Cry of the Taniwha

by Des Hunt

Sitting on the dark earth and staring up at him was a skull, the lower jaw below ground so Matt didn't have to cope with the thing grinning up at him. The empty eye sockets were scary enough . . .Matt Logan isn't looking forward to spending the school holidays with his grandmother and her new husband. He has to fly to Rotorua, where he doesn't know anybody, and he's a bit wary of his new step-grandfather. All Matt knows is that he's Maori and a bus driver.Along with his worries, Matt packs his pride and joy - a homemade metal detector, because, you never know, he might find something interesting.What he finds is Juzza, who lives over the back fence and wants to join a local gang. When the boys unearth a handcuffed skeleton, a chain of events begins to coil around them. together they are thrown into a deadly search for treasure when the local gang boss decides to exploit their find for himself.

Genres: Mystery, Childrens, Adventure

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Des Hunt was a science and technology teacher for many years, interspersed with periods of curriculum development both in New Zealand and overseas. During this time he had several textbooks published to support the New Zealand curriculum. In recent years he has looked at other ways of interesting youngsters in science, creating computer games and writing non-fiction and fiction with scientific themes.

After living in Auckland for much of his life he moved with his wife, Lynne, to Matarangi on New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula. He retired from the classroom in 2007 to concentrate on writing fiction for children. He continues his aims of fostering young peoples’ natural interest in the science of their surroundings by visiting schools and libraries where he runs workshops and presentations.

Reviews

[Alessandro Stevens]

Un burn historia que me canta!

[Beth Montgomery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Rotorua, a contemporary teen stays with his uncle and becomes the target of a local gang of thugs. He also becomes embroiled in the mystery of an old jewel theft over a century before. Plenty of action and conflict.

[Miss Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This opens with aplomb as you follow the thief on his short-lived escapade and then you are introduced to Matt who doesn't like the prospect of his school holidays being spent in Rotorua until he befriends Jackson and Eve. The storyline references the pink and white terraces and some scientific information on how the land changes given the mud pools and geysers in the area. Matt is a detectorist excited by the prospect of finding something valuable until others take an interest in him. It covers choices, gang influence, honesty as the best policy, and the thrill of the find.

[Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

pretty good and interesting

[Tumaituhipa · Rating 5 out of 5]

so far i really enjoy this book and cant wait to finish it i thought it would be some kind of myth but it isnt its quite kul so far.well to where im up to hes with his grandmother and her husband and has met a boy that name is juzza.

[Alex Munro · Rating 5 out of 5]

it is freaky & awsome

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

i absolutely loved this book :)

[Brenainn · Rating 5 out of 5]

tdfft