Two Good Kiwi Reads for Boys

What Happened That Day by Marie Langley

The author Marie Langley has been a teacher for nineteen years and a deputy principal for seven years. I found her delicate handling of Vinni, the main character truly remarkable.

Vinni finds his life is falling to pieces when his mother decides to leave home and do the things she’s always wanted to do. Vinni runs off to the beach for a bit of solitude and discovers a BMX bike hidden in a bush which he decides to keep a secret. His dad does his best to comfort Vinni about the family situation, but things come to a head when he is teased at school by two very unsympathetic girls.

Then Vinni encounters the notorious PD. This leads to a lot of drama and a rescue.

The book however ends on a hopeful note along with some recompense for Vinni.

The story is told in the first person and that makes it a great little narrative. The theme of the book is family problems and father and son relationships. The book has a good senior primary and intermediate level.

Shadow of the Whale by Celia Davies

Nothing is ever right anymore for thirteen-year-old David!!! He does not like his parents telling him what to do and would rather have a brother instead of his sister Emma.

When David and his sister meet with an accident they awake to find that they have gone back in time. It’s 1838 and they are on a whaling station. Emma, the more resilient of the two adapts well to the situation while David struggles to accept his new surroundings and the demands that he encounters.

A very useful book on early New Zealand, whaling in New Zealand and even immigration to early New Zealand. The book is fast paced and informative. I had to chuckle at times at David. Very senior primary!!!

Both books are published by Reed

reviewed by Janice Rodrigues