Books with author David Hilliam

Simon is a typical teenager - in every way except one. Simon likes girls, weekends and enjoys mucking about and playing practical jokes. But what s different is that Simon has muscular dystrophy - he is in a wheelchair and doesn t have long to live. See Ya, Simon is told by Simon's best friend, Nathan. Funny, moving and devastatingly honest, it tells of their last year together. Winner of the Times Educational Supplement Nasen Award, the Silver Pen Award and the Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award for a Much-loved Book, See Ya, Simon has been published in the USA, UK, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, China, Japan and Slovenia.

In 1967 an unknown, elderly New Zealander and his ancient Indian motorcycle set a world land-speed record at Bonneville. The man was Burt Munro, and he became a Kiwi legend. How did he do it? His amazing true story is now a stunning picture book. A crowd of people stand on a flat white plain. In the distance, a snarling, roaring dark speck is hurtling towards them. It's a motorbike. The rider is inside the shell, lying almost flat. 'Go, Burt!' The red bike blurs past. Fingers click stop-watches. How fast has Burt Munro gone this time? The moment young Burt Munro saw a motorbike chugging down a quiet Invercargill street, he was hooked. More than 50 years later, he and his ancient Indian motorcycle would amaze the world by setting a land-speed record—one that remains unbroken to this day. Burt didn’t have much money. He wasn’t young. But he was determined. And he became a Kiwi legend. A wonderful true story about a very unlikely New Zealand champion, by the award-winning author and illustrator of First to the Top.

The bells stopped, so suddenly that their sound quivered in the air. For the first time in an hour, the loudspeakers spoke, but this time the words were different. 'We are about to abandon ship. All passengers proceed immediately to the starboard side. We are about to abandon ship.' � Stuart and his twin sister Sandra are coming home to Wellington on the ferry. Stuart knows he'll enjoy the trip - he's a good sailor. But it's April 1968 and the ship is the Wahine. � As the tragic events unwind Stuart and Sandra must�battle to stay alive. � A vivid and compelling picture of the Wahine's last hours.

Scotland, September 1886. A family boards a ship bound for New Zealand. What will their new lives hold? Will they find the opportunities and riches denied them in their homeland? And will they ever call this strange, faraway country home? Leap forward a decade and the family have settled near the banks of a river, befriended by the people of the neighbouring pa. But their new existence has been paid for with some terrible losses. Through the decades and right up to the present day, more tests lie ahead - war, earthquakes, protest marches, brushes with death. And so do some thrilling discoveries. Life in this quiet river valley is never boring. Master storyteller David Hill traces the fortunes of two New Zealand families, through seven generations and over 130 years of fast-flowing change, in this exciting and richly rewarding novel.

A gripping novel for young adults that captures both the daring and the everyday realities of serving in the Air Force during the Second World War.Pete and Paul yelled together. 'Bandit! Nine o'clock! Bandit!'Jack spun to stare. There was the Messerschmitt on their left, streaking straight at them.Eighteen-year-old Jack wanted to escape boring little New Zealand. But he soon finds that flying in a Lancaster bomber to attack Hitler’s forces brings terror as well as excitement. With every dangerous mission, he becomes more afraid that he’ll never get back alive. He wants to help win the war, but will he lose his own life?My Brother’s War: '... there are stories that need to be told over and over again, to introduce a new generation of readers to important ideas and to critical times in their country's history ... Hill's descriptions of trench warfare are unforgettable.' from the Judges' Report of the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults 2013