Books with author D. S. Grant

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?