Keri Series

When Claire finds a lump on her chest she can’t imagine how it got there. She decides she must have knocked into something. Anyway, there’s too much to do to worry about it. Her cousin Keri is coming to stay, there are the horse trekkers to deal with and three horses have gone missing. Keri and Mereana arrive to stay for a week, and find themselves involved in more than just helping out on the farm and riding horses. Neighbouring farms have been losing sheep and cattle and even a pig is targeted. Then Claire has to go to hospital. With Claire and her mum out of action, Keri and Mereana have to step in to help out, but before long it’s not just animals who are abducted.

Keri is a high-achieving all rounder who upsets her friends when she receives an award at school. Things get rapidly worse when her parents separate and she finds herself alone at a time when she really needs someone to talk to. Then, when looking after her little brother at the local shopping mall, she leaves him briefly and he disappears. Thus begins the worse time in Keri's life. In the attempt to navigate her way through this nightmare scenario she finds out who her real friends are, and with their help sets out in search of her missing brother. An absorbing tale of changing relationships and discovery among family and friends that offers valuable life lessons for all children.

Jordan is deaf. He's been deaf all his life. It doesn't stop him doing anything he wants to do, and he's really good at doing a lot of things. It's just who he is. But Sando, his older brother is very conflicted. It seems to Sando that everything revolves around Jordan. Keri and her friend Mereana are holidaying at the same beach town as Jordan and Sando. They make friends with the brothers and meeting Jordan is a revelation for the girls. Learning sign language is fun. There have been a spate of burglaries in the town, and Sando's bike is taken making him even more upset. One evening, they stumble upon suspicious activity. Over the next few days, as they are drawn deeper into danger, Sando is forced to revise his attitude towards his younger brother. Sometimes, having an alternative way to communicate can be a life saver.

Fire Island - Courage is fire; bullying is Smoke. Keri Walker is 12 years old and is in a bit of strife. She has been on the end of some bullying from The Gang of Five and she’s keen to make herself scarce when they are around. However, she can’t help but step in when she finds a much younger child being bullied. The Gang of Five thinks she snitched on them. On a school camp, they start a serious campaign. The camp is on an island, and there are plenty of exciting activities to look forward to; yachting, confidence course and orienteering. Keri loves a challenge and she is keen to do well. In addition, if Keri stays out of trouble, her mother will allow her to visit her cousin in Sydney over the summer holiday. She is determined to stay out of trouble. Unfortunately, the gang has a different agenda.

With red hair and fair skin, Chloe stands out for all the wrong reasons at her new school. Especially as she also finds it difficult to talk to others outside her family. It is a relief when summer comes and she doesn’t have to deal with unwanted attention. Keri, Mereana and Jess have been invited to spend time with Mereana’s Grandmother in a small beach town. There is a welcoming pōwhiri at the local Marae, where Mereana and Chloe find out they are distant cousins, and Jess struggles with the cultural differences. There is a mystery surrounding a recent visitor to the town, a fire in the sand dunes and a near drowning. Over the week the girls find what they are capable of, and their friendships change and deepen.

It's hard enough when your parents separate, but when they form new relationships, everything changes again. Keri's mother has met a new man and he has two children, Sara and Thomas. Sara, who is a couple of years older than Keri, makes it clear that they will never be best friends. Keri is content to leave it that way, but Sara's behaviour gets worse, and it's not just teenage moodiness. On a family ski holiday Keri finds herself in a dangerous situation. Sara's younger brother Thomas has skied off into out-of-bounds terrain because of something Sara said to him in anger. Keri seems to be the only one who can save him.