Pounamu Pounamu | 
pickSo this is a book of short stories that many high school kids here in NZ study in about Year 9. For some reason my class didn‘t and do I‘m catching up with it now. Witi Ihimaera is the first Maori writer published and this is his first book (1970) so it‘s quite an historical book!
The stories all take place in the same fictional community, and some stories go back to the same characters.⬇️
Centique Most of the protagonists are young boys around 9 - 13 - and it has an appropriate simplicity of language but there are deep subjects touched upon. Life, death, family, community - the desire of a child to be grown up already - the fading of a generation and a culture when the youth turn away.⬇️ (edited) 4y
Centique Ihimaera captures voices and thoughts so naturally, his ear for dialogue is spot on. I often struggle with short stories but this is a pocketful of little gems. 4y
Centique Just realised calling the stories gems is prompted by the title - Pounamu is the Maori word for greenstone which other counties might call jade. It plays an important cultural role here. 4y
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sarahbarnes Very cool! 4y
Reggie This sounds pretty cool. The everybody but my class book that was read and I still haven‘t read is To Kill a Mockingbird. 4y
Centique @Reggie thanks matey! You wouldn‘t believe it but Lucy has had to read that 3 times for school. It‘s a book I loved but I also get that there are SO many other good books that address racism in that era. It‘s ridiculous that she kept getting assigned it 🤦🏻♀️ 4y
Reggie @Centique that‘s crazy! 4y
