Pam Macintyre

To make Ernest Giles’s trek across the scrub and desert of southern Australia interesting to younger readers, relate it through the eyes of a young protagonist. It was an inspired choice to invent Taj, twelve-year-old son of the historical figure Saleh Mohamed, Afghan cameleer, and an equally inspired choice to invent Taj’s beloved young camel, Mustara. The love and respect between camel and b ... (read more)

There is much to like in this début Young Adult novel: its straightforward storytelling, distinctive central characters, well-tuned adolescent dialogue, and humorous depiction of first love. Fifteen-year-old Amelia attends a girls-onlyschool, has two sisters – one away at university, the other just three years old – and a theatre director father who has a hands-off approach to parenting. Her ... (read more)