Outback Ferals ...

"There's a hippoptamus on our roof eating cake."

Do you remember those words?

Of course you do!

Back in kindergarten or primary school someone would have read you this book.

Here is something else you might not know...

Hazel Edwards - the author of the hippo book - writes young adult novels, too. In fact, here is my recommendation, another jewel from the library elf:

I think you should look beyond the hippo on the roof because, quite frankly, you can have your cake and eat it too.

Hazel Edwards latest novel Outback Ferals, got a pretty good review in Buzz Words. I am going to include the whole thing, holus-bolus, and add an author link on the right hand side of the blog too.

Outback Ferals by Hazel Edwards (Lothian)
PB RRP: $17.95
Reviewed by Jenny Mounfield
BuzzWords Nov 2006

Fresh from the Antarctic, environmentalist Kyle heads to Darwin to investigate a possible environmental threat. He lands a casual job with Quarantine checking properties for diseased vines, and moves into a share house where he meets the real object of his investigation, chopper pilot Ng. Housemates, Coco, Rem and Ng accept Kyle as one of the mob - as is the Top End way - and before long he is immersed in their lives in ways he didn’t expect. Kyle finds himself caring about these people and feeling more and more like a traitor for spying on Ng. But he has a job to do, one which impacts on Australia’s future.

Outback Ferals, the stand-alone sequel to, Antarctica’s Chosen
Frozen, is a refreshingly accurate slice of Northern Territory life.
Edwards’ narrative seems effortless - hardly surprising since this is her 160th book – and her characters are all wonderfully real; none more so than Aboriginal Elder, Aunty May with her troop of wayward youth.

Over the course of Kyle’s initiation into Territory life, it becomes
apparent that he attracts crocodiles the way barbeques attract flies.
He is attacked not once, but twice and herein lies my only real
criticism: Given that the narrative is written in first person present
tense, I found the drama of these scenes strangely understated.
Despite this, Outback Ferals is so original I can’t not like it. Aimed at kids 12+, this story is sure to be a hit - especially with boys.

Have a great Melbourne Cup Day - I hope your horse wins!