Dappled Annie and the Tigrish
Mary McCallum
Gecko Press
Pub: 2014
May 26, 2021
If you love books that are nice and chill and have some morals behind them, then this is the book for you.
Dappled Annie and the Tigrish is a nice calm story about a girl named Annie who talks to bushes in her backyard. The bushes’ names are Russell, Holly, Sprout, Sid, Hog, Manny, Sylvie, George, Mr Hedge, and Mrs Hedge. Annie describes what they do and the consequences of their actions in this book.
The main premise of the story is about a dad who works in a lighthouse and barely comes home. Read more
Violet Black
First book in the Black Spiral Trilogy
Eileen Merriman
Penguin NZ
Pub: 2021
24 May 2021
When I first look at this book, the thing that draws me in is the cover: a purple ring with a soaring purple hawk inside it. The purple mist and funky lettering let me know this will be a great sci-fi adventure.
I couldn’t speak, but I was trying so hard to communicate and then… then… I pushed. And something, someone pushed back. Her name is Violet. Violet, but she is sunshine yellow, and I need to find her because I think she might be like me. Read more
Cuz
Liz van der Laarse
OneTree House
Pub: 2018
24 May, 2021
I have recently read a book called Cuz. This is a story about a 14-year-old boy called River and his cousin, Huia, who is also 14. River envies his cousin because she knows way more about te reo Māori than him. Then something happens that forces them to chuck their differences out the window and work together just to survive.
I enjoyed this book because it had some very interesting parts in it and also teaches the reader a few words in te reo Māori. I love how it has Māori translations at the back, along with survival tips and plants you can eat if you are lost in the New Zealand wilderness. Read more
Flying Furballs: Nine Lives
Donovan Bixley
Upstart Press
Pub: 2020
24 May, 2021
Nine Lives is the ninth and final book in the Flying Furballs series in which all characters are cats or dogs.
Claude D’Bonair is a pilot for the Cats Air Corps and is the heroic main character of this suspenseful tale of the clash between the Cats and Dogz.
The book opens to Major Tom (a deceitful and dangerous cat) reading Claude’s eulogy as his cat friends are weeping and in shock.
Alas, we discover that Claude isn’t dead and the book takes us on a hair-raising chase full of adventure and twists, which include a plot to destroy the very famous Eiffel Tower. Read more
Air Born
JL Pawley
Steam Press
Pub: 2017
24 May, 2021
If you like adventurous fiction, then this is the perfect book for you. It’s thrilling, funny and hooks you in. Something about the book you might want to know before you read it is that every chapter is on a different person’s point of view. Sometimes if you can’t remember who is who it gets a bit confusing and hard to keep track, but it keeps it interesting.
This novel is about the adventures of six teenagers. The first character in the book is Tyler – a 17-year-old boy who has his whole life mapped out until one day he tries his first solo skydive. Read more
Search for a Kiwi Killer
Des Hunt
Torea Press
Pub. 2018
18 May, 2021
Search for a Kiwi Killer by Des Hunt is a very interesting book about a young boy, Tom, who has to find out who is killing the native kiwi in Waitangi Forest. When disaster strikes, Tom has to find his way through a raging storm, while also tracking down the killer.
In a small town called Kerikeri, the flightless kiwi live on farms and in pine forests. That’s the reason the law says that all dogs must be on a lead. Someone is ignoring that law, and many dead kiwi sightings start to occur. Read more
Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea
TK Roxborogh
Huia Publishers
Pub. 2020
18 May, 2021
I chose to read this book because I like action books and ones with mermaids.
This book is about a normal boy called Charlie. Charlie and his brother Robbie live in Taonga Bay. Charlie is a sea cadet and while cleaning the beach one day, they stumble across a mermaid. This mermaid is going to change their lives. My favourite part of the book is when Charlie and Robbie find Po-nuia (the mermaid) on the beach when they find her they need to figure out a way to hide her and figure out how to fix all the many problems they now face. Read more
Cuz
Liz van der Laarse
OneTree House
Pub. 2018
18 May, 2021
Cuz, written by Liz van der Laarse is New Zealand’s version of Hatchet, a short survival novel about finding the way back home. The genre of this book is adventure fiction, and officially rated for children twelve years and over.
River is enjoying catching up with family, even though his uncle reminds him so much of his absent father. He’s also reminded how close his cousin Huia is to their Nan, who has taught her their Māori language, customs, protocols and medicine for much of her life. Read more
Displaced
Cristina Sanders
Walker Books
Pub. 2021
11 May 2021
In Displaced by Cristina Sanders, Eloise Sansonnet must leave Cornwall with her family and immigrate to New Zealand. It is 1872. Her uncle who is already there has sold their farm, forcing them to leave. Matthew, her eldest brother, refuses to go but their abusive father drags him unconscious aboard the Balmoral (the ship that will take them).
On board, Eloise meets Lars, a Norwegian boy from below decks. She instantly connects with him even though he’s a peasant and can hardly speak her language (or so she thinks). But then Matthew goes missing and her family starts to fall apart. Read more
Cuz
Liz van der Laarse
OneTree House
Pub. 2018
11 May, 2021
Cuz is a suspenseful, getting-to-know-each-other story, with a fierce plot. It’s the kind of book that makes the reader want to keep turning the page to find out more about the fascinating tale. Cuz also includes a lot of Māori words and culture, helping readers learn more about New Zealand.
Cuz is a great book for those who like survival, Māori culture and suspense, revealing cool survival tricks and plants that can be eaten in the wild. It’s also really well written and all the small details are easy to understand. Read more
