To understand and live now, everything of yesterday must die …
In fabulous news, Gracehopper has been added to the prestigious White Ravens 2025 collection at the International Youth Library, joining over two hundred international authors. Every year, the internationally recognised recommendation list “The White Ravens” presents outstanding new releases of the international children’s and youth book production. About 200 titles in around 40 languages and from more than 50 countries are selected annually by the children’s literature experts of the International Youth Library and featured in this annotated English-language catalogue. The “White Ravens” catalogue – a treasure trove for literary discoveries – serves as a compass through the vast children’s book market for publishers, libraries, literary festivals, international bookstores and agencies, as well as anyone interested in international children’s books.
‘Gracehopper’ was also a finalist in the 2025 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.
On June 4th, 2024, my latest novel Gracehopper was launched at Unity Books in Wellington. It was a lovely evening, and I’m so grateful to the people who turned up to help welcome the book into the world. My heartfelt thanks to Jenny Nagle and Christine Dale of OneTree House for their enthusiastic response to the book and their care in seeing it come to fruition. I was honoured to have award-winning filmmaker (and dear friend) Linda Niccol launch the book and Al Gray to speak about it.
left to right: Alan Gray, Linda Niccol, Mandy with publisher Jenny Nagle in background, signing books.
To me, the book is a story about two young people’s resilience in the face of potentially overwhelming challenges, their search for identity, the damage caused by knee-jerk assumptions and judgements, and the healing power of love.
Early reviews have been very cheering. Here are a few links:
https://www.nzbooklovers.co.nz/post/gracehopper-by-mandy-hager?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0vvSKHQDrKYDVrqIVANGKK2Y_g37HL5esSGJBvRNyKPq5sllF9_r9ZpDM_aem_KCzrqhok2p0GMh2FzO8atw “Mandy Hager’s Gracehopper is a wonderfully compelling narrative that delves into the deepest areas of identity, resilience, and the quest for self-discovery . . . Overall, Gracehopper is an exceptional addition to the young adult genre, offering a rich mix of themes that resonate with readers of all ages. Hager’s storytelling is (always) both masterful and moving, ensuring that this novel will not only captivate but also inspire those who journey through its pages. It is a work that deserves recognition and a place among the year’s most outstanding literary achievements.”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kapiti-news/news/mandy-hager-launches-new-book-gracehopper/6WEUPHX3XFGU5MPOTAS4VRHARA/ Local Kapiti paper
https://www.ketebooks.co.nz/all-book-reviews/teenage-review-gracehopper Two teenagers discuss it here.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/napier-courier/wardini-book-review-gracehopper-mandy-hager-one-tree-house-2900/633X5CN22VGHXJ3GJWREN5EO4U/ “Grace and Charlie are beautifully realised characters, alive on every page. Their inspiring and heartwarming coming-of-age journey is a joy to read. It is an epic, wonderfully constructed novel for older teenagers and everyone else.” There is also a video on Wardini’s facebook page where I discuss it with the lovely Lou. https://www.facebook.com/wardinibooks
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018938145/book-review-gracehopper-by-mandy-hager Stella Chrysostomou of Volume Books reviews it on Radio New Zealand and again on her website https://volume.nz/volumebooks/gracehopper-by-mandy-hager-reviewed-by-stella “Mandy Hager’s Gracehopper is brilliant; she writes about PTSD, bullying, relationships, drugs, trauma, and difference with sensitivity and honesty. Grace and Charlie are complex and compelling characters, who you can’t help but like. This is a novel for older teens about love, acceptance and forgiveness. Highly recommended.”
http://kidsbooksnz.blogspot.com/2024/06/a-complex-read-that-covers-many-issues.html
https://www.accessradio.org/ProgrammePage.aspx?PID=8992899f-dbe6-4b25-8eeb-76862719452d Radio interview with Rachel Dore
https://accessmedia.nz/Player.aspx?eid=e2d446b6-9731-4baf-bd7d-30eecc4dd0de Radio interview with Ruth Todd
Mandy Hager 