Botany author’s ghostly tale wins over young fans
AFTER being retrenched from Qantas in 2012, Botany author Peter Harrold turned his attention to writing and now his first children’s book has been published.
AFTER being retrenched from Qantas in 2012, Botany author Peter Harrold turned his attention to writing and now his first children’s book has been published.
Maria and the Ghosts of Barrengarry is targeted at young people aged nine to 13, and aims to contrast modern day life with how things were in rural Australia in the early 19th century.
The adventure mystery centres on the tale of 11-year-old girl Maria who lives in present day Sydney but discovers she can walk into the spirit world where she meets an Aboriginal girl Leena who lived in the 1830s in the Southern Highlands.
“Maria’s life is made up of school, dance classes and electronic devices, whereas Leena worries about collecting food for her family group and how soon she will be married,” Mr Harrold said.
“I wanted to portray a more positive view of how the indigenous people and the white settlers might have made contact with each other in that period.
“During a long weekend trip to Kangaroo Valley with her family, Maria has a number of increasingly unusual experiences.”
RUNAWAY LLAMA’s DAY OUT
The father of three said the book was inspired by family trips to Kangaroo Valley and touched on difficult subjects that could be confronting.
Maria and the Ghosts of Barrengarry is published by Austin Macauley and costs $13.95 in paperback or $24.95 in hardback. You can buy if from the Book Depository website.
Buyers blown away by rare cliffhanger house
The agent selling a rare cliffhanger home at Dover Heights has been overwhelmed by the response since it hit the market yesterday.
Huge move for top Aussie real estate agent
The high-profile Sydney real estate agent has made a huge announcement via social media.