The Whale RiderEight-year-old Kahu, a member of the Maori tribe of Whangara, New Zealand, fights to prove her love, her leadership, and her destiny. Her people claim descent from Kahutia Te Rangi, the legendary "whale rider." In every generation since Kahutia, a male heir has inherited the title of chief. But now there is no male heir, and the aging chief is desperate to find a successor. Kahu is his only great-grandchild--and Maori tradition has no use for a girl. But when hundreds of whales beach themselves and threaten the future of the Maori tribe, it is Kahu who saves the tribe when she reveals that she has the whale rider's ancient gift of communicating with whales. Now available in simultaneous hardcover and paperback editions. Feature film in theaters in June 2003! |
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Wonderful movie
User Review - bgrodzicki - Overstock.comI found out about this film through an English teacher at the University where I work. She is from New Zealand and gave an introduction to the movie which she presented. There was also a question and ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - bookworm12 - LibraryThingI was interested in this one because I’ve been wanting to read more books set in New Zealand and Australia before I travel there later this year. This fictional story introduces us to Kahu, the 8-year ... Read full review
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Common terms and phrases
ancestor ancient bull whale ancient whale arms beach Billy birth cord boys called cried dark dive dolphins elderly females eyes face felt female whales fish Flowers's girl golden master Haumi Hawaiki head herd Island Jeff Kahu asked Kahu's Kahutia Te Rangi karanga kissed knew land laughed leader live looked Maori Maori language mea te mea meetinghouse motorcycle Mount Hagen Muriwai Nanny Flowers night ocean Okay old mother whale old paka Paikea Papua New Guinea Porourangi pull Rehua sacred sign saw Koro Apirana song sound South Island spear station wagon Suddenly surface taiki Tangaroa tattoo Tawhirimatea tell thunder tide told tribe turned Uncle Rawiri veranda voice Wainui waiting warrior whales watched waves whale began whale rider whale song Whangara wind WITI IHIMAERA Yeah yelled young
References to this book
Planning for Diversity: Policy and Planning in a World of Difference Dory Reeves No preview available - 2005 |
A History of the New Zealand Fiction Feature Film: Staunch As? Bruce Babington No preview available - 2007 |
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Whale Rider |
| Author | Witi Ihimaera |
| Edition | reprint |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2003 |
| ISBN | 0152050167, 9780152050160 |
| Length | 152 pages |
| Subjects | › › Juvenile Fiction / Family / Multigenerational Juvenile Fiction / Girls & Women Juvenile Fiction / People & Places / Australia & Oceania |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |