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Dieback

By Des Hunt
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Brief Description
Socially challenged eleven-year-old Peter MacNeill has real difficulties when his family is forced to move to a broken-down house in Birkenhead. Then he discovers pekapeka bats living in his backyard trees. With the help of Agnes and her mokopuna Tui, Peter vows to protect the bats... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2800
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Eleven-year-old Peter MacNeill has difficulties when his family is forced to move to a new house. When he discovers pekapeka bats living in his backyard puriri, Peter vows to protect them. But the puriri is in the way of a development and set for removal. Peter must find a new inner strength to overcome his difficulties and save the tree.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Socially challenged eleven-year-old Peter MacNeill has real difficulties when his family is forced to move to a broken-down house in Birkenhead. Then he discovers pekapeka bats living in his backyard trees. With the help of Agnes and her mokopuna Tui, Peter vows to protect the bats from predators, both animal and human.

The worst of these is a property developer who plans to build apartments on the site. He'll do anything to destroy the trees, including introducing dieback disease, poisoning, and even arson. When a puriri is set on fire, Peter finds a new inner strength which surmounts his difficulties and saves the day.

Dieback is a compelling story of courage and determination, showcasing how one young boy can make a difference when faced with adversity.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780995145153

Publisher: Torea Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 15 November 2025

Country: New Zealand

Imprint: Torea Press

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 248

Collections

Children's Books Children's Picture Books Children’s, Teenage and Educational Des Hunt New Zealand and Australia Published New Zealand Children's Books New Zealand Published

About the Author

For 44 years Des Hunt was a science and technology teacher interspersed with periods of curriculum development both in New Zealand and overseas. During this period, he had 14 science books published, all with a strong New Zealand emphasis. In 2002 his first novel A Friend in Paradise was released. Since then there have been another 24 titles, eight of which have been finalists in the NZ Children's and YA awards; two have been LIANZA finalists; one has been a Ngaio Marsh finalist. In 2016 Cry of the Taniwha received the Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award for a much-loved book, and in 2017 Des Hunt was awarded the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal in recognition of his contribution to children's literature.

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