Holiday Reading 2006

New Zealand titles: Fiction for older readers

Brasell, Jill Aquarius, my ohu year : the diary of Starshine Penney, 1975: Early in 1975, Estelle’s mum leaves home to join a commune in the country, taking Estelle, aka Starshine, with her. At Aquarius, everyone lives together as one big family. But living off the land, without money, electricity or running water, isn't the paradise they all hoped for. A title in the My story series.
Delamain, Brenda Lizzie, love: The year is 1833 and Lizzie’s father, James Kemp, is a missionary to Maori at Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands. When Lizzie’s baby brother dies and her mother becomes ill, nothing Lizzie does seems able to make things better.
Brassi, G. Paperchase: When Gemma finds her elder sister, Brianna, packing to leave home with a pocketful of stolen money, she knows she'll have to get involved. A series of misadventures take the two girls across Australia, and back to a dangerous place that Gemma would prefer to forget.
Dawe, Ted And did those feet: The year Mum died and Dad went mad, a young man is sent to live on a farm with Aunt Lorna, Uncle Frank, and five cousins who belong to the Jerusalem League, a William Blake cult. Feeling lonely and depressed, he makes friends with Pimpernickle, the resident pig. While on a school camp a flood hits and everyone is forced to head to higher ground. How will they cross the river and reach safe ground? Just what happens when they're rescued?
Duder, Tessa Too close to the wind and other stories: A collection of short stories, some previously published, including Duder’s first published tale, "The violin".
Gardiner, Kelly The pirate’s revenge: Once a pirate slave, Lily Swann is now navigator on the Mermaid, running the French blockade of Malta, when she learns her long-lost father may still be alive.
Hill, David Aim high: Neale’s sport is archery and he finds himself facing a challenge for a shoot out between bow and arrows and a rifle.
Hunt, Des Frog Whistle Mine: Twelve-year-old Tony has travelled all around New Zealand with his nomadic mother, and desperately wants somewhere to belong. When they arrive in Charleston, a gold-mining ghost town, he is almost afraid to hope this might finally be the place.
Lasenby, Jack The tears of Harry Wakatipu: Another story about Harry Wakatipu, the worst, laziest pack-horse who ever lived.
Lasenby, Jack When Mum went funny: It is war-time New Zealand and with Dad away, Mum has to run the farm and feed four children. Sometimes the stress of it all gives her funny ideas. Ideas like trying to sell off the children, making nail soup, and sleeping out in a haystack to catch whoever’s 'bandicooting' the potatoes.
McKinnon, Kingi Tales from the swamp: Collection of eight short stories that reflect Māori life in many forms, from present-day culture to a land peopled with patupaiarehe and tohunga.
McNabb, Linda The crystal runners: A mythical kingdom centred deep underground is kept alive by the light and heat of mysterious crystals.
McNabb, Linda Mountains of fire: Logan lives with Zared, an elderly and absent-minded wizard, in Shanoria, the Kingdom of Dragons. His closest friend is Alyxa, a dragon charmer with the rare gift of soothing and commanding dragons.
Mahy, Margaret Portable ghosts: Ditta wants to be a detective. When she meets a ghostly boy in her school library she has her very first mystery.
Marriott, Janice Chute thru: It is 2075 and Arlo lives with his family on a raft. He hopes to escape to a better lifestyle, and thinks his chance has come when he sees an alien splash down into the sea.
Marriott, Janice Thor’s tale : endurance and adventure in the Southern Ocean: 11 year old Thor is the lowest of the low at a subantarctic whaling station. He really wants to be soaring high and free with the albatrosses. Then one day a ghostly ship emerges from the mist. It is the Endurance, carrying Shackleton and his intrepid explorers on their voyage of discovery to the Antarctic.
Mayberry, Sarah The lost children: Young English immigrants Ethan and Amy Melville find themselves shipwrecked on the remote and desolate coast of New Zealand. Book of the television series.
McCurdie, Carolyn The unquiet: Planets are disappearing. To the children in a small South Pacific town, this seems at first like a distant, if disturbing, event. Then countries on Earth begin to vanish, too.
Morris-Bensemann, Leone Escape from Sarau : the diary of Emilie Ritter, Nelson District, 1882-83: Emilie Ritter is growing up in the German community of Sarau in the late 1800s. It is a community where prospects for young women are limited. Emilie is determined to follow her heart but does she have the strength to go against her very strict father? A title in the My story series.
Nagelkerke, Bill Old bones: It’s early days in the rambling big old house that Jamie has moved to with his dad and his partner Sue, but Jamie feels unsettled. When he finds out that the bedroom he has chosen beneath the witch's-hat roof is always cold, Jamie begins to suspect a ghostly presence.
O’Brien, Bill Castaway: Sam is 14 when he signs on as a cabin boy aboard a vessel bound for Sydney. The barque Dundonald founders and sinks off Disappointment Island in the southern ocean. Fifteen survivors endure a harsh winter on this remote island until their rescue in late November. A title in the My story series.