A friend in paradise door Des Hunt

Author: Des Hunt
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers
Year of first print: 2002

Outline of the story:
Robbie is a boy who is 12 years old. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. When his father died of cancer, he decided to go to his uncle Jim, a brother of his father who lives in Opotiki, in the south of New Zealand. In The Airplane he meets a man who tells him about White Island. The man tells him to go to White Island, because it is a beautiful island whit a beautiful volcano. In Opotiki he meets Price, a friend of uncle Jim. Price and Robbie go to Paradise, a secret valley his father used to call Paradise, where he meets a kaweau, a rare animal. Many people thought they didn’t exist anymore. He called the kaweau “Puku”. Richardson is a man who trades in rare animals. He finds “Puku” and put her in a cage with her young. Richardson, Price and Jim share a telephone line and an
internet line. That means when one was calling, the others can’t be calling. Richardson trades in rare species on a internet-site called RANDES. Rich people can become a member. It’s a kind of market place on the internet. People can buy Richardson’s kaweau by RANDES. Robbie and Price can follow Richardson’s handlings on the internet with a special program. They also can follow his boat, by putting something special on the boat’s GPS. When Robbie follows his handlings on the internet, he sees what Richardson is doing by RANDES. He tries to tell Price about it but Price is on a holiday weekend. One morning when Robbie wakes up, Richardson is downstairs. Uncle Jim doesn’t know about the kaweau, and what Richardson is doing. Richardson invites Robbie to go to White Island. Robbie accepts it because he thinks he has a chance to release Puku and her young. When they arrive at White Island, they climb up the volcano. Upstairs Richardson asks Robbie about RANDES. Richardson knows Robbie knows something about RANDES, because when Richardson logged in to RANDES, the computer said he was already log-in on another computer. And the only ones who know something about the kaweau were Robbie and Price. When they were in discussion, the volcano begins spewing out smoke and gasses. Robbie can escape, but Richardson dies. That moment Price comes home and sees the e-mail messages of Robbie. He sails to white island and saves Robbie. They saved Puku and put her back in paradise . All is well that end well….

What do I think of the book?
The reason why I like the book: I like the story, because they are like a couple of detectives who try to find out what Richardson is doing. I also like the book because my uncle and aunt live in New Zealand (also in Auckland).
The negative aspect of the book is: it’s difficult to understand many things in the book, like all the New Zealand bird names in the book.

A new book title:
“Attempt to protect the rare animal Kaweau”
I have chosen for this title because the book is about the kaweau and the protection of the kaweau.

A new ending of the book:
My new end begins after Robbie has found out what Richardson is doing.

Robbie shut down the computer. Now he know what Richardson is doing. Richardson is a illegal trader! Richardson gets NZ$ 500.000,- for only the kaweau! And he doesn’t own the kaweau. Robbie wants to do something about it. That moment Price comes home. ‘Price, price, I must tell you something’ Robbie said. ‘where is the fire?’ asked Price.
‘No, I’ve found out what Richardson is doing’ said Robbie. ‘really?’ asked Price.
‘Yes, he’s a illegal trader in rare species’ Robbie shake his head. ‘I charge him all the time’ Price said ‘He has to be arrested’ ‘I agree with you Price, but how can we do that?’
‘we can’t go to the police and say that Richardson is an illegal trader.’ Price: ‘yeah, that’s right but we can go to the police when we have a evidence’ Robbie was thinking, ‘OK, but how can we have an evidence?’ Price: ‘we let see the police what you have found. And the police can catch in the act of trading. Then we have an evidence.’ Robbie said: ‘OK, let’s go to the police’
Two hours later, Robbie and Price and two coppers, sit down for the computer. The police have seen what Robbie has found and agree with it. They’re watching when Richardson came online.
Robbie: ‘we’re watching about two hours, can’t we stop?’ ‘No, said the police-man, because I see now that he come online!’ Robbie: ‘yeah, OK look what he is doing.’
‘He goes to RANDES’ Price said. ‘yeah, screamed the police-man, we’ve got him’
They see what Richardson was doing. He was trying to sell the kaweau en their young. Satisfied the Police had an account on RANDES, en they were trying to buy the kaweau.
‘come tomorrow at One O’ clock to the police station in Whakatane.’ ‘I shall see you there’ write the policeman. ‘OK, agree, for NZ$ 600.000, OK?’ write Richardson. ‘yes, I see you tomorrow, bye’ ‘bye’ The conversation was closed.
The next day, they see Richardson at One O’ clock. The Police-man said: ‘We arrest you for illegal trading in rare species’ Richardson was arrested and the Kaweau had freedom.
All done, Well done.