Bella and the Wandering House

What's a girl to do when her house can't find a home? Bella is very surprised one morning to discover her house has moved in the night – not a lot, just a little. Her parents are too busy to notice, but even they can’t pretend it’s not happening when they wake up a few days later to find their house on the banks of a lake. Night after night, the house moves and the family wakes to a new location. Bella discusses it with her beloved Grandpa, and he advises her to keep a close eye on things. When Bella realizes that her room at the top of the house is built from Grandpa’s old boat, she finally knows what the house is looking for. It seeks the sea. So Bella dons the captain’s hat her Grandpa has given her and guides the house safely to the shore, where finally they are home. And sometimes, just sometimes, Grandpa and Bella take the house to sea.

Meg McKinlay grew up in Bendigo, Victoria, in a book-loving, TV- and car-free household. On the long and winding path to becoming a children’s writer, she has worked a variety of jobs including swim instructor, tour guide, translator and teacher. She is an Honorary Research Associate at the University of Western Australia, where she has taught Australian Literature, Japanese, and Creative Writing.