Book of the Week: NINE GIRLS by Stacy Gregg
The 2024 Winner of the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year is Stacy Gregg (Ngāti Mahuta, Ngāti Pūkeko, Ngāti Maru Hauraki) with her latest book, Nine Girls. Gregg is a household name in New Zealand, and in the UK, with over 30 pony books to her name, numerous awards, along with commercial success. Nine Girls is a departure from the pony stories. Gone is the pony, but in its place is a talking eel. Titch and her whanua have moved to Ngāruawāhia. Adjusting to a small town where she feels out of place is no easy feat, but with a best friend, Tania, the lure of hidden treasure and the unexpected encounter with her eel connecting Titch to her past, adventure is never far away.
In Nine Girls Stacy Gregg draws on her own childhood, and being an outsider; she explores issues of colonisation, racism and striving to find yourself and connect with your heritage. With Gregg’s expert story-telling this coming-of-age story balances humour, adventure, and emotion — the perfect ingredients for a standout book that embraces important themes and history for both Māori and Pākehā readers.
