Dawn Raid
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
Imagine this: 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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Through the diary entries of 13-year-old Sofia Savea, Smith explores an era of New Zealand history little known to many readers outside Oceania: the 1970s movement for Pacific Islanders' rights. In Porirua, 1976, Sofia focuses on the opening of the first McDonald's in New Zealand, the white go-go boots she craves, and the speech she must prepare to give at school. Her father is a Samoan immigrant, but Sofia doesn't truly consider her ethnic heritage until her brother Lenny, 17, becomes active in Māori protests for land rights in New Zealand. Soon, Sofia finds herself drawn to social justice—especially when she learns about the growing anger at immigrant Pacific Islanders and the dawn raids, in which many are deported. Sofia's writing—about her troublesome younger brothers, her frustrations with managing money from a new part-time job, and awakening to injustice—feels relatable, while Hunkin's b&w art adds a personalized flair to the text. Smith realistically traces Sofia's growing political awareness and her development from reluctant to stirring public speaker in a straightforward voice that rings true. Back matter includes an extensive historical note with photographs and a glossary of New Zealand slang and Samoan and Māori words. Ages 8–12.
