Max: Through My Eyes - Australian Disaster Zones

A suspenseful story of survival and resilience inspired by the 2022 Brisbane floods.

The kayak rolled as Max tried to get into it. The shock of capsizing into the cold, dirty water made him gasp and swallow some of it. It tasted muddy and disgusting. Was he going to drown? His chest thudded as he fought the floodwater gushing around him. How long could he hold his breath? He could feel a sense of panic rising.

When an unexpected rain bomb hits south-east Queensland in late summer, an unprecedented disaster engulfs the city of Brisbane. Nothing can prepare Max and his family for the devastating flood as neighbours struggle to help each other survive. When floodwaters rise, homes are submerged and his newfound friend Trent goes missing, Max must face the greatest challenge of his life.

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.

PRAISE FOR THROUGH MY EYES - AUSTRALIAN DISASTER ZONES
'This series is one way in which writers are bringing history, science, and human stories to the children who will be the next generation that's needing desperately to be both well informed, and compassionate towards each other and the planet.' - CBCA Reading Time

'All of the Through My Eyes series have been extremely popular with readers in libraries and this latest, which focuses on the disasters of our own country proves again that this is a genre that speaks to our young people.' - Just So Stories

After growing up in Australia, Prue Mason travelled Australia and the world as a flight attendant and sometimes co-pilot on a private aeroplane with her husband, a professional pilot. They lived in Canada for three years, then the Gulf region of the Middle East for twelve years where she worked for children's newspaper Young Times writing feature articles, short stories and a counselling column. As a CELTA trained teacher, Prue also taught English as a foreign language to Arabic speakers. Her award-winning book Camel Rider, as well as Destination Abudai and Zafir: Through My Eyes, were written based on her experiences of living and travelling in the Middle East. Prue returned to Australia in 2001. She and her husband own a vintage plane, and can often be seen at sunset over Cape Bridgewater in south-west Victoria near where they live.

Series editor and series creator Lyn White has extensive experience as a primary school teacher-librarian and EAL teacher and in 2010 completed postgraduate studies in Editing and Communications at the University of Melbourne. Lyn is passionate about children's literature and has great expertise in engaging students and teachers with quality texts. Her work with refugee children motivated her to create the acclaimed Through My Eyes series of books set in contemporary war zones. Lyn went on to create and edit the Through My Eyes - Natural Disaster Zones series set around international and Australian disasters. The novels pay tribute to the courage and resilience of children who are often the most vulnerable in post-disaster situations. Lyn is a conference presenter, runs workshops based on the Through My Eyes texts and has written several articles for teacher-association journals and children's literature magazines.