CHARLIE ARCHBOLD’s The Sugarcane Kids and the Empty Cage is the thrilling new instalment in the ‘Sugarcane Kids’ adventure.
Good Reading for Kids caught up with Charlie to discuss what kind of obstacles the Sugarcane kids will face in her latest book.
What inspired The Sugarcane Kids and the Empty Cage?
After my first ‘Sugarcane Kids’ book I really wanted to keep writing about their adventures and especially how they seek justice and solve mysteries. When I was up in far north Queensland I read about people taking native animals from the wild to keep or to sell as pets. This gave me the idea to have the Sugarcane Kids solve a mystery about missing animals.
What’s new for the Sugarcane Kids in this latest book?
We learn more about the characters and native animals in Queensland. We find out Harvey is obsessed with aliens, Fletch and Bernie don’t always get along, and the only thing Andy and Eli don’t agree on is monkeys. There are new characters in town like Old Jean and a scary new canteen lady called the Hench. Washington is back and up to new mischief.
What can you tell us about Gloria and Anna?
Gloria is an eclectus parrot and she is a very special bird, a wonder bird in fact. She lives with Old Jean. Female eclectus parrots look very different to male eclectus parrots. Gloria can talk and sing and even line dance. Everyone in town knows and loves her. Anna is not an anaconda but she is big and long like one and she constricts her prey. She is a scrub python. Anna is not friendly like Gloria but she is a very precious snake.
Andy and the Sugarcane Kids set out to solve the disappearance of Gloria and Anna – what are some of the obstacles they will need to overcome?
The Sugarcane Kids suspect that the new canteen lady is behind the animals disappearance but they have to find proof. They encounter two nasty acrobat twins called the Snowpeas who they have to outwit and escape from. They are up against time because if the animals are not found quickly they could be in danger. They also have to find an ingenious way to get to the baddies hideout deep in the rainforest.
What was your favourite part of writing this book?
I loved going on the adventure with Andy and Eli and their friends because I didn’t know what would happen until I wrote it. Writing a mystery is like being in the mystery yourself. I also really enjoyed writing new characters like the wrestling Hench and the evil Snowpeas.
Describe this book in three words.
Fun. Exciting. Adventure.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Charlie Archbold is an educator and an award-winning writer. Her first novel, Mallee Boys, was a CBCA older readers honour book. Her first book in the ‘Sugarcane Kids’ middle-grade series, The Sugarcane Kids and the Red-bottomed Boat, was shortlisted for the Text Prize and went on to win the Readings Children’s Prize and the Davitt Children’s Novel Award and was a CBCA notable book.
0 Comments