Reviews: Three New Junior Fiction Releases

---

This round of junior fiction reviews is brought to you by Lucy Black, featuring a non-fiction graphic novel, a new gold rush-era read, and a story for horse lovers.

Moko To The Rescue: Heroic Dolphin of New Zealand, written by Matthew K. Manning and illustrated by Dolo Okęcki

Who doesn’t love a good story about a dolphin? Even better, one that’s playful and heroic! Moko to the Rescue is an exciting non-fiction graphic novel about a young dolphin that lived in the coastal waters of the Mahia Peninsula in 2007. This is a well-researched book that sticks closely to the facts: Moko separated from his pod and befriended humans, he was given the name Mokotahi for the place ‘Mokotahi lookout,’ and when two whales became stranded at Mahia—despite much community effort to get them back to the ocean—Moko was the one to lead them to safety. The last chapter details how Moko later went on to beaches in Gisborne and Whakatane.  

This is a well-researched book that sticks closely to the facts

This book is part of an expansive collection of easy-to-read non-fiction graphic novels put out by Capstone Press. The author has been careful to use simple language and the design is such that there are no pages with walls of text. The colourful and cartoon-y illustrations by Dolo Okecki add a lot to the story and elevate the sometimes dry tone. Included in the novel is also a glossary of trickier terms and a summary of Mokotahi’s life. 

While reading this quick and cute story, I felt that something was missing but couldn’t quite put my finger on what. Flicking back through the drawings I realised Moko to the Rescue is lacking a local touch. The tale seems like it could be set anywhere. This could come down to the fact that neither of the book’s creators are based in Aotearoa, but I think the story could have done with mentioning local iwi, featuring native sea life, and the grasses, plants and other flora surrounding the beaches in Aotearoa. The illustrations are bright and fun, but I found myself wishing they were more like the brilliant local art of Robyn Kahukiwa and Gavin Bishop. 

I realised Moko to the Rescue is lacking a local touch…neither of the book’s creators are based in Aotearoa, but I think the story could have done with mentioning local iwi, featuring native sea life, and the grasses, plants and other flora surrounding the beaches in Aotearoa

I love graphic novels, I think they play a huge part in helping young people love books and I’m excited and pleased that more of them are being made. We need more graphic stories, graphic non-fiction and graphic easy reads! I would recommend Moko to kids that are hungry for history, love to collect facts and need a concise story. This book is for ocean lovers, and also readers that are growing past simpler picture books but may still be reluctant to pick up a wordy text. It’s a great addition to any school and home library. 

---

Children of the Rush, by James Russell 

Readers will know James Russell from his popular series Dragon Defenders. His latest release, Children of the Rush is a fast-paced historical novel set during the first gold-rush inland of Dunedin in 1861 and marks his foray into something different.

This 200-page novel aimed at 8-13-year-olds focuses on two young people and their experiences of the gold rush—one is a Māori girl, Atarangi, and the other is a Pākehā boy, Michael. The story is told through alternating first-person chapters from them both. Atarangi and her mother are stuck in servitude and Michael and his father are facing poverty if they do not strike gold. Both children are grieving a parent, struggling with the hard life of a gold mining camp, and have magical gifts. Their abilities are the only supernatural/fantasy aspect to the otherwise straightforward historical adventure story. There are elements of survival, crime, mystery and even a tiny bit of romance. Russell juggles many interesting themes of racism, classism, grief, and friendship while still managing a gripping plot and fascinating historical details. I particularly liked the descriptions of day-to-day things like the food they make and their clothing.  

Russell juggles many interesting themes of racism, classism, grief, and friendship while still managing a gripping plot and fascinating historical details

When writing about the complicated history of colonialism, it is important to centre those that were, and continue to be, disadvantaged, which Russell has done pretty well. I would love to have heard a bit more about Atarangi and her whānau and hapū. At times it felt like she—through her braveness, kindness and magical powers—was only a tool to further the plot line for Michael and his dad. On multiple occasions, Atarangi puts herself out to save them or help them, only for them to go on and mine natural resources and live in a colonial system that won’t help her thrive. I am glad to see Children of the Rush is the first in a series because I think there is much more to discuss around these issues. 

At times it felt like [Atarangi]—through her braveness, kindness and magical powers—was only a tool to further the plot line for Michael and his dad

I would recommend this novel for young people to enjoy aloud or alone. I love the dyslexia-friendly font, the inclusion of te reo Māori words and phrases, and the extra activities and discussions at the end. With a little polishing, this series will be golden. 

---

Wilson Sisters Adventure 1: Shyla, The Snowy Brumby, by Kelly Wilson

I am not the target audience for this children’s novel about horses. I am not a horse person, and I was never a horse kid. I have never heard of the real-life equestrian family of the Wilson Sisters or up and coming equestrian Nina Sutherland. For these reasons, I had some trepidation about reading Shyla the Snowy Brumby. I do love countryside stories and stories about animals, I like to read about young women achieving their dreams and having adventures, these are the elements that kept me engaged.

Shyla the Snowy Brumby follows the true-life story of 10-year-old Nina who visits the Wilson Sisters stables and gets recruited into training an ex wild brumby pony with them. Nina’s small stature and patient disposition work perfectly with Shyla and the two form a strong bond. The Story unfolds with achievements and shows, jumps and training. Nina travels with Shyla, they do day treks and camps. They do face some challenges and Nina does some detective work to puzzle out how she can better help her pony.

This is a book for the horse lovers and kids who love to meet their sporting goals.

Nina and her siblings are home-schooled, and this means she has more time than many kids to spend at the stables and to travel. She’s a very lucky kid to have supportive parents, an older sister who rides and a mentor who lives nearby and allows her to help train horses at such a young age. Nina’s parents were able to buy her a very expensive pony and house it and fit it to support her dreams. While this is acknowledged by the authors, I feel like the thousands and thousands of dollars spent is unreachable and unrelatable for most kids. That might be a problem for some readers, but perhaps adds to the fantasy and appeal for others—we all like to daydream. This is a book for the horse lovers and kids who love to meet their sporting goals.

Most of this novel is about the day to day of working with a horse, aiming for higher jumps, training for shows and meeting challenges. Interestingly the part where I think the writing shined was outside of the day to day. I loved reading about the nature treks the horses went on, particularly the parts where they took the horses swimming. At the end of a long day herding cows in the sun and covering the countryside down to an isolated beach, how magical would it be to enter the ocean with your sister and your friends and your beloved ponies? Standing on the backs of the swimming animals and diving into the water? What a sweet and joyful image.

---