Pre-order

Hester Hitchins and the Falling Stars

Name: Hester Hitchins and the Falling Stars
Brand: Arotahi Agency
SKU: 9781460763186
Price: 19.99 NZD
Availability: InStock

A wonderfully original and empowering historical fiction adventure to delight curious young minds

By Catherine Norton

0.0 (0 reviews)

Brief Description

Navigation skills have many uses, but can they help Hester find her place in the universe? Fans of The Fortune Maker will be sure to love Catherine Norton's enchanting new middle-grade historical fiction book. It's 1866 and Hester Hitchins' father is missing at sea. Determined to... Read More

Format: Paperback / softback

$19⁹⁹

Pre-order

Releases 2^nd February 2027 (Approx. Date) Pre-order "Hester Hitchins and the Falling Stars" now to secure your copy from our first shipment

Found a better price? Request a price match

Hester Hitchins and the Falling Stars

$19⁹⁹

PAGE2SCREEN 13 Oct 2026

TV Show Review on: Carrie

Liam's Review Carrie 26’Carrie has been on my radar for a while now, probably my...

FANTASY 13 Oct 2026

The Struggle of Working Somewhere That Sells Beautiful Books

The problem is…I work in the cutest little (I said what I said) bookshop and...

FICTION 13 Oct 2026

New Releases to add to your TBR this week (12th October)

There's new dark romance from one of our favourites, the brand new US edition of...

CHILDREN'S CORNER 12 Oct 2026

Recent Releases I Would Add to My Classroom Library

Lizzy is rounding up a bunch of the recent children's releases that she thinks would...

AUTHOR SIGNING 12 Oct 2026

Anthony Byrt visits Book Hero

We were lucky enough to hear from author Anthony Byrt as he was going to...

Description

Navigation skills have many uses, but can they help Hester find her place in the universe?

Fans of The Fortune Maker will be sure to love Catherine Norton's enchanting new middle-grade historical fiction book.

It's 1866 and Hester Hitchins' father is missing at sea.

Determined to find him, eleven-year-old Hester wins a place at Addington's Nautical Navigation Academy, where she will learn to navigate by the stars. But the academy is just for boys, and what's more, no one seems to be in charge.

Bumbling schoolmaster Captain Slingsby doesn't know anything about navigation. Lord Addington is obsessed with building the world's biggest telescope and Lady Addington believes that falling stars are the souls of the dead.

With the help of a lodestone, her new friends Pru and Nelson, and a dazzling meteor storm, can Hester set things right – and find her own place in the universe?

Awards

Shortlisted - Book Links Award for Children's Historical Fiction 2025

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781460763186

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 February 2027

Country: Australia

Imprint: HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Weight: 0g

Pages: 256

Collections

Catherine Norton Children's Books Children's Fiction Children's Historical Fiction Children’s, Teenage and Educational Historical Fiction Kids & YA Pre-orders Pre-order Books Pre-Order Children's Books Pre-orders Pre-orders by Release Date Young Adult

About the Author

Catherine Norton's first novel, Crossing, was joint winner of the Patricia Wrightson Prize in the 2015 NSW Premier's Literary Awards. It was also a CBCA Notable Book. She was born in the UK but grew up mostly in Adelaide, where she lives with her husband, children and a very lazy whippet called Archer. She has had dozens of jobs, including travel agent, cleaner, packer of tulip bulbs and novelty stationery, publishing assistant and academic, but she has only ever been fired from two of them. Writing novels is by far her favourite. You can find her online at www.catherinenorton.com.au.

Also by Catherine Norton

View all

Hester Hitchins and the Falling Stars

Navigation skills have many uses, but can they help Hester find her place in the universe? Fans of The Fortune Maker will be sure to love Catherine Norton's enchanting new middle-grade historical fiction book. It's 1866 and Hester Hitchins' father is missing at sea. Determined to find him, eleven-year-old Hester wins a place at Addington's Nautical Navigation Academy, where she...

By Catherine Norton

Hardback

$29⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 4-6 weeks
The Fortune Maker

Which is more dangerous - a future you can't see, or one that you can? London, 1913 Twelve-year-old Maud Mulligan knows there's no future for her in London, in the rat-infested slum where she grew up. But in the tunnel under the river are fortune tellers, Seers, who will tell your fortune for a few pennies. And then there is...

By Catherine Norton

Hardback

$29⁹⁹

Available
Ships in 4-6 weeks

More from Children's Books

View all

New Release

Gruffalo Granny

The brand new Gruffalo picture book from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. The Gruffalo said to his daughter one day, "Your Gruffalo Granny is coming to stay." Return to the deep dark wood with the first new Gruffalo story in over 20 years, and meet Gruffalo Granny as she visits the Gruffalo family. This fresh and exciting new Gruffalo adventure...

