popculturAL

I'v been indulging myself in a little children's literature at the moment to get up to speed with some new books coming in. A lot of them have had a New Zealand flavour as I think it is important to keep up with what is happening locally.

Des Hunt has added to his already impressive list of titles with "Whale Pot Bay". Based in the Wairarapa, this story races along with something happening on almost every page. Lots of our Rodney kids (and their parents) will be able to relate to racing the farm jeep through the scrub, learning how to surf, deserted beaches covered with driftwood framed by high cliffs for climbing and trying to shoot the magpies out of their tree. Mix in some visiting whales in the Bay, an international rockstar and some hounding paparazzi and you can see where all the action might come from. Just for good measure there is a large earthquake off Southern Chile. To find out how that might affect Whale Pot Bay, you will have to read the book.

Another Kiwi author I read this month include Linley Jones who has produced "Making Waves" for Year 9+ based partly on her own experiences sailing around the Tongan group of islands. This is not something 13 year old Jazzy wanted to do but the family insisted so together with Mum, Dad and her younger brother Ryan they set off in their small family yacht for more adventure than any of them had bargained for. As well as diving, snorkelling and island life, there are caves, reefs, auto-pilots with a mind of their own, boys, and smugglers.

Finally is one of the latest additions to the My Story series is "Poor Man's Gold; the diary of Reuben Radcliffe, Northland 1899-1900". My late grandfather had a lovely collection of polished Kauri gum, I think the Kauri Museum at Matakohe is one of the best museums in the country and a visit to Ahipara several years ago and some of the gum digging fields meant I could relate to this book. There are other things that todays students may be able to relate to in this book as it follows a family with a good business who find that because of economic circumstances they have to turn to other avenues for income. Once again the historical notes and photos at the end of the story add to the package by Kath Beattie.