Monday, 12 May The following title [received] a starred review in the March 1, 2008 issue of Kirkus Reviews: NIM AT SEA By Wendy Orr; Illustrated by Kerry Millard Alfred A. Knopf / On sale March 11, 2008 ISBN: 978-0-440-42232-7, GLB: 978-0-385-90535-0 “[An] equally winning sequel…” Orr, Wendy NIM AT SEA Illus. by Kerry Millard “In a palm tree, on an island, in the middle of the wide blue sea, is a girl.” Orr opens both Nim’s Island (1999) and this equally winning sequel (published to coincide with the release of the prequel’s film version) with the same lines—but this time takes her plucky protagonist to a very different island, halfway around the world. Chasing poachers who have snatched her beloved sea lion Selkie, Nim stows away aboard a cruise ship where she finds both a whole menagerie of captives and herself among other children for the first time. Meanwhile, deciding (wrongly) that she’s intruding, Alex (aka Alex Rover, renowned but seriously shy author of bestselling adventure novels) heads back to her native New York without a word to Nim’s dad Jack, who is so frantic at everyone’s sudden disappearance that he sets out aboard a raft for the nearest, but still distant, town. Casting Nim, Jack and Alex into adventures that are exciting but never more than briefly scary, the author expertly shepherds the impulsive trio all the way to the Big Apple—lacing the separate voyages with just-missed meetings and unreceived e-mail messages, and building up to a comically tumultuous climax, rescue and loving reunion. Millard’s occasional sketches add pitch-perfect notes of light suspense and humor. (Fiction. 10-12) Friday, 9 May Nim's Island has been reprinted and is back in stock in Australia. So if you've had trouble finding it in a bookshop, it should be there now, and if it's not, they'll easily be able to order it for you. Wendy is home from her travels and is doing her best to get through over 500 emails, phone messages and letters that have come in during this time. Please be patient - when you resend emails after two days it just clogs up her inbox even more and it will take longer for her to reply to everyone. However some emails have disappeared from her system so if you have not received an answer a month after your first email, you can resend it now. Wendy is on her way back to Australia from Canada, and won't get there till Wednesday, so there'll be a delay in answering questions and emails, but keep sending them in! Friday 2 May - Talk at Main Ridge Probus Club, Main Ridge, Victoria, Australia, 10:45. Saturday 3 May - Reading and Screening of Nim's Island, Rosebud Cinema, Rosebud, Victoria, Australia