Those Seal Rock Kids

This is the fifth book in an adventure series by Jon Tucker.

A group of young sailing friends from Australia and New Zealand meet up in the Bay of Islands for a sailing and camping adventure. These books all have an environmental theme and are stand-alone stories, though involve the same group of children. This adventure sees them team up with two local Māori children and they plan to camp on Urupukapuka, an island in the Bay of Islands. The Māori children are unjustly accused of a burglary and the police then start harassing their grandmother about ‘lack of adequate supervision’ and their custody status. This book highlights current issues facing Oranga Tamariki in New Zealand,

I found the cover with its collage of small black and white pictures could be a hard sell just sitting on a shelf, however the illustrations throughout the book add to the enjoyment of the book. Other illustrations such as maps and diagrams add useful information.

Readers of Arthur Ransome’s books or perhaps Enid Blyton’s will enjoy a modern version of kids having an adventure and helping to solve a crime with minimal parental supervision. Themes of resilience and problem-solving when there is disagreement are displayed in the children’s actions.

Middle school students, especially New Zealand kids will enjoy this adventure story with a local setting and relevance to our culture.

Title: Those Seal Rock Kids

Author & Illustrator: Jon Tucker

Publisher: Storm Bay

ISBN: 9780648915706

RRP: $23

Format: paperback

Publication: August 2020

Ages: 9-14

Reviewer: Nova Gibson, Library Manager, Massey Primary School

How are you recommending this book? Recommended

Opening line: Fin had always loved the sound of outboard motors.

You can buy this series of books here and read extracts here