Wizard Down Under

by John Reay Watson

Johnathon is a 10-year-old boy whose fatherOCOs receives a promotion, leading the family to live in the magnificent country of Australia near the outback. Johnathon meets Billy, an Aboriginal boy, and the two become fast friends. Life is wonderful for Johnathon and his family until tragedy strikes. His father dies suddenly. The days that follow prove to be tough ones for Johnathon, but Billy persuades him to go on an adventure. The two boys find an ancient cave that contains a mysterious and wondrous world full of magic and dragons. What will the boys find and whom will they meet? Can Johnathon find happiness again, and what lesson will he and Billy learn along the way? This story encompasses the joys and sorrows of life, and interweaves these emotions with a fantastical adventure filled with fast paced excitement and adolescent humor. The result is a heartwarming tale that young fans of the fantasy genre will adore and regret when the final page is turned."

162 pages, Unknown Binding

First published May 1, 2009

About the author

Aka J.R. Watson

• born at Tinonee, N.S.W., 23rd May, 1872; of Scottish parentage
• unmarried
• short stories published in The Bulletin
• NOVELS: In a Man's Mind, London, 1896; An Earthly Fulfilment, London, 1899.
• An Earthly Fulfilment by 'J. R. Watson' highlighted by Wigg & Son 'Newest and Best Fiction of the Month' in The West Australian through August 1899
• described in 1900 by A. W. Jose, Angus & Robertson's Reader, as too 'sexual' for a 'respectable English paper'