Battle for Boodicuttup Creek

by Laurel Lamperd

"The Battle of Boodicuttup is suitable for 7-11 year old children.
The discovery of an injured cormorant at Boodicuttup Creek is a special event for Leanna, Shane and Mitch.
They are shocked when old Charlie Buckle and Jem Gasper plan to dam the creek.
The dam will stop the flow of water to the pool where the cormorant and other birds live.
They need help to prevent the dam and organize a petition.
But will the people in the town join them?
Is there magic in Uncle Rolly’s bullroarer?
Will a mysterious Great Goanna be of help or hindrance to their efforts to save the creek?
And how will Shane and Mitch avoid a fight with the Gasper boys?" - Laurel Lamperd

64 pages, Paperback

First published December 8, 2008

About the author

Laurel Lamperd writes poetry, short stories and novels. (Visit: author's den)

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fun, witty, page-turning adventure story sneaks in a few moral lessons and science facts, but kids won't even know they're learning while enjoying a good read. Laurel Lamperd transports us to Australia, showing us the native flora and fauna without giving away what she's doing - teaching us about her native land while spinning a great yarn, the kind of story we could enjoy hearing around a campfire.

Two boys reluctantly allow a girl into their adventure, which begins when Shane and Mitch spot an injured cormorant at Boodicuttup Creek. This is a contemporary issue; in real life, fishermen have killed the fish-eating water fowl to near extinction. The boys know this bird needs protection, but they never expected classmate Leanna Browning to visit the creek and keep her own eye on the injured cormorant. Seamlessly, the author weaves in details of the setting. Characters don't just walk past a shrub or tree, for example; they pass a mungji or a Western Yellow Robin.

Just as expertly, Lamperd depicts children as they really are, open and imaginative. When the villain and his bulldozer threaten the cormorant's home at the creek, Shane thinks of the T-Rex on TV and imagines it devouring Jem Gasper and his bulldozer. My inner child delighted in these dialogues. "If we had some explosives, we could blow up the dam, Jem Gasper and his bulldozer with it," Mitch says. Even good-girl Leanna startles the boys with, "There'd be arms and legs and bits of machinery flying everywhere."

Of course, Leanna thinks of something more constructive and legal--a petition to stop developers from destroying the creek.

Shane and Mitch are mortified at the potential public humiliation of joinng Leanna to collect signatures, but they reluctantly agree, hoping to "nick off" if other girls join Leanna. However, the cricket team captain signs the petition and applauds the idea, then encourages the boys to try out for the team. Nice payoff for going along with Leanna. And how cool of Mitch to give credit where it is due. "It was Leanna's idea," he confesses.

I love books where good things come from right decisions. Later, the cricket captain handles the bullies by encouraging them to take up sports. Every book needs a good guy like Jeff Phillips to steer the bad guys in the right direction.

Another thing that sets this story apart from other children's books is the adults. No stupid, incompetent grown-ups here for the kids to out-shine. Uncle Rolly is marvelous, and Mr. Albrecht too.

And here comes the mythos that makes this story so exciting and archetypal. Uncle Rolly has a "bullroarer," which may summon a Great Goanna in times of peril or great need. "Only make believe," Mitch thinks, yet he "felt a tingle of fear when he thought about the Great Goanna." In desperation, Mitch, Shane and Leandra consider borrowing Uncle Rolly's bull roarer to summon the Great Goanna and stop the bulldozing of Boodicuttup Creek.

Lamperd manages to imbue us with that sense of wonder handed down from the culture of Indigenous Australians. In the Aboriginal world view, every event leaves a record in the land, and everything in the natural world is a result of the actions of the archetypal beings. Certain places and creatures have a particular potency, which the Aborigines see as a dreaming which resides in the sacredness of the earth. Of course, the way Uncle Rolly explains this is far more exciting and cool. And Lamperd "shows" us without "telling" us.

This is one of the most fascinating, funny and satisfying children's books I've seen since my own childhood.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll admit that i found the title of this book a little misleading and that I am probably older than the target audience. However, I did enjoy reading this book and I wound reccomend it to anyone under the age of 13 or someone with a couple of hours to spare who would like to experience some Australian culture.

[Laurel Lamperd]

I loved writing this book about three children, Mitch, Leanna and Shane, who try to save a creek for a wounded cormorant and the other water birds which live there. It is a timely reminder that in an era of concern about climate change, we all can do our bit to save our environment. Laurel

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful suspenseful story for the elementary grade set. It actually kept my attention throughout. I like the way the author gave the characters good choices in relation to forms of bullying.