Black Gold: Part 1

By JULIA OWEN, Illustrator KAI BRETHOUWER

"Rimu…Rimu…"

A window rattled as fingernails tapped against the pane. Rimu rolled over, opening and closing his eyes to clear the sleep that fogged his head. He couldn't figure out if it was hailing and, if it was, why could he hear his own name? And anyway, it was the middle of summer so it wouldn't be hail.

He sat up, peering into the early morning that leaked into his room through half-drawn curtains. He could just make out a shadow, as a figure leant forward and rapped again, louder this time, with a closed fist.

"Rimu! You deadhead, Wake up!"

Rimu groaned. Ollie! He would have preferred hail. He rolled out of bed, mumbling, and crawled on his knees to beneath the window as the fist banged again. Suddenly he leapt up, pushing open the window and yelled: "WHAT!"

Publisher: Scholastic, $13.95
Age group: 9-12 years