Mia

A powerful story of one girl's experience of 2019's Cyclone Veronica in Western Australia.

Mia is used to cyclone build-ups, but the noise and energy of the wild rain squalls keep her awake half the night. What if the cyclone hits before Mum gets back? As wild winds batter the coast, Mia knows she must keep calm. The animals need her.

Thirteen-year-old Mia lives on a bush block in the Pilbara, where she assists her mother's work as a vet and equine therapist. Although she is used to the seasonal cyclones that threaten the West Australian coast, nothing can prepare her for the ferocity of Cyclone Veronica when she finds herself home alone and needing to protect their property and the animals she loves.

When her friend Nick arrives, pleading for help, and her favourite horse is injured, will Mia be able to withstand the greatest challenge of her life? As the storm intensifies, can she save her beloved animals?

This inspiring Australian Disaster Zones series is a powerful and contemporary reminder of the effects of natural disasters and the ever-increasing threat of climate change to our vast and volatile continent.

About the Author

Dianne Wolfer is an award-winning author of 21 books, translated into several languages. Recent publications include her second title in the Aussie STEM Stars series, Skye Blackburn-Lang: eating bugs for the planet, and The Last Light Horse, the fourth book in her acclaimed WWI 'Light' series, which has inspired stage productions and musical adaptations.

Dianne writes across genres. Her fantasy quest novel The Shark Caller was sparked by the ancient practice of calling sharks and was written during PhD research into anthropomorphism and animal characters in children's literature. Her second PhD title, The Dog with Seven Names, won the 2019 Speech Pathology Award, was shortlisted for the Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Literature and was a CBCA Notable Book. She is an active member of the Australian writing community, having served six years as WA Advisor for SCBWI, and was winner of the Nance Donkin Award for Children's Literature.

More details can be found on her websites, www.diannewolfer.com and www.animalswhotalk.com.