By Julia Donaldson

Hardback

$24⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$30⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

Lottie Brooks’s Twelve Disasters of Christmas

From hilarious MEGA bestselling author, Katie Kirby, comes a new story collection from the world of Lottie Brooks! But this time... it's not about Lottie! From hilarious MEGA bestselling author, Katie Kirby, comes a new story collection from the world of Lottie Brooks! And it's CHRISTMAS! In The Completely Chaotic Christmas of Lottie Brooks we spent the holiday season with...

By Katie Kirby

Paperback

$17⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$21⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

Wahine

From a majestic mermaid to a clay woman, the creator of glaciers to the mother of gardening, discover powerful wahine and how their stories shaped the world around us. Wahine introduces readers to twelve purakau of brave, bold, and inspiring women of Aotearoa. A beautifully illustrated collection that will delight the whole whanau, from award-winning illustrator Isobel Joy Te Aho-White....

By Isobel Joy Te Aho-White

Hardback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$39⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

The Sweet As Looky Book

Can you find all the chocolate fish? Is it possible for kiwi to fly? Can you spot the difference? See Aotearoa New Zealand through the eyes of award-winning artist Donovan Bixley in The Sweet As Looky Book. Use your finest skills to seek out pirates in the Bay of Islands and birds in Rakiura Stewart Island. Get in a car...

By Donovan Bixley

Hardback

$22⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$27⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

The Day of the Dinosaur Disaster

Angry anacondas, blizzarding blobs, carnivorous cactuses ... what kind of twisted curse will Glam-Evil think up this time?!Only it's not just Glam-Evil's curse the gang needs to worry about; they've got a few other problems, too. Swooping Pteranodons, a hungry T-Rex, a missing mother, and ... is that ... an ASTEROID?!Join MILES AND JONES as they face their biggest challenge...

By Sam Smith

Paperback

$14⁰⁰
Elsewhere:
~~$14⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

The Neverfear

A world of richly-imagined wonder Cressida Cowell It’s the Midsummer Feast on the Islet of Glimt and on this magical moonlit evening, the word on everyone’s lips is bandits. Reports of masked men burning villages are spreading throughout the Archipelago, but worse is still to come: Christopher and Anya are ambushed and one of the people they love most is...

By Katherine Rundell

Paperback

$19⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$22⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

Mari the Unwonderful Witch

A charming, cosy and thought-provoking tale about a wonderfully unconventional little witch, by bestselling author of BUTTER, Asako Yuzuki. Perfect for fans of WICKED, KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE, and THE HATMAKERS series by Tamzin Merchant - and anyone who likes an enchanting adventure with just a hint of mischief. Mari the Unwonderful Witch introduces us to Mari, an eleven-year-old witch who...

By Asako Yuzuki

Paperback

$19⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$24⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

Animalia 40th Anniversary Edition

A beautiful, foiled collector's edition to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Graeme Base's classic and bestselling Australian picture book, Animalia. Embark on a fantastical alphabetic adventure where each turn of the page unveils a rich tapestry of intricate illustrations tied to a unique letter of the alphabet. More than 5 million copies sold worldwide Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA)...

By Graeme Base

Hardback

$29⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$35⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

The Comeback Kid

Charlie Boy might be just an ordinary kid, but he's about to get into some EXTRA-ordinary trouble... Get ready for this funny, fast-paced, friendship adventure with lots of kick. Meet Charlie Boy: skinny, small, looks like a strand of spaghetti. He and his best friend, Rocky the Lower Hutt Chief, are good at getting into trouble together. But when Charlie...

By Airana Ngarewa

Paperback

$17⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$19⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

Millie from Milford

Based on the true story of Ruth Shaw and her husband Lance looking after a baby seal that had been shot between the eyes. Millie from Milford lives in Milford Sound, the number one tourist destination in Aotearoa New Zealand. After Millie was checked by a vet, she was taken to Ruth and Lance's home to be looked after until...

By Ruth Shaw

Paperback

$22⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$27⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

The Case of the Tall Stranger: Violet and the Velvets 4

But disaster strikes when guitarist Jack breaks his wrist and can no longer play. On top of that, all their hard work fundraising has fallen short! When help comes from unexpected channels, the Velvets make it to the Big Apple just in time to compete against the best kid bands in the whole world, including their new rivals the Blazer...

By Rachael King

Paperback

$16⁰⁰
Elsewhere:
~~$18⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
Pocket Observology

Pocket Observology is a practical field guide designed for those who love to explore and understand the natural world around them. Slip this guide out of your pocket to identify, measure, compare, or find clues to the things you encounter every day in nature. This pocket guide is a useful tool and a fun reminder of how to engage with...

By Giselle Clarkson

Paperback

$23⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$27⁹⁹~~

Available
Ships in 4-6 weeks

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.