When Sam Tucker saves a dingo from drowning in the mud, she doesn’t realise this event will change her life. Back home, her family is in trouble. Their wombat farm is struggling through a drought and Sam’s brother, Billy, has become a quadraplegic. If that isn’t enough to contend with, Sam’s Dad, Fred Tucker, has decided to turn to a life of crime to mend the family fortunes.
It’s up to Sam to help her dad out of trouble. She also has a plan for turning their fortunes around. This plan involves journeying deep into the desert to the legendary lost paradise of Malagar, where she will face the Ultimate Test and perhaps be granted a wish.
Drop Dead, Mad Dog Fred is the latest funny offering from author Jonathan Harlen. Packed full of silliness and the most unlikely of situations, it will appeal to 8 to 12 year old readers.
Drop Dead, Mad Dog Fred, by Jonathan Harlen
Allen & Unwin, 2003