Sharing Our Stories books back in print, with new Teacher Resources online

The second and third books in Malcolm Paterson's Sharing Our Stories books are now back in print.

The Tunnel in our Backyard tells the story of heritage in the Mount Albert, Owairaka and Point Chevalier areas of Auckland. 

The Taniwha in our Backyard focuses on the southern Kaipara from Helensville to Muriwai. 

The reprints join the latest in the series, The River in our Backyard (published in 2022) and the first, The Castle in our Backyard (2010). 

Sharing Our Stories began life as a project by the Future Auckland Leaders programme, aiming to show young readers the rich heritage that lives 'in our backyard'. 

The stories follow cousins Tui and Jennifer and their whānau on adventures in various locations around Auckland.

Malcolm has developed Teacher Resources for both the reprinted books, which can be downloaded for free from the new, dedicated page on the Oratia Books website. 

While the stories are situated in Auckland, the themes of environmental care, value of Māori and Pākehā histories, respect for other cultures and active recreation resonate wherever children might need persuasion to drop their devices and head into their backyards. 

The Tunnel in our Backyard | ISBN: 978-0-947506-04-9

The Taniwha in our Backyard | ISBN: 978-0-947506-46-9

RRP $22.99 Paperback, 284 x 208 mm portrait, 32 pages, colour

Oratia's library of Teacher Resources now extends to The NZ Series

Helping time-pressured teachers to use our books in classrooms is a long-term goal of the Oratia Books team. 

So we're pleased to have just launched free Teacher Resources for three of our NZ Series books.

The resource sheets are available for free download from our website for the latest addition to the series, the stunning Weather and Climate New Zealand, along with The New Zealand Wars and Pioneer Women. Links to each resource are on the respective book pages.

The NZ Series introduces New Zealand society, history, science and geography to intermediate- and high-school age readers

Teacher Resources will be out for the other three titles currently in the series — Volcanoes and Earthquakes, Rush to Riches: Kauri and Gold and First Encounters: New Zealand 1642–1840 — in February 2023. 

The resources provide a range of student activities linked to the books, along with guidance for use in line with the New Zealand Curriculum. Retired teacher Sandra Carrod, author of Weather and Climate New Zealand, put together the resource for her book, while the other two are the work of Clementine Fraser, Head of History at Avondale College, Auckland. 

From The River in our Backyard Teacher Resource

We have a range of resources at a more junior level for other books, among them two just-released bilingual picture books: The River in our Backyard/Te Awa e Pātata Rawa Ana and The Grandmothers of Pikitea Street/Ngā Kuia o te Tiriti o Pikitea.

A page from The Grandmothers of Pikitea Street Teacher Resource

Other titles with resources include the Nanny Mihi series, Blimmin' Koro, Captain Cat, Home Child, The Forgotten Wars, The Longdrop, The Water Bottle, When Dad Came Home, and Dawn McMillan's nature series. 

For more detail, refer to our website, or contact Peter Dowling, Publisher.

First fully bilingual Sharing our Stories book connects kids with local heritage and multiple cultures

The River in our Backyard 
Te Awa e Pātata Rawa Ana   

                       

Malcolm Paterson
Illustrated by Martin Bailey

You don’t need an overseas trip to encounter centuries of history and unique environments, as the Sharing Our Stories books reveal.

The River in our Backyard /Te Awa e Pātata Rawa Ana is the fourth in the series and the first to be fully bilingual in English and te reo, both written by Malcolm Paterson. 

It also includes Tamil language, and publishes just ahead of the Diwali festival.

Malcolm says he is delighted to offer a new book through which tamariki and their whānau can engage with their social, cultural and environmental heritage — and which can be a local curriculum resource for schools. 

"My Indian Malaysian wife and I have a lovely 'fruit salad' whānau and there are many others like us. I hope that they see themselves reflected in my books, which acknowledge different cultures in our communities."

The new story again follows cousins Tui and Jennifer and their whānau on a voyage of discovery, this time into the history and nature of Auckland’s Te Atatū Peninsula and nearby places within reach by sea and river.

The children learn local heritage, human development and impact, the environment and conservation, and get to join in Diwali celebrations.

All the adventures are brought to life in Martin Bailey’s vibrant artwork. A Teacher Resource PDF for the book is also available on our website.

The authors

Malcolm Paterson belongs to Ngāti Whātua iwi, for which he plays heritage, commercial and environmental roles. He is the author of the previous three  Sharing our Stories books. Malcolm  lives with his family in Te Atatū, Auckland. 

Martin Bailey is a well-known illustrator who has created dozens of  children’s books, including illustrations for The Taniwha in our Backyard. He also manages the publisher Black Chook Books. Martin lives in Muriwai.

Exploring historic sites on Te Atatu Peninsula, Auckland while working on The River in our Backyard/Te Awa e Pātata Rawa Ana. From left: author Malcom Paterson (pictured with his eldest son, Davin), illustrator Martin Bailey (centre) and publisher Peter Dowling

Publication Date: 17 October 2022 |  ISBN: 978-1-99-004219-5 |  RRP $22.99

Paperback, 284 x 208 mm portrait, 32 pages, colour