Bøker av Christopher Cummings

A heart-pounding adventure that will test the limits of friendship, courage, and the pursuit of romance. The Kelly Gang? It can't be. This is the 21st Century, not the 19th, Kylie thought. Kylie is a spirited 13-year-old whose world is about to be turned upside down during a six-day trail ride in the rugged ranges of North Queensland. Kylie's interests have always revolved around her friends, pets, dancing, and the thrill of horse riding. But as the winds of change sweep through her life, she finds herself grappling with a new fascination-boys. Yet, the path of true love is anything but smooth, and challenges and rivals abound. As the trail ride commences, an unexpected incident shatters the tranquility, putting Kylie and her friends in grave danger. Kylie is pushed to summon every ounce of courage, cunning, and determination she possesses. Join Kylie, Margaret, and their companions on a breathtaking ride that goes beyond the rugged terrain. Discover the enthralling history and captivating beauty of the wild land they traverse, as they navigate not only the challenges of the journey but also the intricate complexities of their relationships. Kylie & The Kelly Gang is an action-packed young adult adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat, as Kylie faces unexpected trials and learns that the most significant tests are the ones that define who she truly is.

Fourteen-year-old army cadet, Chloe Cummings, is on an outback bivouac with her cadet unit near the tiny North Queensland town of Mingela when mischief begins. Chloe looks sixteen but acts eighteen and has many enemies in camp. She has a reputation for scandalous behaviour, and the lady Officers of Cadets are watching like hawks for any misbehaviour to get her and her best friend, Jane, discharged. But during a field exercise, her cadet unit witnesses the murder of a bikie gang member, thrusting them into a deadly pursuit that will test their characters, physical abilities and training to the absolute limit. Join Chloe as she and her unit struggle to survive against the evil bikie gang and harsh environment of the outback.

Sixteen-year-old Air Cadet Willy Williams and his instructor are forced to make an emergency landing in their light aircraft at an isolated cattle station in the vast wilderness of Far North Queensland. As the repaired aircraft is taxiing to take off, a woman rushes toward them screaming for help. Behind her is an armed and dangerous criminal desperate to protect the secret he's hiding at the station-at all costs. The man takes aim at the airplane and fires, thrusting Willy into the most desperate situation he has ever encountered. To survive, he must use all the knowledge and skills he has learned as an air cadet. Over the next few days, Willy is tested to the limits of his character and physical endurance. Willy is torn between what he must do to survive and the person he actually is. Can he save the woman from the hands of the criminal gang? What terrifying choices tear at his conscience? Join Willy as he struggles to survive through the Devil's Eye and do what he believes to be the right thing.

Forty kilometres east of Townsville is Bowling Green Bay, a vast expanse of shallow water ringed and mangrove swamps-home to the deadly saltwater crocodile. In the scorching heat of the tropical summer, navy cadet Martin Schipholl, his sister Letitia and three teenage friends venture into this dangerous environment. Whilst fishing they witness two murders, thrusting them into a deadly pursuit that will test their characters, physical abilities and training to the absolute limit. Join them as they struggle to survive against the evil murderers and harsh environment of Bowling Green Bay.

Sixteen-year-old navy cadet, Andrew Collins, is spending the April school holidays with his older sister, Carmen, assisting a university research program on the Great Barrier Reef. Whilst SCUBA diving hundred kilometres out to sea around Yule Reef, they find something out of place, something unnatural that should not be there... and that they should not have seen. The discovery leads brother and sister into the most desperate situation they have ever encountered. Join them as they struggle to survive in the harsh and unforgiving environment against both nature and an evil cartel.

Seventeen-year-old Barbara Brassington, high school student and Cadet Under-Officer in the Australian Army Cadets, is with her unit in the North Queensland savannah woodland. During a night navigation exercise, a top-secret French military satellite crashes, showering the countryside with fragments and setting fire to the bush. Barbara is drawn into a deadly international incident with catastrophic results, testing her physical endurance, conscience and courage to the limits. This fast-paced tale of action, survival and romance leads Barbara to agonize whether she is betraying her own country. Worse. Can she use deadly force for what she believes in?

Australian Army Cadet Corporal, 15-year-old Roger Dunning, sets out with his friends, Peter, Stephen and Graham, on a five-day hike on the Atherton Tablelands to complete the Duke of Edinburgh Award. Their OC, Captain Conkey, has placed a set of clues to test their navigation along their 100-kilometre hike. However, almost immediately the four friends walk into trouble so unexpected and so deadly that it tests all their skills as cadets and their friendships. For Roger, it is the toughest test of endurance and character he has ever encountered. To survive, he must summon all his resources of determination and moral courage to see the thing through.

