Isabel is on a plane heading back to her island birthplace in Papua New Guinea. Izzy is looking forward to seeing her family again, but there’s another tragic reason for the trip. Izzy’s twin brother, Ray, died in a freak diving accident, and Izzy and her mum are taking his ashes home for traditional death ceremonies.
After they arrive, Izzy realises things have changed since their last visit. Logging threatens the community’s way of life and sharks no longer answer the song of the shark callers.
Izzy’s cousin Noah explains that the clan needs someone to undertake a traditional diving ritual. The person must be a twin from the shark calling lineage. The dive will be perilous.
And Izzy is the last twin.
Will she have the courage to attempt the dive? And what deep, dark secrets will the ocean reveal if she does?
* Shortlisted for the West Australian Young Readers' Book Awards
* 2017 Notable Book of the Year - Children's Book Council of Australia
The Shark Caller breaks new ground in junior YA fiction.
– Joy Lawn, Books +Publishing
The Shark Caller is imaginative and fantastical and full of drama. Phrases of Tok Pisin (a creole language of PNG) are scattered throughout, giving the reader a sense of immersion in the culture and traditions of the island. A glossary is included to help with interpretation. Recommended for middle-school students.
– Jane Smith, Magpies
… this marvellous book has opened my eyes to a completely new culture and spirituality. The writing is evocative and transformative – for the duration I was in the Islander culture.
– Sue Warren, Just So Stories
This is the best book for the 10-12 ish age group that I have read this year. Highly commended for adults too. And it’s a pleasure to savour the language.
– Hazel Edwards OAM, Goodreads
