Fiction - Age 10 up

TO BE PUBLISHED OCTOBER 5^th 2013

- available for pre-order now

NZ Writer

Joy Cowley

Dunger

Gecko Press 2013   $19.99pb 156 pages

ISBN 978 1 8775 7946 2

Themes: Brothers and sisters/ Grandparents/ Marlborough Sounds

Grandpa and Grandma are in their 80’s, ex Hippies, struggling with the limitations of being older but determined to keep hold of their run down old bach deep in the bush in the Marlborough Sounds. They continually argue with each other and voice their opinions on everything very loudly and firmly indeed. When William and Melissa, who tell the story in alternate chapters, are sent to help their grandparents with the bach instead of going to Australia’s Gold Coast, the two children  are in shock mode. What will they do without a cell phone, a flushing toilet, a fridge and without any other people their own age?  This is a story about real people in real situations – it is funny, poignant, heart warming and all the other values one would expect from a writer like Joy Cowley. And every page tells us firmly this is New Zealand children’s fiction. I can’t recommend it highly enough and hope many, many children will have the pleasure of hearing it read aloud and even more will read it for themselves. And then, in the way of all books of this calibre, go right back to start over again as soon as they have finished.   

Year 6 up/ Age 10 up (and all adults)