The Secret of Sinbad's Cave -a bookwrap

Ready for some adventure in your life?  Want to roam around in the Waitomo Caves, especially the Glowworm Caves in New Zealand, (Google them, they actually do exist and look amazing!) sniffing out hidden treasures knowing that professional, criminal treasure hunters are racing for them too?  It doesn't help that you are just a gang of kids with absolutely no idea how to locate them or protect yourself from copious amounts of danger.  Well then if you are ready for a journey into grottos, and to experience a perfect blend of myth, culture and very believable characters, then this book will surely be for you.

Unwrapping...

The Secret of Sinbad's Cave

Author Brydie Walker Bain

Illustrated by Kat Q. Merewether

Photography by Corin Walker Bain

Ages 7- 18  (but really ageless) Shhhhh! 

Book 1 in The Natnat Adventures




My review...

Nat, Jack and Kathleen Sheppard receive quite a shock as they return to their Dad's farm for the holidays and find out their beloved homestead is about to be sold due to its non-profit-making issues.  How can this possibly be?  The farm has been in their family forever, according to their memories.  They cannot imagine living anywhere else. They are  devastated and heartbroken with the news.  How can it be saved? Can it even be? There just has to be a way to keep it for themselves.  

While pondering their options Kathleen accidentally discovers a small hidden room beside the attic and uncovers exactly how to fix their problem.  Armed with cave maps and clues from findings in the tiny room the kids become stoked and are ready to head off to claim a long lost hidden treasure, and if they can find it, the farm will stay in their family where it rightfully belongs. 

Get ready for a delightful adventure that will take you on a thrilling  treasure hunt through grottos at an exhilarating pace and will keep you engaged until the very last  page.  It weaves mystery, fantasy, and evil villains who are actually professional criminals that are out to get to the treasure first.  

The characters are very well developed and I love how the Maori characters and myths are treated with such respect throughout.  The cover of the book is spellbinding and invites you into a magical adventure where good triumphs over evil, kids become heroes, the family is elevated to a very important status and friends are loyal and encouraging with each other. 

It is a fantastic read that I am sure all ages will enjoy and I highly recommend it. 

Unwrapping what others are saying...

"A New Zealand Indiana Jones style treasure seeking adventure.  Even though it's aimed at a younger audience I think it is a fun read for adults was well.  Walker Bain succeeds in making a thorough believable story, one that left me with a whole new perspective on New Zealand and the magic and history that could lie hidden in the land."

- Mieke Heynes, Wairarapa, New Zealand

"I love your story and I so want to get the next one.  Miss Hansen has been reading it to us.  The whole class listens so hard that no one utters a sound for probably the first time in the day."

-Tamsyn, aged 9, Rangitoto School, Te Kuiti, New Zealand 

About the author...

Brydie Walker Bain is a playwright, poet and children's author. 

She studied History and Theatre ; Film at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and furthered her studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in the United States. 

After returning to New Zealand she worked as an adventure cave guide for The Legendary Black Water Rafting Company, jumping off waterfalls, abseiling into caves and pretending to be her childhood hero MacGyver. 

Brydie's plays have enjoyed readings in London, rave reviews and sell out audiences in Auckland, Hamilton and Waitomo. 

Her latest project is a young adult series called The Natnat Adventures. The first books in the series, 'The Secret of Sinbad's Cave,' and 'The Ship of Sight and The Hand of Shadow,' are now available on Amazon.

Read on and read always!


It's a wrap.



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