A fun and descriptive adventure story, Iris Moffat

Awatea and the Kawa Gang
Fraser Smith
2019
Huia

 

 

 

 

 

June 17, 2022

Awatea and the Kawa Gang by Fraser Smith is a fun, adventurous story. Awatea goes to visit his Nan and Pop in Mangokuri. He and his friend Tredget make a tree hut, and Awa is determined to sleep there. He’s a daring, bold boy, and with his faithful sidekick, Carrot the Parrot, they can get through anything.

Then mysterious tyre tracks appear, leading to the beach. Holes have been cut and messily strung back together on the paddock fences. Will the Kawa gang find out what is going on?  Read more

June, 2022 Melissa Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers: , , , , , ,

An intense and mysterious story about friendships, football and the paranormal, Siena O’Dowd

Between
Adele Broadbent
2018
OneTree House

 

 

 

May 23, 2022

Adele Broadbent’s Between starts by introducing you to a young boy called Olly and his friends Egg and Loon. Olly loves to play football and is into the paranormal. His friends are into football too but the paranormal, not so much. In this first chapter, we are also introduced to Martha Mischefski, a spiritualist who lives in an old house at the end of the street and pushes trollies through the streets. Olly is curious about this old lady but when his annoying aunty tells him to keep away from her and his mum starts crying every time she finds out he’s so much as seen her, it only intrigues him more.  Read more

May, 2022 Melissa Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers: , , , , ,

Time travel and mystery in a story that hooks the reader, Ashika Hira

Faraway Girl
Fleur Beale
Penguin Random House New Zealand
2022

 

 

 

May 23, 2022

Faraway Girl is another one of Fleur Beale’s wonderful novels. It follows Etta and Constance as they jump back and forth through time, trying desperately to save Etta’s brother and find a way to return back to their own times.

Etta starts to feel funny around the same time that her brother starts ‘fading.’ She thinks it will pass but the feeling gets worse, almost as if the world is being torn apart, and Jamie isn’t getting any better. They’ve been to see doctors and specialists but no one can figure out what is wrong with him.  Read more

May, 2022 Melissa Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers: , , ,

An unexpected and compelling story, Thora Moffat

Deadhead
Glenn Wood
OneTree House
Pub. 2020

 

 

 

 

 

May 3, 2022

Glenn Wood’s Deadhead is an exciting thriller story following an experiment going wrong in the most unexpected way.

After becoming the number one target for a group of bullies at his school, thirteen-year-old Spencer Langley and his unwitting friend Regan create a robot zombie bodyguard to scare them away. Working better than he expected, he uses it for other tasks as well but in an unfortunate accident the body comes alive and can think for himself.

Meanwhile, Constable Cadence Green is investigating her partner, Constable Garret Hunter’s, death, which was deemed an accident, and is certainly surprised when she comes across his resurrected corpse.  Read more

May, 2022 Melissa Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers: , , , , , , ,

A nail-biting historical adventure, Amber Cayley


Coastwatcher
David Hill
Penguin NZ
Pub. 2021

 

 

October 27, 2021

Coastwatcher by David Hill is a gripping war story inspired by the coastwatchers of Operation Pacific. Coastwatchers were the eyes and ears of the Pacific Ocean in World War Two who watched for strange ships and aircrafts, listened into radio activity, and reported any activity back to New Zealand Headquarters. In this book we get a glimpse of what it was like to be a coastwatcher in the war.

It’s 1943 and radio operator Frank Benson is settling into the harsh life of being a soldier when he hears the news that he is to become a coastwatcher along with his pal Wally Ropata and Les Murray, an annoying Australian.  Read more

October, 2021 Tanya Prince Scroll down to see reviews submitted by YA readers: , , , , , , ,
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