Author: Jean Bennett
Illustrator: Shawn Shea
Publisher: Shortland Publications, $10.95
Age group: 9 - 13 years
He would shut himself in his room, turn up the volume on his stereo, and play his harmonica to block out the raised voices. But the animosity filling the house still suffocated him.
One day, when he heard his
parents start to quarrel again, he left the house and made his way to the bay. After emerging from the tunnel, he was buffeted by wind squalls as he slid down the steep bank towards the rocks. Spray from the ocean mingled with the tears on his face.
A bellow from beyond the rocky point startled him. It started as a deep roar and ended with a harsh bark like a dog being strangled. The bellow rang out again. It must be a large animal to make that much noise, Ryan thought.
Ryan clambered around the point and stopped. On the far side of the bay, a female fur seal lay in the shelter of some rocks. Her body shuddered and swayed as she raised her head, swinging it from side to side.
Unwilling to provoke or disturb the creature, Ryan crouched beside a large boulder. He watched as the seal heaved herself upright and supported her body weight on her front flippers. She seemed to be in distress.
