Sandy McKay: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

Most New Zealanders dream about winning Lotto but we all know that money isn't the answer to all our problems. In fact, having too much money at once can cause even more difficulties.

This is the dilemma which is explored by Dunedin author Sandy McKay in her new book, Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

The Guests are a very ordinary New Zealand family living in a modest but comfortable brick bungalow in Dunedin. Peter Guest is a parking warden while his wife, Joan, is a stay at home mum who puts a great deal of time and energy into the PTA.

Their two sons, Gavin and Billy, are aged 16 and 7, and they also have a 12-year-old daughter, Hannah. Although Peter's wheelchair-bound mother does not actually live with them, she is an important part of the family.

Hannah is particularly close to her gran and visits her council flat daily. Much of the story is told from Hannah's point of view and, apart from her family, the most important things in her life are her best friend, Ursula, and playing netball.

Then one fateful day the Guest family win $6 million from their regular Lotto ticket. Initially they intend to keep the win a secret but by the next day the news has spread through the whole community. It appears that Hannah is the only one in the family who can keep a secret.

Unfortunately, her failure to confide in Ursula causes a rift in their friendship. Suddenly, Hannah may be $6 million richer, but she has no best friend and she also finds herself without a netball team.

In the meantime, Mr Guest has quit his job and he has bought the family a mansion, complete with pool, tennis court and a self-contained flat for his mother.

Gavin has decided to become a rock star and has bought himself a flash motorbike and an impressive drum kit.

Little brother Billy is more interested in spending his money on jellybeans while his mum sits at home each day trying to deal with hundreds of requests for money from needy cases.

To add to Hannah's woes, she starts getting sinister phone calls. Initially she is convinced that her ex-best friend is the culprit. Then gran is kidnapped, and it becomes clear that it is not just Hannah but her whole family who are in danger from this mysterious phone caller. Will Hannah ever see gran again, and who is really responsible for these dastardly acts?

This is the fourth novel for young people by Sandy McKay, and each one seems to be better than the last. Her first book, Recycled, won the New Zealand Post Junior Fiction Award for Children in 2002 and the sequel, Colin Goes Bush, also proved popular with young readers.

Let's hope Sandy will consider writing a sequel to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Hannah and her family are far too entertaining to be limited to one book.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? will appeal to both teachers and children, and is sure to stimulate a great deal of classroom discussion about what would happen if your family won Lotto.

Do recommend this title to young Jacqueline Wilson fans as they are sure to see similarities in style and content.

Publisher: Longacre Press

Price: $16.99

Age: 8-12 yrs

Recommended by: Dorothy Vinicombe