For 13-year-old Cairns high school student, Willy Williams, life is not going smoothly. He has developed a passionate interest in girls, particularly the beautiful and mysterious Petra. But Willy is also bedevilled by temptation and is torn between his desire for Petra, admiration for red-head Barbara, and hopeful lust for Marjorie, his best friend's sister. Worse, Willy has a secret enemy who makes his life a misery, as do the school bullies who pick on him at every opportunity. Complicating matters, his own poor choices do not help. Were the makeshift rockets and drone really good ideas? Willy is also fascinated in all things that fly and is an avid model aircraft hobbyist. As a First-Year member of the Australian Air Force Cadets, his dream is to one day become a pilot in the RAAF. But even as an Air Cadet he has enemies and challenges. But when a major crisis happens, his skills at piloting radio-controlled model aircraft is vital. Will his model of the Red Baron's triplane bring him rewards or end his cadet career in disgrace?

Meet Kylie, an 11-year-old girl living in Cairns, North Queensland. She's got a new puppy called Skip and a best friend named Margaret. Life is good, but there's trouble brewing in paradise. The new neighbours have moved in next door, bringing with them a savage dog named Brute. And when dogs start disappearing from the neighbourhood, Kylie and Margaret begin to suspect that something sinister is going on. As the mystery deepens, Kylie and Margaret must summon all their courage to confront the evil lurking in their once peaceful community. They're up against ruthless predators of both the two- and four-legged variety, and their survival will depend on their wits, strength, and determination. Join them on a heart-pumping adventure as they face danger at every turn, leading up to a desperate struggle for life and death. Will Kylie and her friends make it out alive, or will evil triumph? Find out in this gripping tale of friendship, courage, and the fight for survival.About the Author: Christopher Cummings is a Vietnam veteran, teacher, parent, traveller, Officer of Cadets, and author of 35 books. Bushwalking, history and travel have added depth to his experiences. He grew up in Cairns and Cape York Peninsula, experiencing many adventures in the North Queensland bush and at sea in his father's ships, adventures he has woven into his books.

It is the start of the Christmas holidays in North Queensland, the wet season in the tropics. Twelve-year-old Kylie and her friends, Margaret and Allison, travel to her grandmother's dairy farm on the Atherton Tablelands.On arrival they are confronted by thieves, sparking an unexpected adventure in search of lost family treasure. They are drawn into the rain-soaked, tropical jungle in the rugged country below Mt Bartle Frere, the highest mountain in Queensland.But nature is not the only enemy in their search for gold. There are rivals, some known, others unsuspected.Join the adventure as it climaxes in a desperate struggle for life and death against both man and nature, testing Kylie and her friends to their absolute limits of endurance.About the Author:Christopher Cummings is a Vietnam veteran, teacher, parent, traveller, Officer of Cadets, and author of 35 books. Bushwalking, history and travel have added depth to his experiences. He grew up in Cairns and Cape York Peninsula, experiencing many adventures in the North Queensland bush and at sea in his father's ships, adventures he has woven into his books.

Fraternisation is strictly forbidden by the Cadet Policy Manual. As the Company Sergeant Major, one of Cadet Warrant Officer Class 2 Graham Kirk's main duties is discipline - especially fraternisation. While he knows the real supervision is the responsibility of the adult Officers of Cadets, he also has a key role to play. And the cadet sergeants are the people he must depend on. The problem is: can he trust them? In the savannah country of North Queensland, Graham and his friends have their character, conscience, and friendship tested by temptation, deceit, jealousy, rivalry, bullying, and lust. They must learn to cope with the unexpected problems that beset them.

Fifteen year-old Elizabeth has been handed a briefcase full of incriminating documents by her dying uncle, documents wanted by a gang of crooks. In desperation she flees into the bush, where she encounters seventeen year-old Cadet Under-Officer Graham Kirk and his platoon of army cadets. Graham decides to hide Elizabeth until he can contact the authorities. But how? And who can he trust? As the days go by the crooks become ever more desperate. Graham's leadership and character are put to the test in the most challenging adventure of his young life.Set in the savannah country of inland North Queensland, this fast-paced action-adventure story will keep you guessing right until the very end. Read on and join with the cadets on an adventure of a lifetime.ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Christopher Cummings is a Vietnam veteran, teacher, parent, traveller, Officer of Cadets, and author of 35 books. Bushwalking, history and travel have added depth to his experiences. He grew up in Cairns and Cape York Peninsula, experiencing many adventures in the North Queensland bush and at sea in his father's ships, adventures he has woven into his books.

For twelve-year-old battleship hobbyist, Graham Kirk, opportunities like this don't come along every day. He jumps at the chance to fulfil his dream of becoming a sailor like his father and enlists as a navy cadet. But he has discovered girls and is torn between doing what's right and doing what's forbidden. When at a party, Graham overhears a terrorist plot to sink a US navy destroyer as it sails into Cairns harbour. But who should he tell when his superiors don't trust him? And what role does his new girlfriend, Thelma, have to play? Is she just an innocent anti-war protestor, or has his desire for her blinded him to the awful truth? His initiation into the navy cadets comes with some unexpected-and dangerous-complications... and Graham quickly learns that there's no substitute for self-respect and being true to yourself.