all about fun.  It's a straight swap out from similar stories about animals that have lost their voice, or a parent or are trying to get back home.  It's a simple journey back to a state of equilibrium and the safety of the familiar. In this case our character, Little Ghost, has lost her voice (her 'Boo').  This is the mojo power that defines her 'kind'.  She is not complete if she can't frighten people!  Her quest, as such, is to find that unique sound, one that really makes her a proper ghost. This is not a scary sound, more a simple co...

This year’s Book of the Year for young readers is “The Bomb” A sparkling story of courage and transformation has been judged the best book for young readers at this year’s national children’s book awards.  The Bomb  by Sacha Cotter, illustrated by Josh Morgan, was awarded the highest prize in children’s publishing  – The Margaret Mahy Book of the Year  – during a ceremony at Te Papa in Wellington to celebrate the 2019 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. The judges were captivated by the spell this book cast. They described it as a summery, waterlogged, quintessentially Kiwi story about a child growing in self-confidence while striving to achieve the perfect “bomb”, supported every step of the way by the reassuring presence of his Nan. “Joy and humour permeate the story and illustrations of  The Bomb , and the reader is rewarded with each encounter – they see a new layer, another detail is revealed, fresh energy bubbles up,” sa...

Alan Duff, Elizabeth Knox and Don McGlashan Headline 24 th  Going West Writers Festival New Zealand’s leading authors, poets, playwrights and musicians take to West Auckland’s theatres, halls and beaches at the 24th Going West Writers Festival 6-15 September, offering audiences ten days of inspiring words and ideas that cut through the clutter. The Festival’s Artistic Director Mark Easterbrook says he’s thrilled to welcome writers from all over Aotearoa, handpicked for their reputations as wordsmiths that can encourage us to imagine new possibilities. “This year’s writers will take us to new places, make us laugh and help us make sense of the issues we’re grappling with.  I invite you all to enjoy the legendary warmth of Going West, rub shoulders with other word-lovers and immerse yourself in a world of stories and ideas.”  Always a sell-out, this year’s Festival Opening Night, features live music from  The Bellbirds: Don McGlashan, Sean James Donn...