Herman loves his Uncle Charlie coming to visit. He was once in the Mounties and has exciting stories to share. Uncle Charlie lives on his yacht The Seeker, and knows much about
the city of Wellington and the pirates that sail the waters around it. The opposite of his brother Conrad (Herman’s dad), Charlie encourages Herman to spend more time in the outdoors, climbing and adventuring.
Conrad prefers Herman to stay close to home and their bookshop. He has never forgotten losing their younger brother in Cook Strait and is fearful of anything happening to Herman. Living in Nelson at the top of the South Island of New Zealand, they have plenty of food and are safe from outside dangers.
Another dispute in their household is whether plentiful Nelson should help hungry and struggling Wellington, or stay safe and closed off from the world. Conrad believes their lives are better keeping to themselves, but Herman’s mum and uncle want to help.
Against all of their rules, Herman stows away on The Seeker until it is too late to turn around. Another terrible accident befalls the brothers, and Herman finds himself in an orphanage known as Castle Grim.
Suddenly his need for adventure and time away from his comfortable life in Nelson has turned into a terrible, dangerous and life threatening idea. Along with new friends made at Castle Grim, he suffers an endless work schedule, terrible food, and no knowledge of his uncle and father’s whereabouts.
But the bravery and knowledge from the other orphans of Castle Grim, it’s staff and surrounds, aids Herman to find all the courage he needs to help defeat pirates, gang leaders and his own fears. There is so much at stake and he must step up to save his entire family.
Castle Grim has everything that middle-grade readers love. Action, adventure, friendship, courage, pirates, an orphanage, along with a dystopian setting on a treacherous piece of ocean between New Zealand’s North & South Islands (Cook Strait).
There is no technology left, no knowledge of the outside world, and increasing food shortages, pirates and press gangs – making it a dangerous place indeed.
The main character’s viewpoint is joined by others as this exciting tale is told, giving readers the whole picture of Castle Grim, which increases intensity in both the threats to characters, and their plans to defeat the bad guys.
These ‘bad guys’ have been building their strongholds, members and ambitious plans for years and Castle Grim portrays it all playing out on vicious ship wrecker reefs, and the tumultuous waters of Cook Strait.
Winner of the Tom Fitzgibbon Award 2025, Castle Grim‘s author Shaun Barnett wrote it whilst looking out from his writing desk at the Pencarrow & Haewai Lighthouses, which star in his book.
I for one am glad that he stuck with Castle Grim over the 12 years in writing it. It’s a grand adventure with kiwi kids doing extraordinary things in a dystopian New Zealand.
Author – Shaun Barnett
Age – 10+
Publisher – Scholastic NZ
Set – Future Wellington / Cook Strait NZ
Viewpoint – Multiple – 3rd person
Violence – Yes
Real Life – Yes / Future Wellington / Nelson
Fantasy – No
Blend – Dystopian / Action / NZ
(2026, Scholastic NZ, Aotearoa New Zealand, Tom Fitzgibbon Award Winner, Award Winning Author, Cook Strait, Sailing Ships, Lighthouses, Books, Pirates, Wellington, Action, Adventure, Blended Family, Bullies, Courage, Crime, Dystopian, Friendship, Greed, Growing up, New Zealand, Poverty)