DESCRIPTION:

‘You’re taking us somewhere there are no roads, no toilets and no electricity,’ Kim’s big brother Ollie complains to their parents. Trapped beside a lake on a remote Pacific island, disgruntled 13-year-old Oliver sets out to be as obnoxious as he can. His lonely young sister, Kimmi, consoles herself by writing letters to her ‘friend’ back home and finding out about life on the island. Their parents are too busy with the birds they are making a documentary about to notice what their children are doing. And their guide, Taupi, just wants to stay out of trouble. However, trouble soon finds them when Kimmi discovers something very unexpected — a lone boy, remnant of the mythical pygmy-sized Hiti people that island legends tell of. She hears the boy talking to her telepathically inside her head. He even helps her rescue Ollie when he falls in an animal trap. Except no-one will believe her. The one person she can confide in is her friend back home, Mikki, the friend her brother believes is also imaginary. Only when Oliver finally sees the boy for himself does Kimmi gain an ally – but Oliver decides that he will take one of their parents’ video cameras and lead his sister on an expedition to find proof of the Hiti’s existence. Perhaps they will all become famous. Kimmi follows reluctantly. Suddenly, gaining proof doesn’t seem all that wise. What will happen to the Hiti if they are found? The Hiti boy is probably as curious about her as she is about him — but his family have been hiding for hundreds of years. They mightn’t want to be discovered. A life -threatening adventure results and their parents come to the rescue and realise that things need to change in the family. Ages 10 – 12.