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Des Hunt

Des Hunt lives at Matarangi on the Coromandel Peninsula. For more than 40 years he was a secondary teacher specialising first in physics, and then later in electronics and computing. Interspersed with this teaching were secondments to develop science curricula in the Pacific, Scotland and New Zealand. Several textbooks were written to support these curricula and his ideas for science education.

He retired from the classroom in 2007 to concentrate on writing fiction for children. He continues his aims of fostering young peoples’ natural interest in the science of their surroundings by visiting schools and libraries, where he runs workshops and presentations.

des-hunt

Selected bibliography:

  • A Friend in Paradise (HarperCollins 2002)
  • The Moa Cave (HarperCollins 2005)
  • Frog Whistle Mine (HarperCollins 2006)
  • Where Cuckoos Call (HarperCollins 2007)
  • Shadows in the Ice (HarperCollins 2007)
  • The Tooth (HarperCollins 2008
  • Whale Pot Bay (HarperCollins 2009)
  • Cry of the Taniwha (HarperCollins 2009)
  • The Secret of Jelly Mountain (Scholastic New Zealand 2009)
  • The Crocodile Nest (HarperCollins 2010)
  • The Naughty Kid’s Book of Nature (HarperCollins 2010)
  • The Peco Incident (HarperCollins 2011)
  • Cody’s Unexpected Catch (HarperCollins 2011)
  • Steel Pelicans (HarperCollins 2012)
  • Phantom of Terawhiti (HarperCollins 2013)
  • Project Huia (Scholastic New Zealand 2013)
  • Crown Park (Oceanbooks 2013).
  • Cool Nukes (Scholastic New Zealand 2015)
  • Skink Gully (Tōrea Press 2015)
  • Sunken Forest (Scholastic 2016)
  • Deadly Feathers (Tōrea Press, 2016)
  • Broken Poppies (Scholastic, 2018; Kiwis at War)
  • Search for a Kiwi Killer (Tōrea Press, 2018)
  • To Trap a Thief (Scholastic, 2019)
  • Red Edge (Scholastic, 2020)
  • Inside Bubble Earth: Climate Change (OneTree House 2021)
  • Inside Bubble Earth: Recycling (OneTree House 2022)
  • Eagle Swamp (Tōrea Press, 2022)

Awards:

  • Woolf Fisher Memorial Award for services to education.
  • NZ Institute of Physics Award.
  • New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2003 Junior Fiction Shortlist for A Friend in Paradise
  • Storylines Notable Book Awards 2003 Junior Fiction List for A Friend in Paradise
  • Storylines Notable Book Awards 2006 Junior Fiction List for The Moa Cave
  • New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2007 Junior Fiction Finalist for Frog Whistle Mine
  • Storylines Notable Book Awards 2007 Junior Fiction List for Frog Whistle Mine
  • Storylines Notable Book Awards 2008 Junior Fiction List for Shadows in the Ice
  • Storylines Notable Book Awards 2010 Junior Fiction List for The Secret of Jelly Mountain
  • New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards 2010 Junior Fiction Finalist for Cry of the Taniwha
  • Storylines Notable Book Awards 2011 Junior Fiction List for The Crocodile Nest
  • Storylines Notable Book Awards 2011 Non-fiction List for The Naughty Kid’s Book of Nature
  • Storylines Notable Book Award 2012 Junior Fiction List for The Peco Incident
  • Finalist LIANZA Book Awards 2012 for The Peco Incident
  • Finalist NZ Post Children’s Book Awards 2014 for Project Huia
  • Finalist LIANZA Book Awards 2014 for Project Huia
  • Storylines Notable Book Award 2014 (Junior Fiction) for Project Huia
  • Storylines Notable Book Award 2014 (Junior Fiction) for Phantom of Terawhiti
  • Storylines Notable Book Award 2015 (Junior Fiction) for Cool Nukes
  • Storylines Gaelyn Gordon Award 2016 for Cry of the Taniwha
  • New Zealand Children’s and Young Adult’s Book Awards 2016 Junior Fiction Finalist for Cool Nukes  
  • Storylines Notable Book Award 2017 (Junior Fiction) for Sunken Forest 
  • New Zealand Children’s and Young Adult’s Book Awards 2017 Junior Fiction Finalist for Sunken Forest  
  • Storylines Notable Book Award 2019 (Junior Fiction) for Kiwis At War – 1918: Broken Poppies 
  • New Zealand Children’s and Young Adult’s Book Awards 2019 Junior Fiction Finalist for Search For A Killer Kiwi 
  • Storylines Notable Book Award 2020 (Junior Fiction) for To Trap A Thief 
  • Storylines Notable Book Award 2021 (Junior Fiction) for Red Edge 
  • New Zealand Children’s and Young Adult’s Book Awards 2021 Junior Fiction Finalist for Red Edge 
  • Ngaio Marsh Awards 2022 (finalist, Junior Fiction) for Red Edge

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Storylines Trust Te Whare Waituhi Tamariki and Friends of Storylines Te Pou o Te Whare Waituhi Tamariki together form New Zealand’s only national organisation working year-round to promote New Zealand children’s and young adult literature through activities that include a major national Story Tour to schools, early childhood centres and communities, and awards for writers, illustrators and those who work in the area of New Zealand children’s literature

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