Books with author D Grant

Ever wonder what Trump will put in his letter to his successor?Are you ready for the New Pledge of Allegiance?Did God put Trump in office? Is Democracy dead?With a mix of humor and some facts, this collection looks at the last two years and the political upheaval our nation has faced. The intention is to make you laugh, possibly weep, and hopefully think.

As the target of the juvenile gangs in the docklands of Sydney in 1863, Sam Galloway finds that nimble fingers and swift feet are of more use to him that the ability to read. This changes when his dying mother gives him a man’s pocket watch with an inscription on the back – an inscription he cannot read. Although the words are a mystery, his mother tells him that the watch belongs to the father he never knew. She entreats him to journey to Auckland, New Zealand and find his aunt, his father’s sister, but his mother dies before she can tell him anymore. Escaping the clutches of the landlord leads Sam to an encounter with a navy deserter who shelters him but takes the precious watch. In order to get the watch back, Sam must take to the sea but what starts off as an amazing adventure turns into a mission to survive as the navy ship begins to sink as night approaches. To survive the turbulent seas seems impossible and when Sam slips under the water, it appears that all is lost. Can Sam, the outcast, be rescued and recover what has been taken from him, the only thing that connects him to his father’s family and reconnect with the brave heroes of the shipwreck?The facts of the sinking of the navy corvette HMS Orpheus on 7th 1863 off the west coast of New Zealand are used in this tale of high adventure at sea. Suitable for ages 8-12.Winner: 2014 Notable Book Award for Junior Fiction

The ordinary suburban life that Josh knew and took for granted disintegrates when his father announces that the family business has failed and Josh’s only solace is surfing the shore breaks at Piha, West Auckland. His humiliation deepens when he is beaten up by Bevan, the school bully who continues to harass him at every opportunity. Now Bevan’s ex-girlfriend is flirting with him and the financial pressure is breaking the family apart and Josh comes to realize that he is no better than the bully who torments him. When Josh is forced to make a critical decision will he conquer his resentment and do the right thing, or allow his anger to place others at risk?

Jason Shaw is looking forward to spending the Thanksgiving weekend in Washington DC with the colonel and his son Peter, not least because the colonel has promised to take Jason to a firing range. Although his father is a police detective, he won’t let Jason handle a gun and sends him to self-defense classes instead. As a storm descends on Washington, the secure building in which the colonel works is taken over by terrorists and Jason is the only one not taken captive. As he roams the unfamiliar building with the power out, searching for an escape route and trying to evade the gunmen, he must choose between using an unfamiliar weapon or relying on the skills he learnt in self-defense class. When it becomes crucial to his survival, which will he choose?

SpeedJason Shaw, the fourteen year old son of a Seattle police detective, struggles to understand the mystery of the high speed car crash that killed his mother and left his father in a coma. With just his best friend Ben to help him Jason tries to make sense of the clues his father left behind but they make no sense and he’s not sure who he can trust within the police department. As he gets closer to solving the mystery and identifying those involved, he puts himself and those close to him in danger. Can Jason act quickly enough to save not only himself, but also his father and his best friend from those that want them dead?VelocityJason Shaw is on summer break and struggling to recover from the aftermath of the car crash at the beginning of the year. His father is a broken man and their relationship is strained, made worse when Jason is told that he’s adopted. When his biological father takes him on a trip to the back country of Yellowstone Park, Jason begins to doubt that the man is who he says he is but they are too far from civilisation for him to seek help. When he come across a youth wilderness survival camp, Jason realizes that there is more at risk than his own safety, but also a threat to national security and that the results of his actions can have a critical outcome. Can Jason outwit and outrun a man with a gun?ManeuversJason Shaw is recovering from injuries sustained in Yellowstone Park when his best friend Ben is kidnapped while they walk home from school. Jason tries to stop them but he is helpless as they take his friend. The kidnappers want more than money and when the ransom drop is compromised, Jason becomes frustrated with himself and the FBI who are running the investigation. Then Jason is kidnapped and he finds himself, along with Ben, imprisoned and unable to escape. As the kidnappers’ plan becomes apparent, Jason has to conquer his greatest fear in order to save himself and rescue Ben. Is his determination enough to overcome the kidnappers and save them both?

The Great War has spread a cold wet woolen blanket over Festweiller Valley, and the once joyous people need a hero. They can't even sing the Festweiller anthem without tears. Suffering because Pinocchio is missing in action, an extremely sad Geppetto can't let it go, even if he has to make the hero himself. He will find magic for his people! Can an angry disappointed dragon help them, or maybe a autistic singing puppet? The devil puppet hiding in the corner says "NO WAY!" but the other puppets in the toy shop are hoping for victory as they wait for their old papa, Geppetto, to return from searching for his son. Will Geppetto bring Pinocchio home? Will the misbegotten dragon find his magic, and will Francesco the autistic puppet, bring joy back to Festweiller? Full of wonderful characters- from loving Kings to flaming red-haired flamenco dancing princesses, to silly and serious puppets all singing because of the magic in their wooden lungs, this tale may have you humming in hope and faith by the time you take the last dragon ride to the end of the story.

This is a story about a child who doesn't like eating vegetables. He expresses himself with words and expressions that will engage both the reader and the listener. The book is illustrated with real images of the offending vegetables, which can serve as discussion points, and words that rhyme, to engage and involve the reader and the listener in a joyful shared experience.

What do you do when you have an out of body experience? If you're like Bevan, you start looking for answers to that age old question - is there life after death? But Bevan's search brings him closer to death than he really wanted, almost losing his life in a serious car accident. What he does lose, however, is his left leg below the knee. It's a cruel blow and circumstances are not made any easy by the advent of strange dreams which follow the events of the Waikato War fought in New Zealand in 1863. Bevan attributes these to the strong painkillers but when they continue outside of hospital, Bevan starts to search for answers. Who is the Maori warrior Haki and what is his connection to Bevan? As his life becomes more complicated and events spiral out of his control, Bevan can only find the answers in another time and place.

Jason Shaw is on summer break and struggling to recover from the aftermath of the car crash at the beginning of the year. His father is a broken man and their relationship is strained, made worse when Jason is told that he’s adopted. When his biological father takes him on a trip to the back country of Yellowstone Park, Jason begins to doubt that the man is who he says he is but they are too far from civilisation for him to seek help. When he come across a youth wilderness survival camp, Jason realizes that there is more at risk than his own safety, but also a threat to national security and that the results of his actions can have a critical outcome. Can Jason outwit and outrun a man with a gun?

Jason Shaw, the fourteen year old son of a Seattle police detective, struggles to understand the mystery of the high speed car crash that killed his mother and left his father in a coma. With just his best friend Ben to help him Jason tries to make sense of the clues his father left behind but they make no sense and he’s not sure who he can trust within the police department. As he gets closer to solving the mystery and identifying those involved, he puts himself and those close to him in danger. Can Jason act quickly enough to save not only himself, but also his father and his best friend from those that want them dead?