Sprung - Andrew Daddo - Terry Denton

The stories in Sprung! are the kind that parents and grandparents long for, and the kids themselves love: stories of adventure, comedy and mischief from an almost legendary Australia, a place that is often not reported in the daily news. I like that these made me feel like I was really there on the spot rather than I’m just sitting here in my reading chair at home, I also loved the little illustrations that brought the whole story alive. Because they’re about football, fishing, camping, holidays, school gangs and so on, the stories have strong appeal for boys as well as girls.

Sprung Again - Andrew Daddo - Terry Denton

A collection of humorous short stories for children aged 10 and above. Written as a follow-up to ‘Sprung!’, the book continues the daily trials and adventures of Fergus Kipper, a young boy just learning about cars, girls, school gangs, conformity, peer pressure and managing adults.

Dacked - Andrew Daddo - Terry Denton

Dacked is about the adventures of Fergus Kipper, his friends and his family, written in five short stories. The topics are surfing, water-skiing (with a mad driver!), a contest between two fishermen to see who can catch a legendary fish, getting stuck (finger only) in a miniature giant clam and a family holiday that goes absolutely haywire. The book has a strong humorous side, featuring events such as the discovery and use of an old twin-fin surfboard, a water-skiing adventure that turns into a game of chicken with a catamaran, a covert operation to find a ’secret’ fishing place, being attacked by a giant clam and ending up in all sorts of trouble at a family holiday near Christmas.