Books with author D Grant

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 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 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?

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

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.