Woodford House

96,035 pages read and 4,517 team points

Team members

Alice C

7,378 pts

(6,107 pages read)

The Raging Quiet

By Sheryl Jordan

5 stars

Re read of my favourite Nz YA author . She writes disability and social inequities . I loved the faith and hope in this one
House of Salt and Sorrows

By Erin Craig

3 stars

Very very dark and scary retelling of the 12 darcing princesses . Open ending , maybe hopeful, requires ongoing thought and incomplete feeling.
Reading Engagement for Tweens and Teens

By Margaret Merga

4 stars
Maui and other tales

By Peter Gossage

5 stars

Simple and timeless- my mother read to me and now I have read to mine.
Brown Girl Dreaming

By Jacqueline Woodson

3 stars
Stargirl

By Jerry Spinelli

4 stars

A quick and unique read. A bitter sweet first love story, true to life and reads nostalgic to me. I am transported back to awkward teen years and viciously cruel popularity rat races. The need to fit in and shrink, follow the heard. On this Stargirl is a role model for quirkiness and just being yourself, showing that our diversity and curiousities make us real.
Red Rising

By Pierce Brown

3 stars

I went looking for more dystopian with the vibes of Sunrise on the Reaping. This book is well known as Hunger Games set on Mars . But oh it is so much more , and also heavily SciFi which I wasn’t prepared for . The book asks very hard questions about power, wealth, rights, freedoms and democracy. Strangely beautiful and compelling, hauntingly violent and full of oppression and rage. I gritted through it and am pleased I did.
North and South

By Elizabeth Gaskell

5 stars

Another re read of a favourite . I think that last time I read this was lock down. This is a darker take on the pride and prejudice class crossing romance. The fictional Milton town is centre stage to the story , you can almost smell the smog, or taste the cotton, feel the cold of the long hard winter . This is a ruthless commentary on the conditions of the working poor, death is a driving device of the plot and the a well developed cast of characters all with competing motivations makes this a more serious approach to slow burn romance.
Persausion

By Jane Austen

5 stars

A re read of my favourite Austen
Sunrise on the reaping

By Suzanne Collins

5 stars

I saved this for the holidays, knowing Haymitch's story would emotionally destroy me. Collin has pulled out the big guns; this is even more violent, even more grim, even more rebellious take on her earlier works. Death is the background of the story, the entry point to the 50th quarter quell games and is present in almost every chapter. Not at all for the squimish or sensitive reader. Yet, underneath it all is a very important message for our young people- the dangers of a media-filtered existence, the perils of fake news and how hugely edited lives play out over "shorts" that do not tell the whole story. The audio version excelled with a choice of narrator, Jefferson White of Yellowstone. White perfectly captured a very large cast of characters and seamlessly changed from female to male voices. His pacing kept the action-packed story moving. With folk music a vital device to mirror the themes of the story, it was disappointing that the audio production didn't put the work into a musical score. I eagerly await the film this year, now more for the soundtrack than the movie itself. HOPE: Yes, even in the grimness of this story, Collin masterfully leaves us with a glimmer of peace and hope, even if we had to wait till the last two minutes.
A Good Girls Guide to Murder

By Holly Jackson

5 stars

Finally, read the most read book of Woodford House 2025. The quality of the writing blew me away, there was such beautifully and simply crafted ideas that stick with me long after the story is done. Much of the masterful writing was in the emotion and unravelling of our main character Pip's mental state throughout. The scene when she "captures her scream in her hands" and is so sleep deprived that "the days start to stick together" perfectly, simply capturing the feelings involved. Yes, I want to keep going with this series. A must-read for everyone.
Pride and Prejudice (Audible Original Graphic Audio)

By Jane Austen

4 stars

Graphic audio is a new take on the old fashioned radio play and it is extending and enhancing the listening experience . While initially jarring to hear a story I know inside out told only through dialogue, after an intial adjustment period I settled to enjoy this unique take on the classic. The production value on this audible play is extremely high, I felt fully immersed in the Bennet house hold, with the busy noise of this hilarious family . The flirtations between Elizabeth and Darcy were much more apparent in this version than in any of the other versions. With a full cast of high quality actors, including Glen Close as Lady de Bourgogne, and an amazing original score this was well worth the listening time.
The edible backyard

By Kath Irvine

4 stars

Summer holidays and finally time to work in my food growing . A book to dream about a food forest at home , permaculture and gardening hacks . Great illustrations and inspirations
Kowhai and the Giants

By Kate Parker

5 stars

An artistic favourite ! Beautiful light and shadow boxes make the illustrations . A fable for the environment , a call to action
Mother of the Nation : Whina Cooper and the long walk for justice

