Waiopehu College

Top 10 team members

Team members

OS

23,476 pts

(16,660 pages read)

Hometown New Zealand

By Derek Smith

4 stars

Lots of images from the author's time as a meter reader.
The Deepest Map

By Laura Trethewey

0 stars

Beginning to listen to
Fast Talking PI

By Selina Tusitala Marsh

4 stars

Encourages thought and reflection.
Under The Weather

By James Renwick

4 stars

Learned something new "we also know the carbon being added to the atmosphere is fossil carbon because the fraction of radioactive carbon in the atmosphere is decreasing. Fossil fuels really are fossils – the remains of plants from hundreds of millions of years ago that have been transformed by heat and pressure in the Earth over millions more years – and they have been underground so long they no longer contain any radioactive carbon atoms. So, when they are burned, it’s a depleted form of carbon dioxide that’s released, and there’s a corresponding decrease in the fraction of radioactive carbon in the atmosphere." ----------------------- Another WOW quote: "As ice melts, the local sea level actually drops because of the reduced gravity. The meltwater flows far away and the net result is that melting in Greenland raises sea levels more in the Southern Hemisphere, and melting in Antarctica raises sea levels more in the Northern Hemisphere."
Spidey Amazing Friends A Little Hulk Trouble

By Steve Behling

3 stars

Read this to get a sense of who this ubiquitous Spidey character is. Seemingly, they are a toddler/child targeted version of Spiderman. This book had a weapon, the name of which stuck out to me as I am so familiar with it in much different context/discourse(s). I.e. ---------"Green Goblin is not happy. The spiders are ruining his fun! “Good thing I’ve got my Baby Boomer!” says Goblin. “It turns anything it hits into a little baby!”" ------
Being Magdalene

By Fleur Beale

5 stars

Yet another powerful read. Certainly quite an emotionally confronting story.
I am Rebecca

By Fleur Beale

5 stars

A riveting sequel to I am not Esther, which I read during my time as a NCEA student. The characters and plot are well-developed and compelling.
End Times

By Rebecca Priestley

4 stars

An interesting journey through the West Coast alongside Priestley's retrospective on her teenage years as an evangelical Christian. I certainly enjoyed reading this work which mixes popular science with autobiography. I have to say the first few pages drew me in; descriptions of not-so-legal drug use, alongside statements about the angle of repose of a hillside foreshadowed what is both a serious and irreverent read.
Dark Emu

By Bruce Pascoe

0 stars

The exaggeration of sizes of heritage sites was a strategy used by European colonists in places around the world to make it seem (from their racist perspective) that these couldn't have been built by non-Europeans. I.e. to legitimate colonial silence and theft of land.
Planting our World

By Stefan Mancuso

3 stars

Some fascinating stories.
Bite back

By Genevieve Mora

5 stars

A valuable listen to this recent text regarding eating disorders. The topic areas discussed are really quite heavy but worthwhile. I learned a bit about conditions including OCD, anorexia, and other eating disorders. Really useful to get a sense of what eating disorders are, how to support those who have eating disorders, and what some symptoms/warning signs of eating disorders are. Arohanui.
Counting Descent

By Clint Smith

5 stars

A very short one. Some thought-provoking poems.
Dyslexia (Wrestling with an Octopus)

By Beth Beamish

5 stars

The first sections in particular are especially useful for educators- though all are relevant and important. Certainly, as a non-dyslexic educator I feel I now have a greater understanding and appreciation of what dyslexia means for dyslexic people. Overall, a great concise listen.
There's a Cure for This: A Memoir

By Emma Wehipeihana

5 stars

An especially engaging and quick read. Starting this when I was supposed to be going to sleep was a big mistake. A very worthwhile read and one that I would recommend. Wehipeihana is a superb writer whose reflections on her experiences and NZ society are very relevant today. Quite a few mentions of places in the Lower North Island/Nelson-Tasman area as well, which may be of interest to readers with connections to these areas.
River Kings

By Cat Jarman

0 stars

listening to on and off
The Astromancer

By Witi Ihimaera

5 stars

A good, short YA fiction written by Witi Ihimaera.
Pandemic

By Sally Stone

5 stars

A quick read. Really gets into the 1918 Influenza Pandemic and the end of WWI/the Armistice in a way that is accessible and interesting to both children and adults. Even though it is called Pandemic, the book is arguably equally concerned with the impact of WWI too. This historical fiction gives some insight into what must have been one of the most trying periods that many faced in their lives. I would certainly recommend.
Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts

