Dragon Point by Kate Stirling
Created for easy reading with good font sizing this non-picture book is perfect for young readers 8-14 years old & for those learning English as a second language.
Extract
In the drowsy heat of a summer afternoon, a large car travelled along a back country road, clouds of dust billowing behind it. There had been no rain for weeks and everything was gaspingly dry.
Summery white clouds were heaped along the horizon like huge soap bubbles in a bathtub while, well out to sea, a container ship moved steadily south. Closer in, a catamaran, its white sails taut in the breeze, skimmed across the sparkling water.
Peter Cameron manoeuvred the car through tight curves and along the short straight stretches with ease, his wife Carol sitting, half asleep beside him. In the back seat were two boys of about twelve and thirteen, and a girl of about ten, also half asleep. Their early excitement at the prospect of a beach holiday had waned and they were now hot, tired and very bored. All the windows were open wide and the wind tugged at their hair as they sped along.
Suddenly there was a yell from the back seat. “The beach! There it is!”
Everyone craned their neck and sure enough, there far below, was the beach, glittering bright in the sunlight, the golden sand inviting and spacious.
“Not long now, guys.” Peter called to his family.
“Boy! Am I glad of that! I can’t wait to go for a swim. Look at it!”
“Just think! A week at the beach! A whole week!”
The car swooped down the last hill, over the metal cattle bars at the side of the road and rumbled across the rough paddock to where they thought they would like to put their tent. There were no other tents and the only building was a small grey shack far down the beach.
The boys spilled out and raced across the grass to the sand and stood eyeing the glittering water. Their sister walked slowly beside her mother, eager to run but wanting to help. Peter called them back.
“Hey you guys, come back and help us unload. Got to get all organized before dark.”
“Dark’s ages away yet, Dad. Let’s have a swim first.”
“The tent! Now!”
The boys shrugged as they ran back to help and in no time at all, the tent was up and everything was stowed away from the sun and heat.
“Okay, that’s the tent and all the stuff away. Now you can go for a swim if you want to.”