Rainbow Warrior

Uranium, bubble skirts, first bras, things are 'choice', there's a new tax (G.S.T.) and third-former Rowan thinks she might know who bombed the 'Rainbow Warrior' in the Auckland Harbour.

'Rainbow Warrior' is a reprint of the 2015 book originally titled 'Sabotage' and is part of the 'My New Zealand Story' series. Like the other books in the series it is written in dairy style, making it easy to break into small chunks to read. Rowan's entries have been written with an authentic voice that pulled me right back into the 1980's. Young readers will relate to the angsty, and sometimes awkward relationships that Rowan describes between herself, her mother and peers. We start to build a sense of not only Rowan's feelings of events, but also the feelings of adults and wider community around Rowan.

The historical endnote and accompanying photos fills and expands the gaps between fact and fiction and highlights the research involved to bring the diary entries to life.

The new cover and title make this a book that will, like the others in this series, be picked up off the shelf to read, with the writing style making it perfect for reluctant readers where they can read one short diary entry at a time.

'Rainbow Warrior' shows that history can be exciting and relatable!