Liz van der Laarse

van der Laarse, Liz ( 1952 - ) was born in Palmerston North. She has taught in Far North schools as a primary, intermediate and secondary school teacher for over 27 years, and she continues to teach part-time in addition to writing junior fiction. She has written articles in Wilderness magazine and for local newspapers.

Trouble Patch (Reed, 2000) is aimed at 11-15 year-olds. The story follows Isaac who hunts possums for extra money and is familiar with the local bush. Jill Holt writes in the NZ Listener, ‘Trouble Patch begins with two boys hunting possums and enjoying a rural life, but evidence of the negative effects of long-term marijuana use creeps into the action and the story concludes with the two friends ruminating on the trouble adults get themselves into.’

Not Even (Reed, 2002) made the Storylines Notable Book List 2003 in the Junior Fiction category. Bill Nagelkerke in Magpies writes, ‘This short, very readable book effectively contrasts the values of city life with those of a small Maori rural community. Colloquial language and realistic family situations offer street credibility while the book’s cover should attract even reluctant readers…Recommended.’

Cuz was published in 2018 (One Tree House Ltd). The plot reveals River being offered a trip on his uncle's trawler. His cousin Huia is annoying, always going on about Māoritanga. When an accident leaves them stranded on the coast of Fiordland, they must work together to save themselves. "Cuz is like a NZ Hatchet" - David Riley. A reprint in August 2018 now includes macrons through the book and te reo Māori glossa. (Wheelers). The book was a New Zealand Storylines Notable Award Winner in 2019.