Author: Penelope Huber
Illustrator: Ana Terry
Publisher: Longacre $14.95
Age Group: 11+ years
'Ladies add geddelbed, we'll be at our Flaxtod depot id just a cubble of biddits.' That's what our bus driver sounded like. He went through a whole box of tissue sin one afternoon. After that he used a hand-towel.
Polly had her
face pressed up against the window, staring at the smoky blue hills in the distance. Hugging herself, hunched over, and so impatient the seat rocked with her jiggling. She'd forgotten I was there.
'Thack-you for travellig with us today. I hope you've edjoyed the jourdey...'
Well, it'd been fine until the last hour when the afternoon sun turned the bus into an oven. My jeans were sticking and I had a headache. Now my stomach was churning again. time to meet Polly's family. Would they have the same warm eyes and big smile that made her stand out on the first day of school? Or would they be more like the part of her I'd seen as the year went on; secretive and shut-away?
Polly sat up suddenly and pushed her hair off her face with both hands. At school she kept it tamed with regulation blue ribbons and plaits. I'd forgotten how wild it was. It's the gold of dry summer grass on the hills and her eyes are green like deep sun-flickered water.
