BUSH BOYS ON THE MOVE

BOOKSHELF

by James Tierney.

Available from Cardinal Newman Faith Resources Inc., 342 Merrylands Rd., Merrylands. Ph: (02) 9637 9406.

"Bush Boys On The Move" is the fourth book in Fr. James Tierney's Bush Boys series. The other titles in the series are: "Bush Boys: An Outdoor Adventure- the ABC of Camping", "Cuthbert joins the Bush Boys" and "Bush Boys & Bush Rangers".

Fr. Tierney is a retired priest and a well-known author and catechist consultant. His Bush Boys series is based around the Bush Boys gang and the adventures they have in the Wild Bush Mountains. In "Bush Boys on the Move" the original Bush Boys take new recruits, Kevin Keys and Samson Kalumbo on a camping trip in the Wild Bush Mountains. They soon find that they are not the only group of campers in the park. Three strange men, whom they quickly dub the Tricky Trio, are also camping out and somehow they don't seem to be genuine campers.

Who are Smoodge, Bully and Weedy really? Why do they seem so keen to dissuade the Bush Boys from their camping trip? What are the mysterious Black Boxes? Why does Weedy try to spook them at night? The suspense rises as the Bush Boys try to answer the questions before it's too late. As the story reaches the climax, the Bush Boys find themselves battling not only the Tricky Trio, but roaring busfires that threaten to burn down their homes.

"Bush Boys on the Move" is just as well written and exciting as its predecessors, but it doesn't need to be read after the others as it is a great story on its own. It blends mystery, adventure, camping lore and action together to create a gripping story. Many of the moments in the book are a boy's dreams come true as the six Bush Boys bushwalk, camp and swim in the National Park.

This book doesn't just contain a great story; it is also packed with maps, camping lore, knots, etc. and is great to read aloud. Children aged from 8 to 14 will enjoy "Bush Boys on the Move", although I found our whole family (ages ranging from 5 to 40) enjoyed it. We had a chapter read out to us each night, although some members of the family found this too slow and stole away with the book to finish it themselves. Perhaps the most amazing thing about the story is the author's ability to combine so many different elements into one cohesive book. The book would make a great birthday or Christmas present, and the author has offered $2.40 (15%) commission to anyone getting a shop to buy the book.