Sil: A Novel by Jill Harris (Longacre Press, 228 pages, 10 to 14 years) 

Selected for the Notable New Zealand Children’s Books for 2006

The thought of reading a novel about Tui's wasn't really inspiring to me and it took the first chapter for me to get the feel for the book, but after that first hurdle I found it very hard to put this book down. In fact it took just two days to read it from cover to cover. It's like the classic novel Watership Down except the main characters have wings. 

Sil is a typical teenager, full of his own self importance, discovering who he is and taking risks without thinking about the consequence of his actions. Those actions put both himself and those that he loves in moral danger.

Having never really liked magpies Jill Harris helps to clement this idea by portraying them are the murderous villains. You want the Tui's to bet the magpies but know that not all will survive. 

I believe that this novel, Jill Harris's first, has the potential to become a New Zealand classic and a favourite for children. It is a recommend read that your children will find hard to put down, ideal for both boys and girls.