Pauline Smith Photo: Supplied
Anahera Morehu Photo: Supplied
Helping children and teenagers to navigate their way through all the misinformation being spread through social media, is seen as an increasingly important role for those who write books for this age group.
Racism, gender equality, autism, and climate change are among the topics discussed by some of the finalists in this year's New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.
The Convenor of Judges, Pauline Smith, is also delighted to see more writers integrating Te Reo and Te Ao Māori into their stories
There's a record number of entries for this year's awards, just one book shy of 200, with the finalists announced during the week.
Lynn Freeman spoke with Pauline and to Anahera Morehu who's the convenor of the Te Kura Pounamu Award panel to discuss why children's literature is so important
