Kids into books: Night Race to Kawau

Author: Tessa Duder

Publisher: Puffin Books, $12.95

Age Group: 8-12 years


He turned around, his baggy pyjamas rumpled and thick curly hair sticking out so that his head, in silhouette against the window, looked enormous.

Sam blinked. He looked far too big for the room. He was talking again.

"Does the idea appeal to you, Sam? It starts at six. We should arrive about midnight if the winds are as light as the forecast says they'll be. It looks pretty settled out there. I haven't done this race in years, not since we used to do it every summer when I was crewing for William. It was always a great experience. Sometimes quite hairy. Would you like to give it a go?"

"Would I ever! We've never ever been sailing at night before."

Sam leapt out of bed, hauled the still-warm bedclothes up in a single movement and pulled on an old pair of shorts and a T-shirt. This was certainly worth a jog along to William's place to get a key.