Kids into books - Wild Things: Baboon Rock

This week's title: Wild Things - Baboon Rock

Author:Elizabeth Laird

Publisher: Macmillan, $10.95

Age group:10-12 years


She was holding a stained sweatshirt disdainfully between her finger and thumb.

'It was clean only yesterday!' she said. 'And look at the state it's in now.'

'Sorry, Sarah,' said Afra. 'Tom and I were collecting bits of wood to make a kind of shelter for Stumpy, and Tom fell into the stream and I fished him out and then Joseph ...'

'Joseph!' snorted Sarah. 'That son of mine, always getting himself into places where he shouldn't be. Why I'm letting him go off with you to this place when he should be at home studying, I really don't know! I've a good mind to keep him right here.'

'But you promised!' said Afra indignantly. 'It's my birthday treat! Prof's going to come. I've been looking forward to it for months! It won't be the same without Joseph!' She saw one of Sarah's eyelids drop down slowly in a wink and burst out laughing. 'You're such a tease, Sarah.'

Sarah dropped the sweatshirt on to Afra's dark mop of curls.

'I'm not teasing about this sweatshirt,' she said severely. 'Or about the mess in this house. You come on now, and clear up your bedroom. Miss Tidey will be here by supper time, straight off the plane from America. She is used to everything being nice, I am sure.'


Tomorrow: Who is Miss Tidey?