What do you think?
Rate this book
The Adventures Down Under #1
Escape to Murray River
In 1868, after their father is wrongfully convicted and deported on the last prison ship to Australia, twelve-year-old Patrick and the rest of the McWaid family determine to stay together and follow him to the far-off continent
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
25 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
About the author
Robert Elmer
90 books65 followersRobert Elmer is the author of more than fifty books, including contemporary novels for the adult Christian audience, nonfiction devotionals like Piercing Heaven and Fount of Heaven (Lexham Press), and seven series for younger readers. Among kids, he is best known for his historicals such as the Young Underground, Adventures Down Under, Life Behind the Wall, and Promise of Zion books. When he's not at the keyboard, he enjoys beachcombing and travel with his wife, and spending time with their three kids and families.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 7, 2022
As a tween, I LOVED Elmer's series, The Young Underground, so wanted to see what this series was like. It's definitely fun and a story that keeps you on your toes!
An Irish family is suddenly heartbroken when they discover their father has been wrongly accused of a crime and sentenced to Australia! Now they must find a way to raise enough money for boat fares so they can travel down there to be with him. The story holds one adventurous, mysterious turn after another and is sure to be enjoyed by tweens.
Moments are taken throughout the story for prayer, trusting God and sharing faith with a non-believer.
Cleanliness: nothing to note.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
An Irish family is suddenly heartbroken when they discover their father has been wrongly accused of a crime and sentenced to Australia! Now they must find a way to raise enough money for boat fares so they can travel down there to be with him. The story holds one adventurous, mysterious turn after another and is sure to be enjoyed by tweens.
Moments are taken throughout the story for prayer, trusting God and sharing faith with a non-believer.
Cleanliness: nothing to note.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
February 20, 2019
Great adventure book for middle school readers. I actually found myself liking this, to my surprise, and I think I'll read the rest of my daughter's books in this series.
February 19, 2020
This was a sad book. I liked that they kept getting stuck in places and then they got out.
September 29, 2023
Read with Thaddeus
August 12, 2016
The Start of a Great Series
This is the first book in Robert Elmer's eight book "Adventures Down Under" series. The books get better and better as the series progresses and the reader becomes more familiar with the McWaid family. This book bears the burden of setting up the series and it can be a bit of a slow go at the outset. Mr. McWaid is framed for a crime he didn't commit because he is a crusading news reporter who has to be "disappeared". Where better to send him than on the last prison ship to Australia? The McWaid family, though, isn't going to be separated and so the the rest of the family manages to secure passage to Australia so that they can all be together again. Anyway, grandfather McWaid was sent to Australia thirty years earlier, and he might be somewhere down under as well. As you can imagine, the first part of this book covers the frame up, the family's distress, the McWaid's plucky resolve, and the reunion. Once we get back together in Australia, (about a quarter of the way through the book), the serious "Boy's Own" adventuring begins.
And once that starts, and then through the remaining books, this is solid, exciting stuff, carried by a clean, clear narrative drive, loads of local color, and strong family personalities, (main character Patrick, younger brother Michael, sister Becky, no-nonsense Mom, and others). Why, just in this book we have adventures on the sea, caves, and exciting action. We also develop the individual McWaids and add a few additional characters.
These are well written books, both in terms of grammar, syntax, vocabulary and the like and in terms of sustained action, interesting descriptions, plausible adventure plotting, and the resilience and resourcefulness of the characters. Very solid middle grade adventuring and presented in an appealing, accomplished and colorful package. A nice choice for a young adventure fan.
Please note that I found this book while browsing Amazon Kindle freebies. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
This is the first book in Robert Elmer's eight book "Adventures Down Under" series. The books get better and better as the series progresses and the reader becomes more familiar with the McWaid family. This book bears the burden of setting up the series and it can be a bit of a slow go at the outset. Mr. McWaid is framed for a crime he didn't commit because he is a crusading news reporter who has to be "disappeared". Where better to send him than on the last prison ship to Australia? The McWaid family, though, isn't going to be separated and so the the rest of the family manages to secure passage to Australia so that they can all be together again. Anyway, grandfather McWaid was sent to Australia thirty years earlier, and he might be somewhere down under as well. As you can imagine, the first part of this book covers the frame up, the family's distress, the McWaid's plucky resolve, and the reunion. Once we get back together in Australia, (about a quarter of the way through the book), the serious "Boy's Own" adventuring begins.
And once that starts, and then through the remaining books, this is solid, exciting stuff, carried by a clean, clear narrative drive, loads of local color, and strong family personalities, (main character Patrick, younger brother Michael, sister Becky, no-nonsense Mom, and others). Why, just in this book we have adventures on the sea, caves, and exciting action. We also develop the individual McWaids and add a few additional characters.
These are well written books, both in terms of grammar, syntax, vocabulary and the like and in terms of sustained action, interesting descriptions, plausible adventure plotting, and the resilience and resourcefulness of the characters. Very solid middle grade adventuring and presented in an appealing, accomplished and colorful package. A nice choice for a young adventure fan.
Please note that I found this book while browsing Amazon Kindle freebies. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
January 16, 2013
The first in a series set in Australia I spotted this as a free e-book and as it was a kid’s adventure set in Australia I grabbed it. Patrick’s father John was framed by the Editor of the Newspaper where John worked as a reporter; and the chief of Dublin police was in on it too. Patrick and his young brother witness the framing but no-one will listen so John is convicted and sent to Australia.
The family then follows John on another ship only for Patrick to jump overboard off the Australian coast to save a ship-hand and watch the ship sail off. Patrick and his new travelling companion fall into one adventure after another, fighting sharks off, battling hunger, falling down a sink hole and saving Patrick’s family (who believe Patrick dead) from the nasty Editor who has followed them to Australia.
ESCAPE TO MURRAY RIVER ends on a cliff hanger and with lots of loose ends to lead the reader into the rest of the series. The short novel is filled with suspense and plot twists and readers will learn the early history of Australia in an easy to read and balanced manner. There is a Christian message – Patrick does quite a bit of praying – but it doesn’t intrude into the story.
The family then follows John on another ship only for Patrick to jump overboard off the Australian coast to save a ship-hand and watch the ship sail off. Patrick and his new travelling companion fall into one adventure after another, fighting sharks off, battling hunger, falling down a sink hole and saving Patrick’s family (who believe Patrick dead) from the nasty Editor who has followed them to Australia.
ESCAPE TO MURRAY RIVER ends on a cliff hanger and with lots of loose ends to lead the reader into the rest of the series. The short novel is filled with suspense and plot twists and readers will learn the early history of Australia in an easy to read and balanced manner. There is a Christian message – Patrick does quite a bit of praying – but it doesn’t intrude into the story.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews