Blaze & Ezekiel Kwaymullina

The Land of Dragonay, by Sally Morgan and Ambelin, Blaze & Ezekiel Kwaymullina

I pull the stopwatch out of my back pocket. The small face appears straightaway. “Tick-tock, stopwatch! Dragonay, was it?” says the stopwatch.
“Hey, you were listening in!”
The stopwatch cackles proudly.
I press the little gold knob.
Tick, tick, tick.
Dragonay, here we come!

Tom has just got back from his latest mission to another world, when Grandpa tells him he needs to on another mission. Grandpa has discovered a dragon egg – and it’s about to hatch. Tom and his friends Bilby and Mother Bird head to Dragonay, taking the egg with them. But the residents of Dragonay don’t trust humans, and all the dragons have disappeared. Can they return the egg and solve the problems of Dragonay?

The Land of Dragonay is the third instalment in the Stopwatch series and offers a satisfying follow up to the first two, as well as setting up further titles. With lots of action, a healthy dose of humour and text which is both easy to read and interesting, this book, and its predecessors, will appeal to middle primary aged readers of all reading abilities.

The Land of Dragonay, by Sally Morgan and Ambelin, Blaze & Ezekiel Kwaymullina
Walker Books, 2010

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The Land of Mirthful, by Sally Morgan

The wind increases and I topple madly after Bilby.
Then – THUD! – the wild wind tunnel spits us out onto a patch of frosty ground.
OOMPH!
OUCH!
“S-sunny?” Bilby stutters.
I look up. Are they snowflakes falling from the sky?

Tom and Bilby are off on another mission, using the power of the magical stopwatch to transport them. Grandpa is sending them to Mirthful, a funny, sunny place, he says. Tom think he’ll get the chance for a nice swim. But instead they land in a cold, frosty land where there isn’t much sign of fun or happiness. Tom soon discovers that the land is under control of a frosty queen who ahs banned laughter, and banished the true royal family. It is up to Tom and Bilby to free the land from her reign and restore everything to rights.

The Land of Mirthful is the second title in the Stopwatch series, by the team of Sally Morgan and her three children Ambelin, Blaze & Ezekiel Kwaymullina. As with the first title, The Land of Mirthful blends humour and action in a fast paced fantasy adventure.

Although part of a series, the title will also stand alone for readers new the series.

The Land of Mirthful (Stopwatch) by Sally Morgan and Ambelin, Blaze & Ezekiel Kwaymullina
Walker Books, 2009

The Land of Kur, by Sally Morgan and Ambelin, Blaze & Ezekiel Kwaymullina

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