River Boy

A new mass-market edition of this Carnegie Medal-winner. One of the classic teenage novels of the nineties, "River Boy" is an emotional, moving book which has had a profound influence on its readers. Following the story of Jess's dying grandfather, and the marathon river swim Jess becomes caught up in, it uses poetic and surreal images of water andswimming to deal with the difficult subjects of death and loss in an accessible and affecting way. * Winner of the Carnegie Medal and the Angus Book Prize * A moving poetic exploration of grief and loss. * Internationally successful - foreign rights have so far been sold to America, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Poland and Portugal. A film option has been agreed. * New cover treatment to match Tim Bowler's wonderful new novel, "Storm Catchers". * Author was born and brought up in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, and now lives in Totnes, Devon.

Ste-e-e-eamboat's a-comin'!" Along the banks of the great Mississippi River, a young boy named Samuel Clemens raced to the docks whenever he heard that familiar cry. He dreamed of exploring the world beyond his river town. Little did he know that one day he would become the famous writer Mark Twain, and write about his boyhood adventures along the bustling river waterfront in the classic stories The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Sam's exploits take him from the printing presses of the Hannibal Courier to the decks of the steamboats that travel the mighty Mississippi, and even to the Wild West. Now noted historian William Anderson tells the colorful story of Sam's life as he grows from a mischievous boy into the enterprising author. Dan Andreasen's fresh, vibrant paintings capture the spirit of the storyteller who will live on forever as one of America's literary icons.

On 21st September 2001 the mutilated torso of a small child was found floating beside London’s Tower Bridge, one tide away from being swept into the North Sea. Unable to identify the victim, the Murder Squad turned to Richard Hoskins, a young professor of theology with a profound understanding of African tribal religion, whose own past was scarred by a heartbreaking tragedy. Thus began a journey into the tangled undergrowth of one of the most notorious murder cases of recent years; a journey which would reveal not only the identity of the boy they called Adam but the horrific truth that a succession of innocent children have been ritually sacrificed in our capital city. Insightful and grippingly written, The Boy in the River is an inside account of a series of extraordinary criminal investigations and a compelling personal quest into the dark heart of humanity.

**The number-one bestseller** The story of how an extraordinary childhood shaped an extraordinary life On the West Coast of the South Island, past deep fiords and snow-capped mountains, Chris Long grew up two days' hike from the nearest road. He was born into the country's most isolated family, his parents committed to freedom from capitalist society and connection to the natural world. In this inspiring memoir, Chris describes a childhood with nature on his doorstep - helping his father catch crayfish and his mother grow vegetables, playing with toys crafted from driftwood and jade, and learning to live in the wild - until, in his teenage years, he began to wonder: could he survive in the wider world? By the son of the authors of A Life on Gorge River and A Wife on Gorge River, The Boy from Gorge River is an enthralling account of chasing adventure while forever staying true to where you come from.

"Have you ever had a ride in a Tinny, or camped by the river in a swag? Have you ever caught a fish and cooked it on a campfire for tea? Let's go on a river adventure and discover if you could be a River Boy or River Girl?" A grandfather and his young grandson embark on an adventure of exploration and discovery of the lower reaches of the Murray River. River Boy focuses on the current circumstance of environmental decline surrounding the Murray River and along their adventure explores the changes the grandfather has seen in the river since he was a young boy.

Filled with guilt over his younger sister's kidnapping, teenaged Fin tries to rescue her and in the process learns about a dark family secret.

"I don't realize I'm crying until he glances at me. For a moment, I see the look of anguish in his eyes, then he blinks it away and slips off into the water. I immediately think of the gator. It's still down there somewhere. . . ." A science-class field trip to the Everglades is supposed to be fun, but Sarah's new at Glades Academy, and her fellow freshmen aren’t exactly making her feel welcome. When an opportunity for an unauthorized side trip on an air boat presents itself, it seems like a perfect escape—an afternoon without feeling like a sore thumb. But one simple oversight turns a joyride into a race for survival across the river of grass. Sarah will have to count on her instincts—and a guy she barely knows—if they have any hope of making it back alive.

Davy kills two men and leaves home. His father packs up the family in a search for Davy.

From an exciting new voice in American fiction comes nine tales of barmaids and musicians, single mothers and burned-out businessmen--about lives lived a little too close to the edge and love longed for, lost, and sometimes regained.

View more details of this book at www.walkerbooks.com.au.