NZ YA Fiction

Sam escapes death in Australia when the truth about his false conviction is finally revealed. But on the journey back to England he faces pirates and a terrible storm, before making the longed-for trip back up the river Thames. Finally reunited with his family in Norfolk, Sam realises how much life at sea has become part of him. So when he hears that Napoleon plans to attack England, he is tempted to join the navy once more, and finds himself midshipman on none other than the Victory, preparing for one of the most epic battles in h... read more

At her boarding school in New Zealand, Ellie Spencer is like any ordinary teen: she hangs out with her best friend, Kevin, obsesses over her crush on a mysterious boy, and her biggest worry is her essay deadline. Until everything changes...In the foggy woods near the school, something ancient and deadly is waiting.

When two boys and two girls goes on holiday to the Southern Alps, they are expecting to have fun exploring in the mountains. But on a hiking trip they come across a wounded man - a man who is being pursued by his would-be killers. What should they do - save themselves and run, or stay and help the victim? Their decision has far-reaching consequences - for themselves, for the mysterious wounded man, and for a visiting American senator. Target For Terror is a gripping story that takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride full of sus... read more

Guardian of the Land was first published in 1985 by Oxford, winning the 1986 Children's Book of the Year and is an exciting time travel adventure which also has valuable historical and ecological lessons. It has been selected as the fourth title in the Collins Modern New Zealand Classic series.Twelve-year-old David has been ill and is staying with relatives in Kaikoura, where he meets Rua, and his ancient grandmother. She's a powerful kuia, determined to recover the guardian of the land, a long-lost carved whalebone taonga, for her... read more

The Writer begins with a sparkly good idea for a fabulous fairytale. The girl Glory is sent to work in the Royal Palace, where the queen is planning a grand ball and a bad-tempered princess is sorting through jewels and tiaras. And, unknown to Glory, the threads of her destiny are coming together.Nova is reading the fairytale. Fairytales are not usually her thing, but right now she's feeling a bit messy and lost. Her best friend has gone away and bitchy Dylan is hassling her. Nova is curious to find out why Glory's mother is scrabb... read more

Maryam fights for her life, freedom and love in this stunning finale to the Blood of the Lamb series. Maryam and Lazarus arrive back at Onewere and Maryam, in trying to loosen the Apostles' religious stranglehold by showing the people the miraculous remedy, is captured. The ruling elite decide to manipulate her return and Lazarus's so-called 'resurrection from the dead' by setting in motion a highly orchestrated pretence of embracing her as the new Messiah - right down to planning her eventual sacrifice and death by crucifixion bef... read more

Juno and her family arrive at their new home, but almost immediately danger threatens Hera and they move to Willem's protection in New Plymouth, the city Juno most hoped to avoid. Fairlands school is too like Taris, and Hilto's son Thomas is a pupil there. The handsome Ivor is also there and soon begins to pay attention to Juno in a way she finds both confusing and exciting. Juno's special mind powers are called upon to help her save Hera, and HEART OF DANGER carries on to be a rollicking read that veers between scary situations... read more

In the reign of Lady Gall (Provisional Monarch of Fontania), the word magic is forbidden... When 12 year old Jasper Ludlow's parents flee the city, he gets left behind. He finds refuge on The Travelling Restaurant, a sailing ship captained by old Dr Rocket and crewed by feisty Polly. Where is Jasper's baby sister? He journeys across seas and rivers, and faces whirlpools, storms and hungry pirates to find her. Who should he trust - his unreliable uncle, the mysterious journalist in black, or the gutsy, flute-playing orphan? Why ... read more

It's the 1930s. Our storyteller is crook in bed trying to get over a long sickness and wanting to go back to school, when Uncle Trev arrives to let Mum go out and do the shopping. Uncle Trev tells one story after another about the animals out on his farm, and about his neighbour Gotta Henry. He also goes through Mum's cupboards and helps himself to all her gingernut biscuits and Louise cake. If you think Mum should be grateful to get out of the house, she's not. When she comes home, she chases Uncle Trev and his dog, Old Tip, with ... read more

