This week's title: The Fat Man
Author: Maurice Gee
Publisher: Penguin Books, $15.95
Illustrator: Chris Mousdale
Age Group: 11+ years
He followed the rusty creek flowing out of it and slid down the waterfall to the main creek. A track started there, along the bank past the Dally vineyard, where it turned across the swing-bridge into town by the bowling green. Colin meant to go that way and be at his grandma's in ten minutes but something made him turn up the creek instead of down. He never worked out what it was. Not his old hut up there, hidden in the gully; he'd left that behind last holidays and it was probably full of wetas now. And not the pool, because he had no togs. Anyway he was too scared of the dark parts of the creek to swim alone.
His mother said, when it was all over, 'He had an evil influence, that man. He drew things to him like a magnet,' and she held Colin by the arm as though Herbert Muskie might still draw him in that way.
Whatever it was, Colin went up the creek instead of into town. He rock-hopped some of the way and climbed along the bank where the pools were deep.
Tomorrow: Creek mud and soap
Kids into books - The Fat Man
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