The Hills Kids: Book One

Inspire your kids to connect with nature develop a passion for reading novels and empower their imagination with The Hills Kids. Join Archie Pippa Ollie and their scruffy dog named Kimba on a wild and wacky adventure in the Australian wilderness!A hilarious high-octane drama The Hills Kids lifts the spirits and creates a fun bonding experience when read as a family. Even kids drawn to technology have put down their screens to enjoy The Hills Kids. You and your kids will fall in love with the people the enchanted places and the wondrous Australian wildlife.The authorThe Hills Kids is brought to life by two-time British Academy Award-winning film sound designer dad and health educator Gareth Vanderhope.The plotStarting with a crazy rolling race down a steep mountain road the hills kids embark on an adventure in their foresty neighbourhood to solve a diabolical problem. The novel spans four seasons where the rhythms and personalities of the environment intersect with the childrens lives and escapades. Enchanting wondrous and taste-bud tickling theres plenty of wild food skin-tingling excitement and exotic sights sounds and smells to give kids a sensory reading experience thatll leave them thirsting for more.Age groupThe 278-page novel is for children aged 8 to 12. The Hills Kids is such a hilarious and exciting extravaganza. I couldnt take my eyes off it until the very last page!Leia 11 (independent reader).We loved reading The Hills Kids as a family and looked forward to reading it each night. We fell in love with the characters and their adventures. Elie Mum (read with 8-year-old son).Meet the playersArchie: a spiky-haired boy who wears odd socks and loves his dog Kimba. From a single-parent family and the ultimate underdog Archie has a resilient spirit and an optimistic view of life.Archie provides readers with opportunities to develop empathy for kids with less material wealth. He demonstrates that persistence resilience and kind-heartedness are powerful allies for a good life. Pippa: a quick-witted girl with natural style and acrobatic flair. A strong female character she suffers no fools and has a mind of her own. Theres nothing Pippa loves more than making secret wishes climbing trees and having a good laugh.Pippa is a role model to readers showing that being assertive athletic and smart are great traits for achieving your goals. Ollie: the ultimate goofball characterised by his pocket obsession and always having a solution at hand. A budding scientist gourmet chef and opera singer hes great to have around for his hilarious antics and showmanship.Ollie shows readers that its okay to be yourself and that good friends are there to help when it counts.Kimba: Archies scruffy black dog who loves chasing chickens rolling in compost and disappearing with a pretty white poodle. Yep. Dogs love stinky stuff! What do the hills kids discover in the forest?The friends continue in a slow crawl pressing their hands and knees gently on the fungusy forest floor to avoid stick cracks or leaf crunches that will scare the creature away. Goosebumps sprinkle over Pippas arms from the cold gully air. She pauses behind the ferns and parts two fronds revealing a scratched earth clearing and a dirt mound. Everyone freezes in excitement and awe . . .