By Josie Shapiro

5 stars

One thing that stood out from the beginning was the protagonist having a odious father and seems to have been left in the lurch by those around her, which is quite sad. It does get better for her though. Was an engaging listen, but be aware that the text deals with some potentially triggering- and definitely upsetting- topics . Definitely quite a lot of messages around misogyny, stereotypes, relationships/boundaries, and friendship.
Prisoners of Geography

By Tim Marshall

3 stars

Overall, some interesting analysis. Some of the predictions/guesses for the future have panned out more than others.
Pet

By Catherine Chidgey

5 stars

A well written book. Chidgey is a great storyteller whose work I will have to read more of.
Caste

By Isabel Wilkerson

5 stars

A straightforward and thought-provoking listen. Such a good look at the insidious nature of caste, particularly with regard to the American context.
Niho Taniwha: Improving Teaching and Learning for Ākonga Māori

By Melanie Riwai-Couch

5 stars

An extremely well organised book and one all teachers should read. Riwai-Couch has created a book that can be read straight through and/or used as a reference to go back to/use to implement culturally responsive, Te Tiriti honouring practices. I will definitely have to come back to this as there is so much to learn/reflect on. Of many key themes, probably the main one to emerge from this and Culture Speaks by Berryman and Bishop. Namely, the importance of kaiako having high expectations of ākonga Māori; a crucial prerequisite of which is NOT having deficit views of Māori students. So many things to ponder and I have taken notes of a few points that struck me. Haumi ē! Hui ē! Tāiki ē!
Culture Speaks: Cultural Relationships and Classroom Learning

By Russell Bishop and Mere Berryman

5 stars

A vital read for teachers of ākonga Māori i.e. all teachers in NZ. The interview summaries are analysed by Bishop and Berryman. The results from the interviews are connected by the authors to the Te Kotahitanga Effective Teaching Profile.
A Brief History of Indonesia

By Tim Hannigan

4 stars

Quite a good introduction to Indonesia. I chose to listen to this as Indonesia is the 4th most populous country in the World, yet I knew very little about it; other than that it had c. 18,000 islands. I know a bit more now from listening to this book.
Big Lonely Doug

By Harley Rustad

5 stars

Fascinating account of discovery, ecology, and life on this island in British Columbia, Canada. A straightforward read with some pictures at the end.
Iris and Me

By Philippa Werry

5 stars
The Whale Rider

By Witi Ihimaera

5 stars
The Great Displacement

By Jake Bittle

4 stars
Lessons in Chemistry

By Bonnie Garmus [Narrated by Miranda Raison]

4 stars

Wow! A real page turner. Well-developed characters who Raison (the narrator) really brought out.
The Amazon: What Everyone Needs to Know

By Mark J. Plotkin

4 stars

An interesting listen. Works well for someone who has read lots of bits and pieces about the Amazon before [e.g. ecology, Fordlandia, expeditions etc.] , but never a whole book on it. Cattle production in Brazil is the biggest cause of deforestation in the World.
Ngā Kete Mātauranga

By Jacinta Ruru & Linda Waimarie Nikora (eds)

5 stars

A beautiful listen. An essential read for anyone interested in Mātauranga Māori.
My Cat Likes to Hide In Boxes

By Eve Sutton

5 stars

A sweet children's book. It has won a Esther Glen Award which it turns out is an award for Children's/YA literature; and is probably a good list of books for anyone interested in NZ young people's lit, though I have only read a small number of these books.
Mathematical Mindsets

By Jo Boaler

5 stars

An especially compelling listen. Fixed mindset thinking- "damaging" "high achieving girls... it turns out that even believing you are smart... is damaging, as students with this fixed mindset are less willing to try more challenging work or subjects because they are afraid of slipping up and no longer being seen as smart... high incidence of fixed mindset" among girls part of reason less women are in STEM. ______ Fixed mindsets due to praise. Even praise for doing well "smart" they may feel good at first when they fail later they may not feel as smart at all. Compliment based on hard work, not who they are as a person as this reinforces fixed ability mindsets. _________ One study; extent of negative emotions held by elementary teachers impacted on girls' math performance- perhaps pick up on comments like "this is hard, but let's do this", or "I never liked Maths." _____ Mistakes make our brain grow, even when we don't know that we have made one! We want students to make mistakes. _____ Teach students to make mistakes. One strategy; get students to write down their thoughts about making mistakes in Math- crumple and throw this at whiteboard- then retrieve, unfold and draw lines on crinkles- these are the brain growth from mistakes. ____ Equilibrium (old); + new info = disequilibrium -> new equilibrium. Idea that if students get everything correct; haven't had opportunity to learn. _____ Golden ratio/study of patterns.
Wicked Plants

