The 2022 edition of League in Libraries-Rīki i ngā Whare Pukapuka came to a close recently with three new young authors being added to the growing list of winners in the competition run by Warriors Community Foundation.

Established with the aim of improving literacy achievement in primary schools, League in Libraries-Rīki i ngā Whare Pukapuka, encourages children to rediscover the enjoyment of reading and literacy as essential life skills through the support of engaging mentors and role models.

In 2022, over 500 creative writing stories were entered from 57 primary schools across Aotearoa.

Supreme 2022 winners are:

Primary Category Winner: Noora Isaia – View Road School, Waiuku

Intermediate Category Winner: Richter Velasco Belmont – Stanhope Road School, Auckland

Te Reo Category Winner: Taimānia Salmon – Te Waka Unua, Christchurch

The three supreme winners and their families were VIP guests at our Vodafone Warriors final 2022 NRL home game against the Gold Coast Titans at Mt Smart Stadium.

This began with a visit to “Captain’s Run” with the Warriors players who all took time to have photos and autographs taken with Noora, Richter and Taimānia.

The young authors visited Kurawaka Studios to go through the illustration storyboard process with Paul Cornwell (Reap Creative) and Holly Romana Otimi (Kurawaka Studios) who worked on the three winning books.

From here, they visited Bluestar who printed the books for our young authors.

In addition to the three supreme winners, we had top 12 finalists and their classes.

•Room 8, View Road School, Waiuku

•Room 18, Stanhope Road School, Auckland

•Room 20, Stanhope Road School, Auckland

•Raupo Room, Te Waka Unua, Christchurch

•Te Whanau Toroa, Awhitu District School, Awhitu

•Team Tse, Verran Primary School, Auckland

•Team HN, Verran Primary School, Auckland

•Room 13, Mount Roskill Primary, Auckland

•Te Ara Pueru, Mangere Bridge School, Auckland

•Ruma Whitu, Sunnyhills Primary, Auckland

•Mrs Moopanar’s Class, Ormiston Primary School, Auckland

•Mrs Preiss Class, Ormiston Primary School, Auckland

The programme was funded by Wright Family Foundation with support from Pioneer Pies, Celebration Box, Bluestar and Penguin Random House NZ.

You can watch the journey of the 2022 programme in the video link below.

League in Libraries video

If you would like your school to be a part of the 2023 League in Libraries-Rīki i ngā Whare Pukapuka competition which kicks off in Term 1 2023, please email us and register your interest at admin@wcf.kiwi with your school name and ask to be added to our mailing list for the programme.