Stella Tarakson

 What do you get if you mix a time slip adventure with five environmentally aware young girls? The Australian Girl series, published by Wombat Books. The series was inspired by a range of beautiful dolls created by Helen Schofield. Each doll has a distinct personality and background, perfect for make-believe and storytelling: http://www.australiangirldoll.com.au/

Annabelle and the Missing Turtles, released November 2013, is the latest in the series. Baby sea turtles are disappearing from their habitat on the Queensland coast. No one knows where they went, or why they didn’t follow their instincts and run to the sea. Five young friends vow to solve the mystery and help the environment. They use their rainbow necklace to jump back in time, where they receive some important information from an Aboriginal girl and a famous female explorer.

Aimed at 8 to 10 year olds, the story is about bravery, teamwork, and friendship. It celebrates the spirit of adventure of Australian girls and portrays strong adult female role models.

So far, each book in the series has been written by a different person. The author of this book is Rose Inserra, who’s had over sixty children’s books published. Rose’s passion for wildlife is evident in her writing. She stresses she was keen to raise children’s awareness of habitat loss and endangered species. Although the book has an underlying educational agenda, it reads like an adventure story. Girls will love it!

You can read more about the book at http://www.wombatbooks.com.au/annabelle-and-the-missing-turtles or visit Rose at her website at http://roseinserra.com/.