By Amy Stewart

3 stars

A Caulerpa taxifolia variant taking over large areas of the Mediterranean is a wild story. Another one; most Cannabis removed in the US are wild plants left over from when growing it was legal many decades ago.
A Rebel in Auschwitz

By Jack Fairweather

5 stars

A really powerful young adult non fiction account. There is a sobering contrast able to be drawn between the experiences of Witold, a Polish man in Auschwitz, and the Nazis who got away with so much as in the book I was reading recently: Operation Paperclip.
Mophead

By Selina Tusitala Marsh

5 stars

A wonderful story with splendid illustrations. Highly recommend.
Origins

By Lewis Dartnell

4 stars

"landfill mining" could be a thing soon... Another interesting message, Christopher Columbus only got to America by historical contingency; he sailed from a particular group of islands controlled by his benefactor which meant that he was actually left towards the Americas from a point where the wind/currents would actually take him to the American continent. Another interesting part was about how so much coal was created during/from the Carboniferous period; freeze-thaw glacials and interglacials and plate tectonics led to lots of organic material being sunk and turning into coal.
Always Italicise: How to write while colonised

By Alice Te Punga Somerville

5 stars

Some powerful poetry.
Ngā Atua Maori Gods

By Robyn Kahukiwa

5 stars

A short overview of Atua.
Song of the River

By Joy Cowley

5 stars

A sweet story.
Māui – Sun Catcher

By Tim Tipene

5 stars

A neat short story.
Te Wehenga: The separation of Ranginui & Papatūānuku

By Mat Tait

5 stars

A beautiful, bilingual book about Te Wehenga; The separation of Ranginui & Papatūānuka.
Operation Paperclip: The Secret Intelligence Program that Brought Nazi Scientists to America

By Annie Jacobsen

5 stars

Really striking just how much contempt there was for the victims of the Nazis. A comprehensive account.
Whakarongo ki o Tupuna: Listen to your Ancestors

By Darryn Joseph

5 stars

Some beautiful illustrations support a poignant text
Four Lost Cities

By Annalee Newitz

4 stars

Cahokia- over a third were immigrants far from city- "scientists use a process called stable isotope analysis that reveals where a person grew up, by studying the chemical composition of tooth enamel from human remains at Cahokia, scientists can discern the specific isotopic signatures left behind by the food and water that people ingested as children. the process is often used in forensics." Wow, interesting technique!
A History of New Zealand in 100 Objects

By Jock Phillips

0 stars

Going back and forth to this one, a good general History of New Zealand mediated through various ephemera.
Early An intimate history of premature birth and what it teaches us about being human

By Sarah DiGregorio

4 stars

I learned a lot from this introduction to premature babies.
Alex. The Quartet.

By Tessa Duder.

5 stars

An engrossing read. The characterisation of Alex as the primary protagonist, with an array of well-developed supporting characters, made this a good read. Such good messages about peer pressure, gender and valuing oneself. No surprise that Duder, none of whose books I have read before, is such a renowned author.
Abridged audiobook. The Path between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914

By David McCullough

4 stars

An interesting listen to an abridged version of what is apparently quite a famous book.
A Macat Analysis of William Cronon's 'Nature's Metropolis'

By Cheryl Hudson

3 stars

Something a bit different. Was looking through Ebooks on the Libby website and came across this. Definitely one of the more random things I have listened to.
Pūrākau Māori Myths Retold by Māori Writers

By Ed. Witi Ihimaera and Whiti Hereaka

0 stars

About a quarter of the way through this read. Ihimaera is such a good writer! I don't believe I have read much/any of his work before. His chapter in here was a real page turner.
The Last Days of the Dinosaurs

By Riley Black

4 stars

A fairly interesting listen. Black put the event 66 MYA in the context of past mass extinctions. Apparently the idea of an asteroid hitting Earth, causing the mass extinction of dinosaurs was only proposed in 1980; with the Yucatan location only discovered in the 1990s. So recent!! Quote: "the initial impact... would have been powerful enough to blow many terrestrial dinosaurs in the vicinity off into space."
Dawn Raid

