Just Keep Going
by Donna Blaber
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Pub Date Jul 15 2022 | Archive Date Sep 15 2022
Lighthouse Media Group | Lighthouse Books
Description
Becky always loved visiting her dad in New Zealand until she returns during the pandemic.
Now he’s got a baby with her new stepmum and everything has changed. Worse still, her windsurfer hasn’t arrived yet, so there’s nothing for her to do but wait for Mum who is stuck overseas.
Then Becky finds a strange stone at Whale Bay and her luck changes. She makes new friends, joins an environmental group, borrows a windsurfer, and has several close encounters with a bottlenose dolphin who simply won’t leave her alone.
But what is wrong with the dolphin? Is it trying to tell her something? Is it sick? And who are the people poaching fish from the marine reserve? How is it all connected? Becky must find a way to solve it all.
Just Keep Going is a story of blended families, new friendships, marine pollution, a magical stone, a persistent dolphin, and a young girl with a strong will to succeed, adapting to life in a new country.
ISBN 978-1-927229-781 (Paperback)
ISBN 978-1-927229-774 (Kindle)
ISBN 978-1-927229-798 (E-pub)
ISBN 978-1-927229-804 (Audio - retail)
ISBN 978-1-927229-811 (Audio - library)
A catalogue record for this book is available from the National Library of New Zealand.
Advance Praise
Beta reader feedback in target age group:
"Just Keep Going is a story about a girl I can really relate to, so I find it very special and will always love it for that reason." Emma Davidson, age 13.
"I really liked Becky's character. At the start I thought she may be one of those moody main characters but she turned out to be a nice person. The writing and flow of the story was good too because it was easy to read." Kiri, age 10.
"It has a very magical vibe to it." Ngapera, age 13.
Beta reader feedback from older teen readers:
"I love how you [the author] have addressed some really important environmental issues." Indigo, age 14.
"I've just finished beta reading Just Keep Going and I really enjoyed it! I loved the different relationship dynamics." Natalya, 17
"The obsidian stone is back, and someone new has found it! Becky, a young teen from the UK has moved to the seaside community of Ngunguru with her dad, stepmum, and little brother Ben. She's waiting for her mum to arrive and there's nothing to do because her windsurfer hasn't arrived. Everything seems so unfair. There's the old lady she stalks who lives next door, three girls who seem obsessed with her stone and a dolphin that follows her around. What is going on?" Carolyn, age 14.
Marketing Plan
Managed by publicist.
Karen McKenzie, Lighthouse PR: karen@lighthousepr.co.nz
New Zealand Magazines:
• NZ Listener, review
• Magpies Magazine, review
• Tots to Teens promotion
• Grapevine Magazine, promotion
New Zealand Newspapers:
• NZME regional newspapers, (Hawkes Bay Today, Northern Advocate, Bay of Plenty Times, Wanganui Chronicle, Wairarapa Times Age and Rotorua Daily Mail, review
• Whakatane Beacon, promotion
• Local newspapers, interviews
New Zealand Radio:
• Hokonui FM, promotion
• KickArts review
• Today FM, promotion on Polly Gillespie’s Lifestyle Show
• Local radio, interview
New Zealand online/other:
• NZ Booklovers review
• NZ Booklovers Q&A
• kidsbooksnz.blogspot.com, review
• The Book Whisperer, promotion on Twitter
• Read NZ Te Pou Muramura, copy sent to School Library
• Hooked on Books, promotion
• Booktrailers4kidsandYA, review
• Grownups, promotion
• Upstart Media, promotion
• Say What Magazine, promotion
• Bob’s Book Blog, review
• You Tube Tree Hut Channel with Suzy Cato, possible review
• Pitched to all the major NZ Writers Festivals
Karen McKenzie, Lighthouse PR: karen@lighthousepr.co.nz, www.lighthousepr.co.nz
Available Editions
| EDITION | Audiobook, Unabridged |
| ISBN | 9781927229804 |
| PRICE | $7.00 (USD) |
| DURATION | 2 Hours, 42 Minutes |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Sirah J, Educator
Becky isn't thrilled to hear that Mum can't get a place in one of the quarantine hotels, so Becky has to wait with her dad, stepmom, and new baby brother. Worse, Becky's possessions can't be shipped to New Zealand in a timely manner, so she has nothing to do. Then she finds an unusual stone and her life changes as she meets new friends, joins an environmental protection group, has the chance to borrow some windsurfing gear, and meets a dolphin who might need Becky's help. All is not well on the beach near her home, and if Becky can't figure out what's going on, she risks more than the worst summer of her life.
This is a surprisingly short book considering how well it handles themes like getting along with a new stepmom, making new friends, learning about the environment, and handling pandemic-inflicted lockdown. It's interesting that the story is set during the COVID lockdown, but this adds a unique touch of realism to the story that I haven't seen in a lot of realistic fiction lately. In some ways I felt like I was thrown into the middle of a book since this story is bookended by the last scene of the previous book and the first scene of what will probably be the sequel, but it works fine as a standalone as long as one doesn't mind spoilers for the previous story. Otherwise, the plot is well-developed. While Becky's character isn't very well rounded, she manages to surprise me in character-appropriate ways, which is a good thing. The foreshadowing was excellent and everything felt purposeful. Overall, this is a fun story that brings up some of the simple things even young people can do to help the environment. It encourages kids to be safe and consider different perspectives in their decision making. I particularly like Becky's relationship with her elderly neighbor, Ivy. I'd love to introduce it to my middle-grade students as an example on how to do research.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
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