The Porangi Boy

Twelve-year-old Niko lives in a small, rural town. The government want to build a prison over the home of a taniwha. Niko's grandfather is busy protesting, but when he dies, it's up to Niko to convince the community that the taniwha is real and stop the prison from being built.

The author was mentored in Te Papa Tupu writing programme, where she worked on The Porangi Boy, and she has had stories published in Huia Short Stories 10 and 11 and was a finalist for best short story in the 2013 AUT New Zealand Creative Writing Competition. This is a coming-of-age story about a boy who stands up to a bully and gains respect, stands up for what he believes in and becomes a leader, and inspires a community to come together and protect its land and way of life. The story is based on actual events that occurred in Ngawha, Northland, where Maori opposed a prison being built on sacred ground and where it could also disturb the home of a taniwha. Niko can be seen as one of the new wave of young people everywhere coming forward and fighting for a cause. He is inspiring and there is humour as he faces challenges and finds ways to make things work. The story, for readers aged eight to fourteen, has memorable characters, including a veteran protester aunty with big ideas and a big heart, a grumbling wise grandfather Niko loves and is also a bit ashamed of, a mum struggling with daily life, and friends Niko falls in and out with.

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