Authors: Orr Wendy

Rescue On Nim's Island

BOOK: Rescue On Nim's Island

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Also by Wendy Orr & published
by Allen & Unwin

Peeling the Onion
Nim’s Island
, illustrated by Kerry Millard
Spook’s Shack
, illustrated by Kerry Millard
Mokie & Bik
, illustrated by Beth Norling
Nim at Sea,
illustrated by Kerry Millard
The Princess and Her Panther
, illustrated
by Lauren Stringer
Raven’s Mountain
Rainbow Street Pets

First published in 2014

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The
Australian Copyright Act 1968
(the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or ten per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency (Australia) under the Act.

Allen & Unwin
83 Alexander Street
Crows Nest NSW 2065
Australia
Phone: (61 2) 8425 0100
Email: [email protected]
Web:
www.allenandunwin.com

A Cataloguing-in-Publication entry is available
from the National Library of Australia
www.trove.nla.gov.au

ISBN 978 1 74331 678 8

eISBN 978 1 74343 445 1

Cover and text illustrations by Geoff Kelly
Cover and text design by Sandra Nobes
Hand lettering of title by Geoff Kelly
Typeset by Sandra Nobes

With thanks to Sue,
who edits with passion and wisdom,
fun and friendship.

W.O.

Contents

From:
Nim@RusoeSanctuaryforRare&EndangeredSpecies.com
To:
[email protected]
Date: Monday, 12 May, 5:45pm
Subject: Invaders!

Hi Edmund

The island is going to be invaded again! Jack’s inviting four other scientists here for a conference on turning algae into biofuel. I can hardly believe it. I know how much he loves plankton and algae – but we’ve spent our whole lives trying to keep our home secret. He says it’ll be okay because the World Organisation of Scientists will choose who gets to come, so they’ll be people who understand how special this place is.

Nim – as confused as Fred sleeping on Selkie’s back and ending up at sea

P.S. They won’t even have to run away from home like the last invader …

From:
[email protected]
To:
Nim@RusoeSanctuaryforRare&EndangeredSpecies.com
Date: Monday, 12 May, 4:55pm
Subject: re: Invaders!

And they probably won’t get grounded when they get home.

But maybe they need an assistant? Someone who wants to be a scientist when he grows up, who already knows you and Selkie and Fred and Jack, and has already helped conduct important scientific research on the island?

Edmund – as green as a tree frog with envy

From:
Nim@RusoeSanctuaryforRare&EndangeredSpecies.com
To:
[email protected]
Date: Monday, 12 May, 5:58pm
Subject: Are you still grounded?

From:
[email protected]
To:
Nim@RusoeSanctuaryforRare&EndangeredSpecies.com
Date: Monday, 12 May, 4:59pm
Subject: Grounding officially finishes June 30.

When is the conference? Have you got a plan?

From:
Nim@RusoeSanctuaryforRare&EndangeredSpecies.com
To:
[email protected]
Date: Monday, 12 May, 8:12pm
Subject: My plan is useless

The conference is Monday, 23 June. And Jack says the World Organisation of Scientists won’t accept research done by kids so we can’t be assistants. And they’ve already chosen the scientists so he can’t change the date. AND he’ll send you right back if you run away again.

Nim – as mad as a hermit crab who’s lost her shell

From:
[email protected]
To:
Nim@RusoeSanctuaryforRare&EndangeredSpecies.com
Date: Monday, 12 May, 7:13pm
Subject: It was worth a try

Edmund – as crushed as a shell-less hermit crab underneath Selkie

From:
[email protected]
To:
Nim@RusoeSanctuaryforRare&EndangeredSpecies.com
Date: Tuesday, 13 May, 4:30pm
Subject: Negotiations

If I wash the dishes every night, take out the garbage, keep my bedroom clean AND babysit the twins downstairs – the naughtiest kids in the whole world – for the next two Saturdays, I’m ungrounded on Sunday the 22nd June.

Edmund – rushing to clean my bedroom, just in case

From:
Nim@RusoeSanctuaryforRare&EndangeredSpecies.com
To:
[email protected]
Date: Tuesday, 13 May, 5:35pm
Subject: Yay for ungrounding

But I still haven’t got a plan.

I’ve never met any twins. I think it would be fun. How do you sit on them both at the same time? Maybe Selkie could help you. Ha ha! (I know that’s not what babysitting means! I’ve read books about it.)

Nim – laughing about Selkie babysitting the naughty kids

From:
[email protected]
To:
Nim@RusoeSanctuaryforRare&EndangeredSpecies.com
Date: Tuesday, 13 May, 4:37pm
Subject: Selkie babysitting

I’d like to see that.

From:
Nim@RusoeSanctuaryforRare&EndangeredSpecies.com
To:
[email protected]
Date: Friday, 16 May, 10:11am
Subject: Cross your fingers

Jack got an email yesterday about the scientists who are coming. Two of them are married to each other and they want to bring their children. The other two work at a university in Brisbane but they aren’t married to each other and neither of them have kids. The family scientists have a boat so they’re going to sail it here and pick up the others on the way.

So I told Jack if other kids were coming that you should too, because you know all about babysitting, and we don’t know how old these kids are. This morning he FINALLY said he’s going to email your parents and the Brisbane scientists and ask if you can come with them!!!!

Nim – as excited as Fred with a smashed-open coconut