Dawn Raid - Pauline Vaeluaga Smith

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"Encourages empathy and understanding while spotlighting underrepresented history, and providing an example of how young people can take action. Highly recommended."-School Library Journal (starred)


"Well-crafted and wonderfully fresh."-Kirkus Reviews (starred)

ALSC Notables Selection
Capitol Choices Selection
Kirkus Best Book of the Year
CCBC Choices Selection

It's the summer of 1976. 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.