My whole body feels like one giant bruise. I lie there, eyes closed, willing the dizziness to go away. I feel for the stopwatch, but it’s gone. Grandpa will never forgive me. Then I realise that my fingers aren’t pulling at the carpet of Grandpa’s bedroom floor, but at thick, springy grass. Where am I? I force my eyes open.
“Aaaarrrrggghhh!” I scream again.
Tom has been desperate to try out his Grandpa’s stopwatch, ever since Tom realised it had the power to make people invisible. But, when he finally gets the chance to sneak into Grandpa’s room, Tom discovers the stopwatch does more than make him disappear – it transports him to another world. Finding himself in the Land of Kur, Tom is befriended by monsters, and unwillingly helps them to defeat the neighbouring giants, before meeting a huge Spider Queen who makes him wonder whether he’ll ever see his home again.
Stopwatch: The Land of Kur is the first tile in a new series from Western Australian authors Sally Morgan and Ambelin, Blaze and Ezekiel Kwaymullina. With a range of fantastical beings, an intriguing fantasy land, and lots of action therein, this is ideal for fantasy loving youngsters, as well as a great introduction to the genre.
An absorbing and action-packed read for readers aged 8 to 12.
Stopwatch: the Land of Kur, by Sally Morgan, and Ambelin, Blaze & Ezekiel Kwaymullina
Walker Books, 2009