A gripping novel for young adults that captures both the daring and the everyday realities of serving in the Air Force during the Second World War. Pete and Paul yelled together. 'Bandit! Nine o'clock! Bandit!' Jack spun to stare. There was the Messerschmitt on...

WINNER OF THE JUNIOR FICTION AWARD AND CHILDREN'S CHOICE JUNIOR FICTION AWARD New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults 2013 WINNER OF THE LIANZA LIBRARIANS' CHOICE AWARD 2013 STORYLINES NOTABLE BOOK AWARD 2013 ...

The bells stopped, so suddenly that their sound quivered in the air. For the first time in an hour, the loudspeakers spoke, but this time the words were different. 'We are about to abandon ship. All passengers proceed immediately to the starboard side. We are about to...

Caught in a tunnel collapse, Liam and Imogen have to use all their wits to survive in this gripping novel for readers eight years and up. Wright Family Foundation Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction 2023 When you stood deep inside the tunnel, you could hear the...

When of hundreds of Japanese captives arrive at Featherston POW camp, the tiny town is divided. Tensions run high and then, on 25 February 1943, disaster strikes. Three boys witness it all. A compelling new novel by an award-winning author. 'We knew straightaway that something...

Brave, trail-blazing and glamorous, this stunning picture book tells the true story of how Jean Batten became an international superstar for her solo flights across the world. The little plane has been flying across the sea for eight hours. Huge black clouds...

An inspiring illustrated story for children about Jacinda Ardern, and her meteoric rise to become the world's youngest female leader. Nobody is too young to start changing the world. When Jacinda was little, she wanted to be a clown. But when she saw...

Follow the fortunes of two families - their triumphs and disasters, losses and discoveries - in this enthralling novel by a bestselling author. A family boards a ship bound for New Zealand. What will they find there? Tests lie ahead - war, earthquakes, protest...

"Three very different stories. Three very different times. All from one of Aotearoa New Zealands highly acclaimed authors: -History: Coming Home - a young soldier and his horse set off to fight in South Africa, in 1890. -Fantasy: I Wish - a teenager finds a strange box of books amongst the moving...

Young soldier Jim McLeod waits in the trenches of World War I for the order to attack the enemy. With him are his friends, and Nipper, the messenger dog. When they charge across no-man's-land, Jim is shot . . . and finds himself face to face with an enemy soldier.

David Hill and Phoebe Morris's award-winning picture book tells the story of Sir Ed and his climb to the top of Mt Everest. It's a story about courage, skill and determination, and an inspiration to anyone who dreams of reaching the top. Up on the world's highest mountain, the...

A stunning biographical picture book for young readers about Sir Peter Blake, world-renowned New Zealand yachtsman, adventurer and environmentalist. "Remember," he wrote, "this is the most beautiful world, and it's the only one we've got." Sir Peter Blake's...

A grim secret. A life in danger. When a crazy old man leaps out of the bushes at Conrad on his way to swimming training, he gets the fright of his life. And when he discovers the man's granddaughter is that weird horse-riding girl from school, he decides to steer clear of them. But fate has other...

David Hill's tense, exciting war adventure inspired by the coastwatchers of Operation Pacific - winner of the 2022 NZSA Heritage Children's Book Award. 'It's not going to be a cushy job, young Benson. You're on your own. Japs will be looking for you. Far as they're concerned,...

The powerful story of one man's fight in the trenches ... and the little messenger dog who saved him. Young soldier Jim McLeod waits in the trenches of World War I for the order to attack the enemy. With him are his friends, and Nipper, the messenger dog. When they charge across no-man's-land, Jim...

In 1967 an unknown, elderly New Zealander and his ancient Indian motorcycle set a world land-speed record at Bonneville. The man was Burt Munro, and he became a Kiwi legend. How did he do it? His amazing true story is now a stunning picture book. A crowd of people stand on a...

Even though it's a scorching summer afternoon, Garth and his friends are hard at work, thinning trees to earn money for a trip to Fiji. They notice a small fire, but before they can put it out flames have completely engulfed a pine tree . . . and then another. And another. As panic rises, an eerie...

The gold era brought sweeping and lasting changes. It produced great wealth and ensured the financial viability of the struggling colonies. It stimulated a dramatic increase to Australia’s population, was the last nail in the coffin...

Young reader's story about a fictional family's experiences of taking a ferry, the 'Wahine' to Wellington in April 1968 and the tragic events of the ferry boats final hours.

A novel for younger readers. Kit is out running, escaping the problems in his life, when everything changes; the world is the same, yet different, and Kitt discovers himself meeting the challenges of a parallel world where winning the arduous running race mysteriously becomes his way home again....

Featured onthe New Zealand Listener's 50 best children's books 2013 Something in the water, a hundred yards or so away. Russell jerked the binoculars back, trying to find it again. He had to be sure; mustn't make a fool of himself. Where was it? Then he saw it...

The thrilling race between Frenchman Nicolas Baudin and Englishman Matthew Flinders to chart the map of Australia. On the afternoon of 8 April 1802, in the remote southern ocean, two explorers had a remarkable chance encounter. Englishman Matthew Flinders and Frenchman Nicolas...

The thrilling race between Frenchman Nicolas Baudin and Englishman Matthew Flinders to chart the map of Australia. On the afternoon of 8 April 1802, in the remote southern ocean, two explorers had a remarkable chance encounter. Englishman Matthew Flinders and Frenchman Nicolas...

Jim, a soldier on the Western Front in World War 1, is wounded while charging through No Man's Land. He stumbles into a shell crater for shelter and finds a badly wounded German soldier. The two men try to help each other, but it's Nipper, the messenger dog, whose gallantry gives them a chance for...

The award-winning true story of science superstar Joan Wiffen, whose fossil discoveries proved that dinosaurs lived in ancient New Zealand. Once there was a clever girl who liked searching for interesting things on the ground. She wanted to know why shells...

The plane bucked sideways, flinging Darryl against the cabin wall. It plunged vertically, jolted so hard that his teeth clacked together, then started skidding downwards through the sky. The screams rose to a frenzy. Then Darryl felt the aircraft turning, swinging towards the right. They were...

It's 1953 and Peter starts the year writing in a journal given to him by his Great Aunt. We follow him through a year of many changes as his small community struggles through hard times. After joining the Scouts, Peter is determined that his patrol will get to the finals of a First Aid competition....

It's 1953 and Peter is determined that his scout patrol will get to the finals of a First Aid competition. This means travelling to Auckland by train on Christmas Eve, a journey that Peter will never forget. Suggested level: intermediate, junior secondary.

When Peter Cotterill begins his diary in 1953, little does he realise that something is happening elsewhere in New Zealand that is going to have a huge impact on his life. As he tells of his day-to-day life in Napierschool, paper round, Scouts, as well as the lasting effects of World War II on his...