Story for young readers with taste for adventure

WRITTEN for ages 9-13, this story of seven siblings resonates with the author’s own family, as the secondyoungest of seven children born to Lebanese-Australian parents.

H. Hayek was born in Adelaide, grew up in Perth and now lives in Melbourne.

Although struggling with reading and writing through her earliest years at school, she went on to graduate with a degree in teaching.

She has worked as a primary school teacher in Melbourne and as a journalist.

But above all, writing stories involving children with unique backgrounds is her passion.

In this book she explores themes of identity – what it means to be Australian, Muslim, and Lebanese.

She says that she also enjoys being a little bit mischievous.

In this fun and fast-moving tale, two cheeky Lebanese-Australian kids decide to escape their babysitter by running away to the other side of the world.

When their parents have to travel to Beirut unexpectedly, 12-year-old Akeal and his six siblings are horrified to be left behind in Melbourne with the dreaded Aunt Amel as their babysitter.

Akeal’s naughty little sister, Huda, hatches a bold plan to escape.

After stealing Aunt Amel’s credit card to buy plane tickets to Lebanon, Huda persuades her reluctant favourite brother to come with her.

So begins Huda and Akeal’s hair-raising and action-packed journey to reunite with their parents half a world away, in a city they’ve grown up dreaming about but have never seen.

Young readers with a taste for adventure will relate to Akeal’s hilarious and loving family, led by the mischievous Huda.