The Porangi Boy

This book is about stopping something unfair from happening again. Imagine a really brave boy named Niko who has to go on a huge adventure to save his people's land, because people want to build a prison right where his family and ancestors have lived for ages. Niko doesn't want history to repeat itself, where Māori people keep losing their land for others to gain. In the book, you'll meet Niko's whole whānau. They're all super close and mostly support each other, which is really heartwarming. But the most special part is seeing how much Niko loves his grandad, his koro. Most of the town thinks his grandad is "pōrangi" (that means a bit crazy!) because he talks a lot about saving the land for a special creature called a taniwha, who is their land’s kaitiaki (guardian).

Shilo Kino, the author, tells the story in a really interesting way, with chapters called "before" and "after." We figured out halfway through that "after" is after his koro passes away. It's a bit sad, and Niko feels a big empty space inside him. But then, he turns that sadness into super strong determination to finish what his grandad started: protecting their land!

We're not going to lie, some of the Māori words and phrases were a bit tricky at first, but it was a fun challenge to try and work out what they meant! It was also really eye-opening to see how Māori people are still fighting for their land and rights today, just like they are in this story.

We think kids who are 11 and older should definitely read this book. There are some parts where Niko's mum isn't great at looking after him, and Niko gets bullied sometimes. Plus, they talk about family members being in prison and why they're there. So it's a book for slightly older readers.

But seriously, if you want to read a story about bravery, family, and standing up for what's right, you have to read The Pōrangi Boy! You'll feel all the connections to Māori culture, just like we did!