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.

'We knew straightaway that something was happening. Extra men in khaki uniforms stood at the main gates. Behind the wire, figures in blue sat on the ground. None of the usual moving around, washing up, wrestling, anything like that. Just rows of prisoners, sitting silently.' It's 1942, and the tiny farming town of Featherston is about to receive hundreds of Japanese soldiers into its prisoner-of-war camp. Ewen, whose dad is a guard there, can't stop wondering about the enemy just down the road. Some say the captives are evil and cruel and should be treated harshly - or shot. But when Ewen and his friends ride out to the camp to peep through the barbed wire, the POWs just seem like . . . well, people. Then a new group from a captured warship arrives and the mood in the camp darkens. Guards and inmates begin to clash. As tension builds the boys are told to stay away. But on 25 February 1943, Ewen and his friends are there at the moment the storm breaks - and terrible, unforgettable events unfold before their eyes.

Mathematics Year 4 goes beyond the requirements of the new National Curriculum and continues to stretch and challenge pupils with the revision of basic numerical skills, as well as the introduction of new material on topics such as negative numbers, decimals, inequalities and perimeter and area. - Endorsed by ISEB - Covers the new National Curriculum Programmes of Study to ensure pupils are learning the most up to date material - Combines the traditional standard method with the mental approach to challenge all abilities - Features end-of-chapter activities and summary exercises to engage pupils and consolidate the information learned Answer book available separately

Follow the fortunes of two families – their triumphs and disasters, losses and discoveries – in this enthralling novel by a bestselling author.A family boards a ship bound for New Zealand. What will they find there? Tests lie ahead – war, earthquakes, protest marches, brushes with death. And so do some thrilling discoveries . . . 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 for intermediate readers.

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?

It's New Zealand, 1914, and the Great War is raging on battlefields in Europe. King and Country are calling! William eagerly enlists for the army but his younger brother, Edmund, is opposed to the whole idea of war and he refuses to join up.While William trains to be a soldier, Edmund is arrested and put in prison as a conscientious objector. Both brothers discover that the shocking realities of war are a far cry from what they had imagined.And what they experience challenges each of their tightly-held beliefs to the maximum. This book is a triple award-winner by acclaimed New Zealand writer of YA fiction, David Hill.'...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...' --New Zealand Post Book Awards'Real, raw ... and fabulous all at the same time.' --Adele Broadbent, writer/reviewer'Beautifully written and deeply engrossing...' --Otago Daily TimesDavid Hill is one of New Zealand's leading writers for children and young people. He studied at the Victoria University of Wellington and initially became a high school teacher, teaching both in New Zealand and the UK. David's books have been published internationally and his short stories and plays for young people have been broadcast worldwide.He has won numerous awards for his writing in New Zealand and overseas and was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2004.

Follows on from A Hedgehog Story: Hedgehog Queen published in June 2018. Autumn has arrived and Alistair is surprised to discover that the badge he received from the hedgehog Queen earlier in the year is magical. By mistake he gently rubs the badge and with a big burst of sparkle dust, Hamish the hedgehog re-appears. Alistair is so pleased to see Hamish again and is very excited to find that his badge is magical. Soon, a little hedgehog called Hector enters Alistair's garden. He is in search of the hedgehog Queen as he needs help to find his two lost sisters. He is confronted with a strange black creature who is a little grumpy and not at all friendly. Hector is cold and scared and he calls for help. Eventually the strange black creature seeks out the little hedgehog and begins to befriend him. This creature is, in fact, a little rat with a white waistcoat and small, uneven spectacles. He goes by the name of Mr. Tilly. One evening, Hector is searching the garden and is calling out for the hedgehog Queen to help him. Alistair hears his calls and rushes to see who it is. He discovers little Hector and learns of his terrible dilemma. Thinking fast, Alistair uses his magical badge to call Hamish to see if he can help Hector in his quest to find his two lost sisters. Alistair, Hector and Hamish embark on a journey through a spooky but shiny forest and discover that Hector's sister's are trapped inside a bat-guarded tree. Can they save the day and reunite the hedgehog family? They'll need the help of Mr. Tilly and, of course, the magical badge from the hedgehog Queen.

Life began to make sense in the summer of 1971. With his best friend George, the author travels to England where they buy BSA motorcycles tor a trip lasting the summer and crossing a dozen and a half countries. Sleeping on the ground, eating at markets and traveling the back roads, they see a continent of magnificent beauty, full of fascinating people. While traversing Czechoslovakia they see the misery caused by communist rule. First on the scene of a fatal traffic accident, they learn how fragile life is. From a farm family in Austria they find kindness and friendship more powerful than cultural and language differences. This is the true story of a summer spent by an eighteen-year-old boy who grew up quickly in those three months. The author shares what life was like during one summer of youth, how he felt and what he learned as he crossed the threshold to adulthood.

Featured on the New Zealand Listener's 50 best children's books 2013 Something in the water, a hundred yards or so away. Russell jerked the binoculars back, trying to find it again. He had to be sure; mustn't make a fool of himself. Where was it? Then he saw it through the lenses once more.His voice rang along the deck. 'Mine! Bearing 290 degrees. 100 yards. Mine!' Sixteen-year-old Boy Seaman Russell Purchas is stationed on HMNZS Taupo, which has just entered hostile waters off the coast of Korea. It's 1951, and his ship is part of the United Nations force fighting in the Korean War. Russell is determined to prove himself against the communists - not just because he wants to be brave, but because he wants to escape the shadow of his Uncle Trevor, killed in World War II. Everyone thinks Trevor was a hero, but Russell knows the shameful truth. But can Russell keep himself together when the shells start falling? And does he really know what courage means? A gripping novel about the Korean War for 9-12 year olds.