Dugongs of the Sky

Age range 10 to 14

The sky dugongs are in danger, but Captain Scree Barnacle is determined to save them.

Her voyage to overturn an ancient hunting law means sailing the perilous Starstruck Straits – and dealing with sabotage. But who is threatening Scree’s mission, and are others in danger too?

Can the Wildkin captain and Patch, her plucky ship’s mate, untangle a magical plot, help the lost creatures find their way home, and save the animals?

Dugongs of the Sky is an exciting seafaring adventure for middle-grade readers about magic, mystery and friendship.

In the Realm of Tides, hunters threaten the gentle flying dugongs and Captain Scree Barnacle is determined to save them. But on her voyage to petition the Wavebearers’ Council, misfortunes plague the crew. The ship’s artist is injured, secrets abound, and the timid ship’s boy is more than he seems. Who is threatening Scree’s mission, and are others in danger too? Can the Wildkin captain and Patch, her plucky ship’s mate, untangle a magical plot, help lost creatures find their way home, and save the animals?

Dugongs of the Sky is about friendship, animals and the meaning of courage. It’s ideal for readers who love the high adventure of Claire Fayers’s The Accidental Pirates duology and the magical whimsy of Liz Flanagan’s Wildsmith series. It’s an exciting seafaring adventure with magic, mystery and friendship. And, of course, flying dugongs! Dugongs of the Sky is great for animal lovers and everyone who loves twists and turns! It will soar into your heart.

About the Author

Emily Larkin is a Queensland author and academic who holds a Doctor of Creative Arts (Writing) from the University of the Sunshine Coast. She loves teaching Writing and Literature at the University of Queensland.

Emily writes in a variety of genres and is the author of the picture book The Whirlpool, illustrated by Hélène Magisson and published by Wombat Books (2017), and the young-adult dystopian novel Within the Ward, published by Rhiza Edge (2021). Her short fiction and poetry features in Australian and international literary journals, including Meniscus, Idiom 23, Seizure, Trove, Literary Orphans, The Write Launch, Number Eleven Magazine, Flumes, The Zodiac Review, Sad Girls Club, Streetlight Magazine, After the Pause, and Black Fox Literary Magazine. Emily has also contributed short stories to the Rhiza Edge anthologies Crossed Spaces, Dust Makers and Stepping Sideways, and co-edited Stepping Sideways with author Lynne Stringer.

In her spare time, Emily enjoys being with family members (both human and animal), playing Dungeons and Dragons, and reading and writing.