In the first week back of Term 4, from October 10–16 2026 – ‘Little Yarns Festival of Reading’, a new mini children’s reading festival from the creators of Yarns in Barns, will bring five of NZ’s best junior fiction authors to Masterton.
Two free afterschool events where authors will entertain kids and bring their books to life, a Family-Read-a-Thon on NZ Bookshop Day and a week of school visits are planned to get kids excited about reading – and put free books into the hands of Year 5 students.
There’ll be dragons, MMA, mischief, missing horses, fantasy adventures and plenty of laughs – all with one goal: helping more children discover the joy of reading in a fun, inclusive and social environment.
The line-up features popular junior fiction authors James Russell, author of the Dragon Defenders, Children of the Rush and Marlon Foundling series; Airana Ngarewa, author of the new action-packed story of a young MMA fighter, The Comeback Kid; comedian and TV writer Sam Smith, creator of the hilarious Miles & Jones graphic novels; Sarina Clark, author of the fantasy adventure series Dragonfall; and Shelley Burne-Field, author of heartfelt animal stories, Ana & Frog, Kimi the Kekeno’s Big Adventure and Brave Kāhu and the Porangi Magpie.
Little Yarns Festival of Reading is a collaboration between longtime festival partners, Hedley’s Books and Masterton Library with the support of Masterton Trust Lands Trust and Eastern & Central Community Trust. The full Yarns in Barns festival takes a break in 2026, to concentrate on this mission to inspire junior readers.
The mini-festival is born out of Yarns in Barns’ Inspire a Child to Read programme, created in response to growing research about the decline in children’s literacy and reading for pleasure.
The idea is simple: give kids the chance to meet an author, hear their stories brought to life and put a book of their own straight into their hands.
“Our experience as librarians and booksellers tells us that one of the best ways to ignite a love of reading is to bring authors and children together in a fun environment surrounded by their friends.” – Anna Hedley, Hedley’s Books
“While the events will be fun for all ages, we’ve chosen authors with books suitable for a range of reading levels for kids aged 7–11. This is a critical age to build confidence and enjoyment of reading. If we can turn just one child on to the lifelong benefits of reading, it will be worth it!” – Charlotte Agie, Masterton Library.
The programme is supported by Masterton Trust Lands Trust and Eastern & Central Community Trust who have backed the original Inspire a Child to Read initiative since 2022. Because of their dedication to reading and literacy in Masterton, all events are free and every Year 5 child taking part in the school programme will also receive a free book to take home.
“We are delighted to support Little Yarns once again and are excited to see it continue to evolve to reach more tamariki in the community. It’s a great line-up of authors, Masterton’s children are in for a treat.” Masterton Trust Lands Trust.
More info at www.yarnsinbarns.co.nz
Event Details
Family Read-a-thon: 11am–1pm Saturday 10 October (NZ Bookshop Day)
Town Hall Square Park
Hosted by Masterton Library. The community is invited to bring their books and read together in the sunshine. Treats and prizes to be won. (Wet weather alternative date Sat 17 October).
Free Afterschool Author Events: Tuesday 13 & Thursday 15 October
Afterschool from 3.30pm on Tuesday 13 at Hedley’s Books and Thursday 15 at Masterton Library, be entertained and inspired by our amazing authors. Perfect for ages 7-11 but fun and inclusive for all.
School visits throughout the week
Authors will be visiting Masterton’s schools to meet Year 5 students.
Attending authors:
- James Russell (Dragon Defenders, Children of the Rush, Marlon Foundling)
- Airana Ngarewa (The Comeback Kid)
- Sam Smith (Miles & Jones)
- Sarina Clark (Dragonfall)
- Shelley Burne-Field (Ana & Frog, Kimi the Kekeno’s Big Adventure, Brave Kahu and the Porangi Magpie).
For more information, please contact:
David Hedley, Hedley’s Books
06 378 2875 david@hedleysbooks.co.nz
Click here for images including previous event photos, author photos and social media assets.