Solid read for young Kiwis

Phantom of Terawhiti
By Des Hunt (HarperCollins, RRP $20)

I was excited to read the latest Des Hunt offering and was not disappointed.

Set on the southwest coast near Wellington, it’s an adventure to do with a shipwreck, the strange animal that survives to come to shore, and those who wish to hunt it down for various reasons.

Zac is living with his father in exile on the coast and soon meets threatening strangers from foreign lands. He and his friend Jess must use all their skills to rescue the “phantom” while evading the baddies.

Solid home-grown children’s fiction.