A heart-thumping, action-thriller for teens that will compel readers to keep turning the pages until the very end.Greg and his friends, Pip and Rikkers, 'borrow' a dinghy from a boat yard to go out joyriding one night. On their return they stumble upon a group of men stealing expensive equipment from the boat yard and flee in fear, luckily unnoticed (or so they think). Not wanting to get in trouble for their own misdemeanour, they decide not to go to the police about what they've seen. However a few weeks later, during a similar ro... read more

Matt and his mother have gone to a small seaside camping ground for a holiday. Matt has been warned that the area is ÃÂÃ&A... read more

One of Chris's new year's resolutions for 1967 is to stop his older cousin, Roger, bullying him. Roger is physically impressive but academically slow, while Chris is puny and erudite; the two boys despise each other. But events that take place in that summer of '67 see Roger and Chris slowly begin to appreciate each other's differences. Then there is a terrible accident at the bridge... Set against a backdrop of 1960's rural New Zealand, this is a fascinating young-adult novel from award winning author David Hill.

Eight-year-old Kahu craves her great-grandfather's love and attention. But he's focused on his duties as chief of Ngati Konohi in Whangara, on the East Coast - a tribe that claims descent from the legendary 'whale rider.' In every generation since the whale rider, a male has inherited the title of chief. But now there is no male heir - there's only Kahu. She should be next in line for the title, but her great-grandfather is blinded by tradition and sees no use for a girl. Kahu will not be ignored. And in her struggle she has a uniq... read more

FINALIST 2009 NZ POST CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARDS - Junior Fiction Thirteen-year-old Riley has a skateboarding accident and discovers that he has a serious delay in bone development. He also has a run in with Vince, an all round tough guy, who plays in his softball team and now seems to be hanging out with his ex-girlfriend. First published 2008.

In late 1942 Margaret Glenmore realises that daughter Joyce, who is doing a secretarial course, will probably be manpowered into a war job soon, when the age limit is dropped to 18. Her other daughter, Lillian, is coughing a lot and an x-ray has shown a spot on her lung. Lillian needs to live in a healthy environment with lots of good food. These factors combine to make Margaret decide to send the girls to live with their paternal grandparents on a small dairy farm on the coast.Lillian's diary begins in 1943 when she and Joyce trav... read more

Ditta is a smart sassy 12-year-old who wants to be a detective - and when she encounters a ghostly boy reading in a mysterious corner of her school library she has her first mystery to solve. But when her best friend Max tells her the bedroom floor in his brand new house is haunted too, the mysteries start coming thick and fast and before she knows it she has a whole handful to solve. With her nerdy computer-geek sister Mirabel, the three friends find that ghosts are much more adaptable than they ever thought possible and Ditta fin... read more

Erin, January and Mouse live in a children's home, Whitegates. They often dream of escape, and frequently journey into the outside world. Running away is something they know all about. But this time January builds a raft, and the three of them head precariously down river. Towards the Black Middens. This time they might never come back. When they stumble across a disused factory and its strange inhabitants - Grampa and Heaven Eyes - they wonder if they'll even have the choice. Heaven Eyes is the girl who should have drowned at sea.... read more

Toby has been living in Dragon Valley for a year ÃÂÂÃ&Ac... read more

Rocco Makepeace just made an unexpected trip - one with no return ticket. Now he is alone in a primitive world, one as dark and frightening as any described in his history books. Where is he? When is he? Can he ever go home again? or will he die...lost forever?

When Caroline discovers an old pair of spectacles in her father's junk shop she has no idea how important they are. Even when she puts them on and sees things very differently, she doesn't guess that the safety of another world depends on them. In a race against time, Caroline has to tackle the ghastly Grimbles and keep her promise to return the spectacles to their rightful owner. An exciting story of fantasy and adventure.