Māpuna Library’s: Spine Poetry 2026!

Our last display of the term is up and looking fantastic! Quite poetic even, you could say! This display was inspired in part to celebrate World Poetry Day in mid-March. The idea was simple – make a poem out of book spines, well done to all the student librarians and staff who contributed and let their creativity fly! #SpinePoetry #TryItOut! Thank you to our wonderful … Continue reading Māpuna Library’s: Spine Poetry 2026!

Book Review: Max

Author: Sarah Cohen-Scali Published: 2012 Genres: Historical fiction  By: Kayla Star Rating: 3.8/5  Max by Sarah Cohen-Scali is a fascinating and confronting novel set in Germany during World War II. The book follows the life of a young boy named Max, a product of the ‘Lebensborn’ (Fountains of Youth) program, which is designed to create ‘perfect specimens of the German race’ in order to help the Nazi population thrive. Max is indoctrinated with Nazi ideology from the womb. However, when he meets a Jew named … Continue reading Book Review: Max

Māpuna Library’s: Blind Date a Book 2026!

Our first display of 2026 is up and running! To celebrate February with Blind Date a Book! The idea was simple – wrap up a selection of books and describe the novel in 3 words! And see if the students are encouraged to take one out! #BlindDateABook #TakeOneOut Thank you to our wonderful Library Team who put together this display and contniued to wrap up … Continue reading Māpuna Library’s: Blind Date a Book 2026!

Book Review: Lessons in Chemistry

Author: Bonnie Garmus Published: 2022 Genres:  Fiction, Historical Fiction, Humor and Tragiccomedy By: Alexandrina Star Rating: 4/5 ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆  Bonnie Garmus’s debut novel, Lessons in Chemistry, is a compelling and insightful work of historical fiction that explores themes of gender inequality, scientific integrity, and personal resilience. Set in 1960s America, the novel follows the journey of Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant chemist whose career is continually obstructed by the societal … Continue reading Book Review: Lessons in Chemistry

Māpuna Library’s Display: Schools’ Pride Week Aotearoa 2025!

This week in our library we celebrated Schools’ Pride Week Aotearoa! More info here on this incredible charity: https://pride.school.nz/ #ŌtautahiPride #SPWA2025 #InsideOUT #EveryoneIsMagic Thanks to our wonderful student librarians would helped find some of our many LGBTQ books for this display. Thank you to InsideOUT for creating the very popular Pride Week stickers! Continue reading Māpuna Library’s Display: Schools’ Pride Week Aotearoa 2025!

Māpuna Library’s Display: These books Have Never Been Issued 2025!

Our latest display in our library was inspired by displaying the books which had never been issued, and in so doing, try to encourage students to take them out! #TheseBookAreLonely #TheseBooksHaveNeverBeenOut Thanks to our wonderful student librarians and Library Team who researched and collected these books for display. Continue reading Māpuna Library’s Display: These books Have Never Been Issued 2025!

Māpuna Library’s Books Around the World 2025!

Our most recent display in the library was created to encourage students to explore the world with their next book. Each book was set in a different country or the author was from that country. #BooksAroundTheWorld #FindYourNextRead Thanks to our wonderful student librarians and Library Team who worked hard on designing the signage, flags and found books for this display. Thank you to one of … Continue reading Māpuna Library’s Books Around the World 2025!

Book Review: Babel

Author: R.F. Kuang  Published: 2022 Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction By: Maya Star Rating: 5/5 ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Babel, or the Necessity of Violence, written by R.F. Kuang, was one of the best books I have ever read. The story takes place in the mid-1830s, primarily in Oxford, England. The main character, Robin Swift, was born in China and is raised in England to study at the Royal Institute of Translation … Continue reading Book Review: Babel