David was born in 1942 and spent a lot of his growing-up years in Napier. He taught for many years until becoming a full-time writer in 1982. He likes fried potatoes and tramping.
David was the 2005 Margaret Mahy Award winner. This is just recognition of his years of work writing for children and teens.
Logan's dad is killed in a car crash, and Logan and his mum, Jilly, are left to come to terms with his death. For Jilly, this means visiting a psychic who claims to be able to contact the spirit world. Logan is convinced the psychic is a fraud and becomes increasingly worried about the influence she is exerting over Jilly.
Garth's into archery and accepts a challenge - bow and arrow versus rifle.
Bodies and soul
Cal discovers Global aren't so nice after all - instead they're running a black market organ harvesting operation - putting the lives of Cal and his friends at risk.
Ryan’s laden with guilt after hitting Tara with his car. Tara is struggling to come back after being in a coma. A heart-breaking read about guilt, friendship and reparation.
Kallum plays the guitar and, despite reservations, accepts an invitation to play in the youth orchestra. There he meets Paige, a flutist, with whom he is to play a duet. The two begin a relationship and Paige becomes pregnant. This charts their relationship and Kallum's growing love of classical music.
Adam's totally into the sun. So when he's offered a chance to see a satellite launch he's ready! However when God's Soldiers - a group determined to stop space exploration - intervene, everything changes. Can Adam get to the Kennedy Space Centre in time? And can he stop the warhead exploding?
When Peter's selected to go to Auckland for the Scouts jamboree he's really excited - but fate steps in. A great introduction to life in New Zealand during the 1950s.
1981, and New Zealand is being torn apart by a rugby tour. Rugby-playing Alan Randall and his mates think the South African rugby team should tour. Donna Ostler and her weird friends think not. They want to stop the tour, by marches, protests, even by invading the grounds. Before long New Zealand, including Alan and his friends, is almost at war.
Stuart and his twin sister Sandra are heading home on the Wahine - the inter-island ferry. But it's April 1968, and things don't go smoothly - to say the least. A dramatic and gripping fictional account of one of New Zealand's infamous disasters.
When Slade comes to the snobby Green Harbour College, he first sees Ms Rich and Perfect Mallory Garner in assembly. But don't be fooled by appearances... Slade assumes Mallory is stuck-up and snobby schoolgirl but slowly he sees real side of her. At first, he becomes real rude to her and her parents e.g giving them the fingers but as he gets closer to her, he realises she holds a horrible secret. Under pressure to be brillant and perfect at everything , Mallory self harms herself. By burying herself, cutting, biting, bruising .... Slade who becomes her boyfriend tries to help. But after a argument with her mother, Mallory feels as though she can't control her life and starts to cut her arms badly. Slade finds her and brings Mallory to the hospital. With the support from Slade, her parents, friends and the doctors, Mallory begins to heal the cuts that lay under her skin. The only person who can save her is herself...
Best character: Mallory
Jean, 14
You'd be running hot if you were in their situation - with a forest fire at their heels.
Simon's just like all his mates - a normal 14-year-old boy into girls, sport, girls.... What makes Simon different is that he lives for the moment - there's no time to waste when no one knows how long you'll live.
Kids at Corey's school call it "Mt Tara-slacky" because it doesn't do anything. After a few rumblings, it seems to be ready for some action. Then it stops. Again, some quiet rumblings. Then nothing. Then - Mt Taranaki looks like being another Mt St Helens - which erupted in 1980 and killed over 30 people.
Here is a book that is unlike any I have read. Though fairly short it offers a quick peak into strange worlds and alternate states of reality.
Kit is a lonely boy who convinces himself that only through running can he find true happiness (perhaps he is running to escape). His parents are fighting and the other kids at his school shun him and his athletic achievements.
However one day a dark cloud descends upon him as he runs along a familiar route. Somehow Kit is whisked away into a world that appears to be his own but is also strangely different. He enters this world and a race where people seem to depend upon him and give him hope and determination.
It is also in this other realm that he encounters a strange girl called Alrika. Somehow she seems to share his secret and it appears that only together can they unravel the mystery of their otherworldly situation.
From beginning to end the book reads at a quick pace. I sometimes felt that I was also running beside them, book in hand! So if you're into a quick snappy ride take a look at Time out, you may need some once you have finished.
Reviewed by Tamzin, Blockhouse Bay Library
Jotan, a pilot/captain goes on his first space mission but something goes wrong and his pod flies into a black hole. Expecting to be dead in minutes, all his crew lose hope of escaping. But in those minutes, nothing happens. Draco, a media experiments by going out into the depper blackness as a hero and vanishs into thin air.... This leads to an idea which may save their lives from being shattered pieces of atoms. This plan shows signs of success but during it, Jotan looks into his future and past. Discovering Vela, a media will become his soul-mate and wife. When they come out of the black hole and are rescued, Vela and Jotan join hands
Best character: Jotan
Jean, 14
David also has a touching story in Down to the sea. |
