Posted by Prue Eckett on April 02, 2006 at 22:53:57 from 222.153.151.193 user PrueEckett.
In Reply to: A raft of Kiwi writers (was: Children's writers) posted by Alan Hakim on April 02, 2006 at 17:19:12:
I would add to Alan's strong group, Joyce West and Joy Cowley. In the late '50s and early '60's, West wrote a trilogy of books set in the isolated East Cape. Beginning with 'Drover's Road', she told the story of family farming and adventures on a sheep station. Her writing is in the first person told by her heroine Gabrielle, and really gives the flavour of NZ farming life. Lots of horses, dogs, treasure, droving, bush etc.
Cowley is much more contemporary and her 'Froghopper' series set in the Marlborough Sounds on a launch might be more the Tars style. Also plenty of child-centred adventure.
And Alan's comment on Duder is spot on - 'Night Race to Kawhau' is an enduring book - as a Hauraki Gulf sailor at the same age as her heroine Sam, I always connected to the book.
There are a couple more in the same framework - one about a boy in 1918 when the influenza comes to NZ who sails with his ill uncle up the Hauraki Gulf, and another set in the 60's that also involves boats. I can't remember the authors of either and until I can find the books (we're still renovating and a lot of books are in cardboard boxes in the garage)It'll have to wait.