*Shortlisted

Review by Rihan Year 8 Ashcroft Technology Academy
“Nine Girls” is a brilliant book that I really enjoyed reading. It’s about a girl called Tich who must move from her city home in Auckland to a small town called Ngaruawahia because her dad lost his job. At first, Titch isn’t too happy about leaving her friends and the life she knows, but things start to get interesting when she hears about a hidden treasure on her family’s farm.

The story takes place in New Zealand during the late 1970s and early 1980s, a time when a lot was happening in the country. Titch leans about her Māori heritage and meets a talking eel called Paneiraira, or Pan for short. Pan tells her stories about the land and her ancestors, which helps Titch feel more connected to her new home.

Titch and her cousins become determined to find the buried gold, even though it is said to be cursed. They think that finding the gold might solve their family’s money problems. Along the way, Titch makes a new best friend called Tania, and together they go on adventures and learn about their culture.

One of the things I liked most about this book is how it mixes adventure with important lessons about family, friendship, and understanding who you are. Titch’s journey shows that even when things change and are difficult, you can discover new things about yourself and where you come from. The book also taught me about New Zealand’s history and Māori culture, which I didn’t know much about before. I think “Nine Girls” is a fantastic read for kids around my age because it is exciting and also makes you think about themes like identity and heritage. It’s a story that stays with you even after you’ve finished reading it. 

Review by Ava-Aaliyah, 14, Pen-Y-Dre High School
After having read the blurb of the book, I wasn’t too sure if this book would attract my interest. However, it exceeded my expectations and I’m quite pleased with my reading choice. The book consists of adventure, mystery, friendship and family, and personally, I found the interactions within to be very wholesome and nostalgia-inducing. Furthermore, it was educational, and I enjoyed being able to learn words in Māori and learning about New Zealand’s history in relation to the British Empire and colonialism. The characters in the book and the family dynamic is quite relatable, I find, and they add so much animation and entertainment to the book that I’d never wanted to put the book down. I think that the way in which this book was written encourages younger children and teenagers to learn and engage themselves with different cultures, traditions and history and allows them to develop their knowledge in a stress-free and fun manner.