From the inside front flap: "The history of a country is the story of its people and the changes in their lives. This book tells the story of New Zealand in a new way, paying greater attention to the lives of the ordinary people and their families than other histories have done. It also includes the previously untold stories of many of the young people who came to New Zealand, and tells of their role in its development. All the characters you would expect to find are here: Hone Heke, Governor Grey, Richard Seddon, Princess Te Puea, and Maui. In addition there are people who are less well known, such as Young Nick, Who had his part to play in the discovery of New Zealand; the young Te Taniwha, who saw Captain Cook; and Christina McIlvride, who delivered the mail. With its wealth of information, The Story of New Zealand is a valuable source of material on New Zealand's social history. Above all, it is entertaining and interesting, a book which will be read with enjoyment by people of all ages."
National Library of NZ Entry (Pictured above is the 2002 reprint)
This is one of my favourite New Zealand history books for children. If I have to recommend one book, this is the one. A. H. Reed has also written a very readable New Zealand history and I am looking forward to comparing the two texts, but homeschoolers looking for a living history of New Zealand that is alive, engaging, and takes us into the present day, I highly recommend, The Story of New Zealand by Bassett and Sinclair.
The book starts with a brief chapter on New Zealand before people (A Land of Birds) and then chapters 2 & 3 focus on the arrival of Maori and European explorers. Chapters 4-6 talk about the early days of colonial New Zealand including the Treaty of Waitangi. Chapters 7 & 8 diverge from history and tell about life as an immigrant, pioneer, a Maori or a gold digger. Chapter 9 is about the New Zealand Wars. Chapters 10-11 take us through the last years of the 19th Century with boom and bust, industrialisation, farming, Women's suffrage, the eruption of Mount Tarawera and Prime Minister Seddon. Chapters 12-13 take us to the war years where New Zealand becomes a strong farming nation ruled by a conservative government. There is also a chapter about how the Maori regrew their culture and numbers. Chapters 14-17 take us through the World Wars, the Depression, and into the 50s and 60s. New Zealand begins to prosper and so does the Labour Party. New Zealand has developed a welfare state and the living standards of Kiwis rise dramatically. The last chapters discuss how New Zealand adapts to a global economy, nuclear issues and a new voting system (MMP), including what life is like for young people today.
The summary above is a skim of what is in the book. The authors cover the political history and then feed in a lot of social history, so you feel you are getting a well-rounded picture of what happened and what life was like.
I particularly liked how the authors handled the later chapters. People often say New Zealand has a boring history because we didn't have revolutions, civil wars, or presidents and that is true. After World War II, New Zealand slips into a political roundabout and our history becomes boring, but Bassett and Sinclair make it interesting! The rise of farming, the Seddon government, the prosperous years, the Savage government and the development of the welfare state are all fascinating. It explains why New Zealand is the way it is today.
Here are examples of pages from the book...
As you can see, the text is accompanied by photos. There are also illustrations, quotes, maps, charts, and other source material.
The reading level is late primary to early-mid high school. The text reads like a story, (not like a textbook) so your child will enjoy this book. It could also be read aloud.
Content considerations: Like all history, there is violence and sensitive themes. This book is written with children in mind, but if your child is sensitive, please read chapters ahead.
Good news! There are still plenty of copies available second-hand. Different editions have different covers, but they are very similar inside. Check out your local second-hand bookstore. They retail for $10-$20.
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