Love
a good adventure story? Try these three for size
The
cover of this book captured something reminiscent of Famous Five adventures,
and sure enough, author Ali Sparkes has
done a wonderful job of recreating the magic of truly adventurous school
holiday breaks - without parental supervision.
In
Frozen in Time, Ben and Rachel of the 21st century make a discovery in their
back garden that brings them face to face with Freddy and Polly who have
stepped right out of 1956. An unsolved mystery surrounding the lives of Freddy
and Polly leads them to believe they will all be in great danger, should anyone
come to know about their discovery. There are many references to ‘life and culture
as it once was’ (only recently for Freddy and Polly) which brings much
amusement to the unbelieving Ben and Rachel. Plenty of action, excitement and
political intrigue here, leaving the reader in suspense at every chapter’s end.
Nick and his class mates head off on a school biology
outing to the Black Vine Swamp with their crazy science teacher, Mrs Starch. But
after a fire breaks out in the glades, Mrs Starch is nowhere to be found. Nick
and his friend Marta begin an investigation that leads to some high adventure and some unusual new friends.
Author Carl Hiaasen comments: ‘In this book, I’m very fond of Nick and
Marta, but also of the boy called Smoke. He’s one of those kids whom everybody
treats as an outsider, but he turns out to be clever and gifted, and heroic in
the end. I also found myself liking Mrs. Starch – we’ve all had teachers who
scared the heck out of us because they seemed so cold and tough. But often
those teachers turn out to be the best ones. They surprise you, and Mrs. Starch
is certainly full of surprises.’
Teachers’ notes are available for this book.
New Zealand author Des Hunt also writes gripping
adventure stories.
Tim only vaguely recalls the day his mother drowned and
he was found wandering alone far from the gorge. The events of that day are patchy,
as he was just a toddler at the time. Tim and his best mate decide to go on an
exploratory trip back to the gorge and see what else is triggered in Tim’s mind.
But others are watching as the pair make an ancient discovery in the hills
that lie on Tim’s grandparent’s farm. Soon everyone is in danger as the gorge
begins to flood.
