Dawn Raid - by Pauline Vaeluaga Smith (Paperback)

About the Book

"You're having an amazing family holiday, one where everyone is there and all eighteen of you are squeezed into one house. Fast forward to 4 o'clock in the morning, and there's banging and yelling and screaming. The police are in the house, pulling people out of bed ... Like many 13-year-old girls, Sofia's main worries are how she can earn enough pocket money to buy the groovy go-go boots that are all the rage, and if she will die of embarrassment giving a speech she has to do for school! It comes as a surprise to Sofia and her family when her big brother, Lenny, talks about protests, overstayers and injustices against Pacific Islanders.Through her spirited and heartfelt diary entries, we join Sofia as she navigates life in the 1970s and is inspired by the courageous and tireless work of the Polynesian Panthers as they encourage immigrant families across New Zealand to stand up for their rights"--

Book Synopsis

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★ "Encourages empathy and understanding while spotlighting underrepresented history, and providing an example of how young people can take action. Highly recommended." --School Library Journal (starred)

★ "Well-crafted and wonderfully fresh." --Kirkus Reviews (starred)

ALSC Notables Selection
Capitol Choices Selection
Kirkus Best Book of the Year
CCBC Choices Selection

It's the summer of 1976. You're having an amazing family holiday, one where everyone is there and all 18 of you are squeezed into one house. All of sudden it's 4 o'clock in the morning and there's banging and yelling and screaming. The police are in the house pulling people out of bed ..."

Sofia is like most 12-year-old girls in New Zealand. How is she going to earn enough money for those boots? WHY does she have to give that speech at school? Who is she going to be friends with this year?

It comes as a surprise to Sofia and her family when her big brother, Lenny, starts talking about protests, "overstayers", and injustices against Pacific Islanders by the government. Inspired by the Black Panthers in America, a group has formed called the Polynesian Panthers, who encourage immigrant and Indigenous families across New Zealand to stand up for their rights. Soon the whole family becomes involved in the movement.

Told through Sofia's diary entries, with illustrations throughout, Dawn Raid is the story of one ordinary girl living in extraordinary times, learning how to stand up and fight.

About the Author

Dawn Raid is the first book by Pauline Vaeluaga Smith, for which she received Best New Author at the New Zealand Book Awards and a NZ Storylines Notable Book Award. Pauline's heritage is Samoan, Tuvaluan, Scottish and Irish. Her work is heavily influenced by her experiences growing up in the 1970s, her roles as a teacher and university educator, her passion for civil rights and justice, and her deep interest in uplifting NZ Māori culture. She lives in a small seaside town at the bottom of the South Island of Aotearoa-New Zealand.

Mat Hunkin is an illustrator and comics artist from New Zealand. His day job is in the film industry