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The first YA novel by Damien Wilkins, one of New Zealand’s most gifted writers. Excellent classroom/teaching potential. Teacher notes available. Funny, relatable and endearing, this novel deals superbly with grief, adolescence, young love with a unique and fresh narrative. Set in the New Zealand of our times.
Winner of the young adult fiction award at the New Zealand Book Awards For Children And Young Adults 2020.
Download the teacher notes.
Read the first chapter from Aspiring. (Opens a PDF in a new window.)
Reviews
New Zealand Herald ~ “Described as a “hymn to the internal lives of boys today”, Aspiring is a must-read for any boy who is in need of such an anthem.”
Dave Tucker, The Sapling ~ “The story is one you want to stick with, an elaborate yarn told with honesty and hope, mixed with just enough Kiwi quirkiness to smile about in each chapter.”
Breton Dukes, Landfall ~ “Full of fun, dressed inappropriately and leaping lightly from the highest branch. Forget YA — this is a book for all of us.”