By Pauline (Vaeluaga) Smith

4 stars

A young-adult historical fiction. An immersive look at Pacific experiences in mid-70's NZ through the perspective of a 13 year old girl living in Cannons Creek, Porirua. An accessible story for young people that really gives a sense of 1970s NZ life. Just a note that there is a slur used at one point which is discussed and unpacked in-text, but is something to be aware of if you were listening to this with children.
The Pants of Perspective

By Anna McNuff

3 stars

An engaging and straightforward listen. McNuff brings a strong personal voice to her account of a northbound Te Araroa journey. Interesting to see NZ through an outsider's perspective.
We are here: An atlas of Aotearoa

By Chris McDowall and Tim Denee

5 stars

A beautiful reference book to peruse. Lots of visual representations of information about Aotearoa New Zealand. Much more of a reference book than one you would read cover to cover, it is exciting to randomly open to a new map or graph. Highly recommended to anyone interested in NZ Geography and place.
Transformer: The Deep Chemistry of Life and Death

By Nick Lane

2 stars

Much of this book was a bit confusing for me; all the chemistry was a bit hard to follow. There were still some very interesting stories though. Science is definitely still an ongoing discourse, and there is so much left for scientists to discover.
The Great Dead Body Teachers

By Jackie Dent

5 stars

A highly interesting and engaging, easy listen. Dent weaves together her own family history, the history and sociology of dissection and the science behind and in front of it. A compelling narrative that kept me engaged.
A Concise History of Japan

By Brett L. Walker

3 stars

This book comprised an overview of Japan's history. It was notable for its chronological organisation and use of details. There was also a thematic type of approach with links to the anthropocene in a global context. Overall, a good listen but a bit difficult to follow first part as I didn't really have much prior knowledge so all the names, many in unfamiliar Japanese language were a bit difficult to follow.
When Asia was the World

By Stewart Gordon

3 stars

A fairly interesting listen. Might be better to read on paper to see what the names of people/places actually are; that said, on occasion looking up places on Google Maps while listening was helpful. Overall, a good overview of some of the shifts of ideology and power in Asia during the middle of the Common Era.
'A Bloody Difficult Subject': Ruth Ross, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the Making of History

By Bain Attwood

0 stars

Read About 2/5 through. Am a bit skeptical though, after reading this review: https://newsroom.co.nz/2023/05/24/a-bloody-difficult-historian/ and am unlikely to finish.
Amazon Woman: Facing Fears, Chasing Dreams, and a Quest to Kayak the World's Largest River from Source to Sea

By Darcy Gaechter

5 stars

A really enjoyable listen. Gaechter is an insightful and clear author who tells a easy to follow, highly engaging story. The book is very accessible for those who don't have a clue about kayaking; me(!!!)
Swamplands

By Edward Struzik

3 stars

Struzik provides a decent overview of peatlands, their importance, and future. This was a fairly interesting listen.
Love Across Borders. Passports, Papers and Romance in a Divided World.

By Anna Lekas Miller

4 stars

Some thought-provoking experiences tied into an overall narrative by Anna Lekas Miller. It is heartbreaking how cruel borders can be.
From Crime To Care The history of Abortion in Aotearoa New Zealand

By Felicity Goodyear-Smith

5 stars

A great read. An easy to follow overview of abortion over time in NZ. Different perspectives and social actions are described and explained. So many harrowing experiences from the past.
Tales from the Perilous Realm

By J.R.R. Tolkien

3 stars

Some interesting stories, others not quite so appealing to me. Had started a while back and finished now.
Red Memory Living Remembering and Forgetting China's Cultural Revolution

By Tania Branigan

4 stars

Through a range of perspectives; a compelling introduction to China's Cultural Revolution and its aftermath is provided. A good listen with some ending thoughts on the current situation in China.
The Secret Life of Groceries

By Benjamin Lorr

4 stars

A set of compelling stories. Listened to in a few days as was quite a straightforward narrative.
Making a New Land: Enviromental Histories of New Zealand

By Eric Pawson and Tom Brooking

0 stars

A useful collection of chapters about the NZ environment; issues and perspectives relating to it over time :) A bit over halfway through; I have been reading on and off as it is quite academic so needs a bit of energy to read.
Underland

By Robert Macfarlane

4 stars

An interesting lesson- lots of little vignettes illuminating 'underlands' around the world. Plenty of interesting experiences/histories to listen to.

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