A New Song in the Land written by Fleur Beale

It is important for books in a series to be consistent in quality. After completing "Below the Mountains", I was interested to read this story based on the events leading up to the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. Both are in the MY STORY series from Scholastic, which seek to provide insight into important events in New Zealand history through children's eyes.

The foreword by Buddy Mikaere is positive. He says, "Fleur Beale has the interests of the land and its people at heart and for that reason, Atapo's story is indeed, our story." Atapo is the fictional main character in the book. Together with her mother, grandmother and her aunts, she is captured by a war party from the North and taken by them as a slave. Atapo is educated in the ways of the Pakeha world at a mission school and strives to regain the mana she has lost by being made a slave. Through her words, we learn of Maori customs and of the Maori/Pakeha politics of the day. The story is exciting and easy to follow. Atapo and the other characters in the book are well portrayed and believable. The book includes a glossary of Maori words and their meanings, historical notes, etchings and photographs. Published in 2004, " A New Song in the Land" is an excellent addition to the MY STORY series.