By David Hill

4 stars

Interesting NZ history read. A biography of Whina’s long life highlighting her service to community and Aotearoa. Did you know this great Hikoi took 29days! Notably written by David Hill, detailed enough to show a full life and simple enough for children audiences
Whenua: Māori Pūrākau of Aotearoa

By Isobel Joy Te Aho White

5 stars

It took two nights to read this long book of Aotearoas pūrākau. Late nights for my wee man, with too many interesting stories at bed time. NOW for a proper review. This book is a great fit for Years 7-10, especially in social studies, health, and Te Reo Māori classes. It shares Māori stories of shaping our lands. It's beautiful illustrations of native plants, animals, and important places, helps students connect to stories from different parts of Aotearoa. A very clever contents page showcases the stories connection to certain rohe. We read our way around the country, all grounded in a tour guide map of Te Waka-a-Maui and Te Ika-a-Maui. Māori language is used naturally throughout, supporting Māori students and families. Dialect shifts cleverly match the iwi variations for different stories and places. Although there’s no glossary, this helps normalise Te Reo for all readers. This title fills an important gap between early childhood books like Gossage’s In the Beginning and more advanced adult works such as Ihimaera’s Navigating the Stars. It’s a valuable, culturally rich addition for middle-grade readers and well worth adding to all school libraries.
Gleam

By Raven Kennedy

2 stars

Not going to continue with this series... It's dragging. The use of a cliff-hanger ending and action only in the last 50 pages for the third time is enough for me.
The light house princess

By Susan Wardell

2 stars

Next in my NZ picture book bedtime stories is A modern feminist and simple child’s fairytale. A girl who doesn’t need saving but instead saves the boy. The pictures are a feast to the eyes steeped very much in NZ by our distinct native creatures in background of every page . Beautiful soft pinks and teals, cut out feels almost collage . Very clever and lots to be seen and explored
Farewell, Anahera

By Vanessa Hayley-Owen

4 stars

There experience of a tangi told from the perspective of the spirit. Moving beautiful, bilingual read . Good introduction to the tangi and Maori perspectives of death for people new to New Zealand .
The ANZAC Puppy

By Peter Millett

3 stars

Loosely based on true events . A NZ soilder marches to war, by chance picking up a puppy, Freda, along the way. She becomes his best friend and hope through the long dark years of WW1. A bed time story with my little Boy Scout. Lots of good questions about world wars . Including when was the first ever war. I now know the first recorded was in human history was 4600 years ago.
The legend of the seven whales

By Mere Whaanga

4 stars

One of the oldest stories of Hawkes Bay/Wairoa, that tells of the shaping of the land and hills north of us here in Heretaunga . Seven whale brothers are cursed all because the youngest brother wouldn’t get out of bed . #bedtimestories #placebasedcurriculum
This is Where I Stand

By Phillipa Werry

5 stars

A reread of a favourite NZ picture book. A bedtime story for my little boy scout in the making. I am uncharacteristically patriotic about the ANZACs. Their stories, the war poetry and this dark period of NZ history have always stuck with me. This simple story is an exploration of time passing and those things that remain the same for a long-lost war hero, the memorial statue that could be in any park in New Zealand. As time moves on, he stands and watches and remembers. A powerful story, one even my seven-year-old could grasp. This soldier sacrificed his life, and we must remember. The pencil and acrylic ink sketches are timeless and capture the statue's stillness in a moving world. The use of autumn yellows, lined winds and leaves blowing across the page captures April in New Zealand perfectly. There is something sacred about the use of light, silhouette and shadow, and it elevates the story to a new height and importance.
The Dream Factory

By Steph Matuku

4 stars

Bedtime story for my 7-year-old son! Love Matuku's key message that dreams and imagination lead to greatness, happiness and innovation. A life without dreams, a community without imagination, becomes dark, dreary and lifeless existance . The illustrator Zak Ātea is new to me. His unique style is a mash-up of Māori imagery in a multicultural asian flare village, and this works!, There are hints of the maihi of marae above a busy street setting, the sail of a waka peaking above the town, a koro fern here , a kawakawa leaf there, ponamu and moko kauae juxtaposed with a vibrant asian ethnic feeling market place setting. There are hints of Chinese dragons, tigers roaming alongside the cheeky kereru who ties the story together and can be spotted on every page. This mash-up seems to speak to a multicultural New Zealand and is a feast of cultures and fantasy on every page. The colours support the theme with bright and vibrant streets transitioning to dark and deep blues as dreams disappear. Finally, the magical hot pink that brings the mystical and magical conclusion . 5 out 5- a great addition to any school library.
Glint

By Raven Kennedy

2 stars

Just interesting enough to keep listening . Much better than book 1 . Character driven not plot driven twisted fairy tale . Narrators voice was a bit grating, her male voices were unconvincing . Will try the ebook for book 3 instead.

25 - 0 - 1

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Woodford House

96,035 pages read and 4,517 team points

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