White Lies, Māori Legends and Fairytales
A story about a boy with the dream of becoming an All Black and the hope that his people will not get shoved aside in an ever-changing Aotearoa.
Join the dozens of schools already using White Lies, Maori Legends and Fairytales to engage students in the fascinating history of Aotearoa! Class sets come with key questions and a breakdown of which chapter/s each theme (themes are listed below) appears in.
“This novel brings New Zealand history alive.”
- Waikato Times
“If your teenager doesn’t like reading, this book will turn them around. An absolute must read.”
- The Breeze Radio
“Highly recommended.”
- Penny’s Bookstore
“What a wonderful story, and so beautifully written… I was hooked from the start.”
- School librarian, Hamilton
“New Zealand kids need more literature like this. It is definitely going on my recommended texts list to use in the future.”
– Year 9 and 10 English teacher, Bay of Plenty
“Students were fascinated by the discussion between the kids in the story and what they are discovering about New Zealand.”
– Year 9-11 English teacher, Hamilton
“What a wonderful novel for getting our children engaged in researching the history of Aotearoa – we loved it!”
– High School English teacher, Auckland
So as not to take away from the pace of the narrative, I have deliberately tried not to give any lengthy history lessons within the story. Rather, I have touched on some New Zealand Aotearoa themes consciously and consistently throughout the novel, keeping the conversation between the young characters genuine, and allowing for better engagement of the reader.
One of the major aspects of feedback I have received from teachers using this book in the classroom has been that it is a fantastic tool for ‘hooking’ students into the history of New Zealand Aotearoa, creating opportunity for further discussion and/or research.
I would suggest teachers identify the theme/s (listed below) they want to explore in the classroom and use this novel as a way to engage students into the theme/s selected, to continue to learn about the fascinating history of Aotearoa.
Note: Class sets purchased arrive with key questions for each chapter and a break down of which pages & chapters themes arise in the story.
A story about a boy with the dream of becoming an All Black and the hope that his people will not get shoved aside in an ever-changing Aotearoa.
Falstaff is from Aotearoa/New Zealand. He is thirty-four years old and grew up in Huntly with his mum, dad, and five younger siblings. He used to spend the weekends at the brickworks, flying down the sand hills with his mate Tony, or playing Ninja Turtle gangs with his brothers and sister by the nearby lake...