Author(s): Sue Copsey

NZ Non-Fiction

My school is pretty big, and it's hard when you're new and all alone. I like school now, especially playing netball - I'm on the team! - Ghazal, from Iran (lives in Dunedin). My grandfather takes me for walks in the forest. He teaches me what Maori used the forest for. I feel a connection to the big trees. - Joshua, from Northland. We came to New Zealand because my parents thought it would be a safe place for us to grow up. We couldn't bring everything, so I had to leave most of my toys behind. - Janice, from Malaysia (lives in Auckland). Aotearoa is a multicultural nation - nearly one in four of us was born overseas. In Our Children Aotearoa we meet 17 Kiwi kids with many different backgrounds, from descendents of the first Maori and European settlers, to new immigrants and refugees. Each double-page spread is a snapshot of a child's life. It includes photographs of their family, pets, where they live, favourite things, momentoes of their family's homeland, and typical family meals. Quotes from the children tell us in their own words what it's like growing up in New Zealand today, and their hopes and dreams for the future. Our Children Aotearoa is a valuable resource for parents and teachers wanting to encourage understanding of different cultures, and it will fascinate children who are interested in other children's lives. They will discover not only the differences between their lives, but also just how much all Kiwi kids have in common. At the end of the book are instructions explaining how children can put together a double-page spread about their own life.

About the author:
Sue Copsey is a writer and editor specialising in children's books. Originally from England, she has lived in Auckland since 1995, and has two Kiwi kids of her own. She has written and edited a wide variety of titles in both the UK and New Zealand.