Kenneth Chapman is a Sāmoan/Chinese/Pākehā author based in Tāmakai Makaurau. He has a Bachelor of Education and currently teaches English at Auckland Girls Grammar School. His first novel, Lonasei and the Mystery of Origin Grove, was published in May 2026 by Bateman Books, with the second book in the series scheduled for an early 2027 release.
Lonasei and the Mystery of Origin Grove
'Haunting and tender, you will never look at paintings (or basement walls!) the same way again.' - Graci Kim, bestselling author of Dreamslinger
Eleven-year-old Lonasei is lonely – she wishes her older sister Eva Grace wasn’t so mean, and that her mum Aria didn’t have to work so much. But when Aria inherits her childhood home, Lonasei discovers she can enter her late Aunt Malia’s paintings and experience the memories within. Through them, she discovers that her mother had another sister, Agnes, who went missing as a child.
Lonasei’s questions about the lost aunt she never knew existed leads her to explore the basement at Origin Grove, where she discovers a whole new world of possibility, and a chance to steal precious moments from the life that could have been.
Available in all good bookstores nationwide.
Teacher Support Materials
Lonasei and the Mystery of Origin Grove is an ideal novel study for intermediate and year 9 students and is already being taught at several schools in Auckland. As a teacher himself, the author knows how much time it takes to create your own resources, so he has done it for you! They are designed to cover everything for a term-long novel study with an abundance of tasks and activities to suit different teaching preferences.
Booklet includes:
Novel launch with mystery genre conventions.
Chapter-by-chapter vocab hunt.
Comprehension questions.
Chapter-by-chapter writing tasks involving:
Summarising
Language features
Prediction
Relationships
Diary writing
Letter writing
Creative writing
Article writing
Theme-based writing tasks.
Literacy tasks using excerpts from the novel.
School VisitsKenneth is available for in-person school visits.
He is part of the Writers in Schools programme and is currently available for bookings for Term 4, 2026.
About KennethKenneth Chapman was born in Wellington to a Sāmoan/Chinese mother and an American father. He comes from a big family with six sisters and three brothers. Before he started writing, his life revolved around sports. Dreams of being in the NBA soon turned to the world of stories after falling in love with movies as a teenager.
After a decade of making independent films, including two features that premiered at the Madrid International Film Festival and a short stint living in Los Angeles, he turned to novel writing, enjoying the boundary-free landscape of prose.
The road to publication was not without its struggles. Chapman wrote eight manuscripts ranging from adult romance to YA horror before his middle-grade mystery, Lonasei and the Mystery of Origin Grove, was accepted by Bateman Books. During his quest for publication, Chapman went on many side adventures, pushing his body and mind to the limit in the hope of becoming more patient and resilient as his dream of being published seemed forever out of reach. These side quests involved 24hr ultra marathons, weeks in isolation with no phone or internet, counting grains of rice for sixteen hours non-stop and a 500km bike ride over two days of hell on the open road. But it was all worth it in the end!
One of the biggest impacts on Chapman’s road to publication has been sharing his stories with the children he’s worked with. As a former GirlGuides leader, sports coach, and nanny for various families in Wellington and Auckland, he has always enjoyed telling his stories over a campfire or at the table during afternoon tea. It was these early listeners and supporters who built his confidence and motivated him to continue writing over the years.
Lonasei and the Mystery of Origin Grove was published in May, 2026 and was the number one selling New Zealand Children’s/YA book in its first month of release. Chapman appeared at the 2026 Auckland Writers Festival as part of the School’s Programme and is excited about the opportunity to speak to more young readers. He writes for children and teens because that was the time in his life when he could get lost for hours or days in a story.
Upcoming Releases
Lonasei and the Spy Next Door
When an elderly lady on her street dies, Lonasei’s new neighbour Kaia, insists that her death was suspicious. Together, they launch an investigation to find out what really happened in the house across the street…
Middle-grade Mystery.
Release Date: April/May 2027.
Unsheltered, Undead
Seventeen-year-old Tully and her friends try to survive a 500km road trip down the North Island of Aotearoa during a zombie apocalypse. As they claw their way through zombie-infested towns, Tully is due to give birth to twins at any moment.
YA Thriller.
Release Date: October 2027.
Contact
kennethstevenchapman@gmail.com