(3) YA Dawe's uncensored portrait of a Maori boy attending a New Zealand boarding school is riveting in its honesty and more disturbing than The Chocolate War. Te Arepa is open to new experiences, hardworking, sexually active, and by turns willing to comply with bullies to survive and unwilling to sacrifice his identity. The world he navigates is racist, cruel, and unjust; no one survives unscathed.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) YA The town of Summerton follows many happy traditions, but one is awful: each year a boy who spends New Year's Eve there will kill himself. Is this a tragic coincidence or is a serial killer on the loose? Told in the distinct voices of three friends, the story is a complex and well-wrought tale of suspense, grief, and possibly dark magic. Glos.

Reviewer: Rebecca Hachmyer

(2) YA Boarding school student Ellie becomes involved with the patupaiarehe--fairies who inhabited New Zealand before humans. Even as she's falling in love with one of them, Ellie is caught up in an effort to thwart neighboring patupaiarehe who are plotting the destruction of half of New Zealand. Vivid imagery gives this story some compelling sequences, and its plot surprises make it a quick read.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2010

(4) YA After being involved in numerous violent incidents, Hamish Graham, ruthless and precocious, is transferred to the Manukau New Horizons Boys' Home. Through shifting narration (an omniscient narrator plus Hamish's journal entries), the novel conveys the struggles of those working with Hamish as well as his attempts to articulate and justify his behavior. Hamish's voice, while disturbing and memorable, isn't always believable.

Reviewer: Randy Ribay

(4) YA History of the World series. These volumes give broad overviews of their topics. So many different peoples and cultures are covered in each book that depth of information is lacking. On most spreads, a short paragraph of main text is accompanied by color illustrations, maps, and photographs, as well as sidebars and more explanatory text, crowding the pages. There are six other fall 2009 books in this series. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these History of the World titles: The Americas and the Pacific, Ancient Egypt and Greece, Early Medieval Times, Asian Civilizations, Beyond Europe, and Mesopotamia and the Bible Lands.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Jessye lives with her grandmother in a traditional Maori community, but periodically her flaky mother comes to whisk her off to Auckland. When Mum's new boyfriend proposes a shady deal involving Nana's land, Jessye must choose between pleasing her mother and honoring her heritage. The slowly unfolding story paints a resonant picture of a girl struggling to find her way. Glos.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(3) YA In 1805, an enslaved Maori boy escapes his captors. In 2005, a plane carrying Jordan and her two younger brothers crashes in the New Zealand wilds. The two seemingly unrelated narratives merge as Hunter begins having visions of the marooned youngsters and, through telepathy and sensory memories, helps Jordan find shelter, food, and healing plants. This element of mysticism adds intrigue to a quietly effective survival story.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 In this book, now a movie, Kahu is shunned by her grandfather, a modern-day Maori chief who wanted a male grandchild to carry on the tribal leadership. The guileless young girl proves her merit, however, when an ancient whale is beached on a nearby shore. Kahu's story has the power of a myth, though the use of an adult narrator (Kahu's uncle) and the novel's many slow, mystical passages may distance young readers. Glos.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 First Peoples series. This book gives a brief history of the Maori from their arrival in New Zealand fifteen hundred years ago to the present. Enhanced with color photographs and sidebars in a busy design, the text describes ancient traditions and customs, as well as noting some of the country's flora, fauna, and physical features. A list of additional resources, including books and websites, is appended. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg