Out of the Blue

Out of the Blue is an adventure novel for 12 to 15 year-olds. It is the third book in the Australian, Gippsland Trilogy about the Lawson and Martin families, cattle farmers in the Baw Baw Mountains of Victoria. It follows Find me a River and Rock Dancer, [both Children's Book Council of Australia Notable Books]. It is a year since bushfire and drought devastated their Baw Baw Mountains cattle property and the farm is in danger of foreclosure. As the story begins the six teenagers are exploring the cave system on their property, discovered the previous year. Here they find an undiscovered series of passages and caves, but only have time to explore part of the new section before leaving to assist Finn's aunt at a youth camp. Kes Martin, passionate about birds, has been observing nesting peregrine falcons, but the nest is disturbed by intruders and the fledglings left to starve... a discovery which shortly will have unexpected repercussions. While at camp, Kes saves an injured falcon and takes it to a raptor rescue centre owned by the very wealthy Henshaw family. This apparently everyday visit to the veterinary clinic turns into a horrific episode for Kes when she is suspected of a serious crime. Shortly after Kes, Finn and Brian return home from camp, Kes's nightmarish time becomes even worse when her irrepressible twin brothers Jon and Jack find a way into the locked cave system and become lost kilometres underground. Each of the cousin's resilience and resourcefulness is called upon to deal with this terrible potential tragedy. Sarah's brilliant skills are again needed, but not even she, or any of the others, can foresee the amazing end.