Camel Rider
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- £7.99
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- £7.99
Publisher Description
Adam and his family live in a compound with other foreigners who work in the Middle East. He's got everything he wants, everything he needs, and there's a lot he takes for granted.Then war breaks out, and, in the confusion to escape, Adam runs away. It seems like the only thing to do, but when he finds himself alone and friendless in the desert, Adam knows he's in real danger.But then he meets Walid, the camel rider . . . An extraordinary tale of adventure, survival and friendship.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This riveting survival tale set in the Arabian Gulf author Mason's first novel has two boys from very different cultures trying to find their way out of the desert wilderness. Adam is an Australian boy living with his family in the (fictional) Middle Eastern city of Abudai. Both of his parents are away when war breaks outside his compound. Adam manages to escape with neighbors, but he flees his rescuers, attempting to retrieve his dog. Meanwhile, an Arab boy sold into slavery to become a camel rider has been left to die in the mountains by cruel masters displeased with his rebellious behavior ("Once I had another name. But only in my dreams now I am remembering my life in my home country.... Now I answer to Walid, which means only 'boy' "). The paths of the two boys inevitably cross: though they do not speak the same language, they learn to rely on each other to find food and shelter and to ward off enemies as they travel back to civilization. Some plot details seem scripted, such as when a milking goat suddenly appears as the boys are on the brink of starvation and when Walid's master gets hold of Adam's cell phone and learns there is a reward for the boy's recovery. Nonetheless, teens will stay on the edge of their seats to find out how and when Adam and Walid will reunite with their loved ones. Ages 10-14.
