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Giving them what they want, Linda Burgess

Donato and the Cartege Blade
Fiona Jordan
Mary Egan Publishing, $25.00,
ISBN 9780473437367

1918: Broken Poppies Des Hunt, Scholastic, $19.00,

How Not to Stop a Kidnap Plot Suzanne Main, Scholastic, $17.00,

Dawn Raid Pauline (Vaeluaga) Smith, Scholastic, $18.00,

Unlike the other books reviewed, Fiona Jordan’s Donata and the Cartege Blade is not set in a current or historical New Zealand. Its setting is recognisable, though. Time – Middle Ages, round about: place – fantasy land. This means there are monasteries, cloaked monks, ruined abbeys, looming mountains, ancient castles with dark passages, attempted assassinations and more than a hint of issues to do with identity. Indeed, quite early on in the novel, the protagonist learns he is no ordinary boy. He is the child of important parents, and who they are is one of the main threads running through the story. As a baby, it became clear that he was at risk of being murdered, so he was deftly swapped with another baby. Which was rather unfortunate for the replacement baby, for whom the swap turned out to be fatal.

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From a trio of veterans, Anna Mackenzie

The Severed Land Maurice Gee Penguin, $20.00, ISBN 9780143770244 Shooting Stars Brian Falkner Scholastic, $21.00, ISBN 9781775433606 Cool Nukes Des Hunt Scholastic, $20.00, ISBN 9781775433422 As a veteran of more than 50 years, Maurice Gee is one of New Zealand’s

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Cloaks and generic proper nouns, David Hill

A Necklace of Souls R L Stedman HarperCollins, $25.00, ISBN 9781775540069 Ghosts of Parihaka David Hair HarperCollins, $25.00, ISBN 9781869509233 Cattra’s Legacy Anna MacKenzie Longacre, $20.00, ISBN 9781775533184 Phantom of Terawhiti Des Hunt HarperCollins, $20.00, ISBN 9781869509545 Whenever I’m taking

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Posted in Fiction, Literature, Review, Young adults

Saving their world, Diane Hebley

Just Jack Adele Broadbent HarperCollins, $19.99, ISBN 9781869508869 The Peco Incident Des Hunt HarperCollins, $19.99, ISBN 9781869508968 The Travelling Restaurant: Jasper’s Voyage in Three Parts Barbara Else Gecko Press, $24.99, ISBN 9781877467776 Nina Questor: The Battle Has Begun Ken Catran

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Where the boys are, Penelope Todd

Whale Pot Bay Des Hunt HarperCollins, $18.99, ISBN 978869507305 The River Runs David Hill Mallinson Rendel, $18.00,  ISBN 9781877423222 Violence 101 Denis Wright Penguin Books, $18.95, ISBN 9780143304036 These three books with male protagonists each cover, to varying extent, bullying,

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Wild threads of imagination, Joan de Hamel

The Unquiet Carolyn McCurdie Longacre, $16.95, ISBN 1877361402 Aim High  David Hill Mallinson Rendel, $17.00, ISBN 0958262624 Frog Whistle Mine  Des Hunt HarperCollins, $16.99, ISBN 1869505956 Lizzie, Love  Brenda Delamain Longacre, $16.99, ISBN 1877361399 Shooting the Moon  V M Jones

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Posted in Children, Fiction, Literature, Review, Young adults

Hunting down the story, Norman Bilbrough

A Friend in Paradise Des Hunt HarperCollins, $14.95, ISBN 1869504429 Henry and the Flea Brian Falkner Mallinson Rendel, $16.95, ISBN 0908783779 The Dragon’s Apprentice Linda McNabb HarperCollins, $14.95, ISBN 1869504127 Artists Are Crazy and Other Stories Ken Catran Lothian Books,

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