Wanderer

In a dangerous world where predators roam both land and sea, an orphaned young boatman, Dane, wanders alone. Faced with the terrors of the water and the ever-present threat of a warrior group called the Clan, he struggles to survive. Along with his precious kayak, Dane has one other treasure: a much-loved book given to him by his mother, which is a source of comfort in the hardest of times. When he encounters Garth, a book-loving old boat builder, and his amazing granddaughter Lana, everything changes, as he and Lana are pitched into a perilous quest that challenges all they hold dear. The first middle-grade novel in many years, by one of Australia's greatest storytellers, Wanderer is an exciting adventure set in a brilliantly-imagined world. It is also a lyrical love song to the power of books and stories. AUTHOR: With many novels to his credit, Victor Kelleher has written successfully for both adults and for young people. Formerly an associate professor of English, he has long since devoted himself full-time to fiction. He is a past winner of the Children's Book Council of Australia's Book of the Year Award, has twice received the CBCA Honour Award, and has either won or been short-listed for many other such prizes, including the Science Fiction Achievement Award and a short-listing for the Carnegie Medal. Wanderer, like much of his fiction, reflects his deep concern for the natural world. He currently lives in Tasmania with his artist wife.