Adventure X three

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.

http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/media/files/carl-hiaasen-teachers-notes-for-scat

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.