Author(s): JAMES KNIGHT

Middle Fiction

A fictitious story that uses cricket to promote multicultural awareness between Australia and India. It is suitable for middle grade students, but it also has the potential to appeal to older reluctant readers and adults engaged in reading to children. The following is from the blurb: 'It's the start of an Australian summer, and a drought is raging in the bush. For strapping farm boy, Jack Riordan, swinging a cricket bat is the best way to escape from daily hardships. But what happens when an Indian family arrives in the small town of Stony Creek to begin a new life? Suddenly, Jack is no longer the number one player in the district. That honour belongs to Ajeet Sharma who quickly becomes the star of the local school.Despite jealousies and misunderstandings, the boys must somehow work together on the field. As their journey progresses, they learn each has painful secrets that have affected their lives. What are they? And what can the boys learn from them? The answers come from the strength of human spirit. From the author of My Life: Brett Lee comes the story of Ajeet and Jack, and the unpredictable fortunes of the Stony Creek Public School cricket team.'