FICTION AGE 10 up

NZ Writer

Des Hunt

Project Huia

Scholastic    2013   $19.50pb   289 pages

ISBN 978 1 7754 3176 3

Themes: Extinct birds/ DNA/ Huia/ Helicopter flights/ Manawatu Gorge/ Past and present

Logan’s grandfather grew up in Palmerston North in the 1940s and one day he and his sister thought they saw a huia in the Kowhai tree but this could not be true because the huia was extinct  - or was it? Now almost 60 years later Logan is on the track of the same bird and hoping if they find it, its DNA will be helpful for scientific research. But there are always greedy people around who are willing to spoil things for their own aims.  As in all his books (now either 14 or 15 – I’ve lost count), Des Hunt combines his passion for science with his wonderful story telling skills.

 I feel this would read aloud well but it may be more a book for an individual reader to gobble up at a sitting and not to have to wait for the next reading ‘session’!

** Recommended.

Year 6 up/ Age 10 up