Shark Frenzy
I made a deal with sharks. I don’t swim near them and they don’t play cricket. It may be a little unfair. I can swim, whereas they haven’t got a hope of hitting a six. The arrangement worked well for many years. I never once saw a shark bowl a bouncer. And no one ever praised a wicket keeper for a safe pair of fins. But the whole deals fell apart when my family spent the summer holidays at Hazard River…
Jack, his little brother Ben and their family are holidaying at Hazard River. Lachlan has been staying here every summer for years and he knows all there is to know about this holiday place. He’s also a practical joker and doesn’t seem to have a ‘caution’ speed. When Jack finds a shark washed up on the shore, they begin a search for the killer they are sure is nearby. Lachlan is keen and Ben will follow where Jack goes. And they are joined by Mimi, who has travelled the world in her yacht and knows a lot about everything. She also has her own Zodiac boat.
Snake Surprise Until we found the message…
Jack is sick of playing Monopoly, but it seems that is the only thing to do when the rain just won’t stop. When he looks out the window and sees a houseboat floating down the river on a collision-course for his friend, Mimi’s yacht home, he and his friends can stay inside no longer. They ‘catch’ the houseboat and look for clues to tell them how the boat came to be washed along by the floodwaters. If only the snake could talk. That’s the very large snake that’s coiled up on the bed in the houseboat, the one with the bat in its mouth.
Hazard River is a new series of short novels for mid- to upper primary readers. They are about 10000 words, laser-fast and very exciting. No theme park or council holiday program could deliver half the adventure that being in the bush between the river and the sea does. The friends need all their luck and skill to resolve the mysteries they find in and around Hazard River. And when it comes to it, they all have skills to contribute to the adventures. Recommended for mid- to upper-primary readers, particularly those who find it difficult to sit still for very long!
Hazard River: Shark Frenzy! J. E. Fison
Ford St Publishing 2010
ISBN: 9781921665110
Hazard River: Snake Surprise! J. E. Fison
Ford St Publishing 2010
ISBN: 9781921665127
review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author www.clairesaxby.com