Kids into books - Destination Disaster

This weeks title: Destination Disaster

Author: Fleur Beale

Publisher: Shortland Publications $8.95

Age Group: 9-12 years

I thought I had made a fuss. Next time I'd have to crank it up a rev or two.

She rifled through my gear with one of those expert, mother-type looks. "Throw in a sleeping bag, togs, towel, and perhaps a bedroll."

"Togs?" I said. "You mean there's water? I can swim there?"

"There's generally water when you go fishing," Mum said with a grin.

Yeah. Well. I just hadn't put the two together. I crammed in my brightest Hawaiian-print shorts.

She drove me to Gran and Pa's house and gave me a huge hug. "Have fun. Don't get lost." "Mum!" I said desperately. "I don't want to go fishing! I don't want to spend three days alone with Pa."

She held my shoulders. "Jem, it'll be OK. Just remember that he really loves you."


Then she was gone. I picked up my backpack and started walking up their front path. It was all very well for her to say that he loved me. It didn't feel like he loved me. I couldn't think of a single thing about me that he even liked.

He certainly didn't like my packing. "You won't pick up as much as a squeak on either of those," he said, pointing at the Walkman and cellphone. He snorted at the chocolate bars. "They'll melt and they'll be extra weight, but it you want them, you carry them." He just about had a fit at the clean boxers. "Take 'em out, Jemmy lad!" (See Important Fact #1.)