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HOW TO SAIL TO SOMEWHERE

Published by Hachette Australia 2025

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A beautiful and deeply moving story about friendship, family, hope and the power of the ocean, for middle-grade readers who love a mystery, from popular children's author Ashleigh Barton.

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Beatrice Glass - Bea - lives in a tiny fishing village that's sleepy all year until the summertime, when the tourists flock in and most of the locals leave. But summer is also when Bea's favourite person in the entire world, her fun and hilarious uncle, Byron, comes to stay.

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On their last day together the previous summer, Byron had given Bea an intriguing antique book containing a map of Somewhere, a mysterious island off the coast, and promised that next summer they'd sail to Somewhere together for their best adventure yet.

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That was last year. Now summer has arrived, but Byron hasn't. And now it looks like he never will.

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Are the book and Byron's disappearance linked? Byron has left some clues for Bea - a scavenger hunt of sorts designed to bring her and her new friend, Arabella, together and give Bea one last magical summer. Could Somewhere hold the key to both Bea's and Arabella's future?

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A story of lost and found, of friendship, family, hope and the power of the ocean, for middle-grade readers who love a mystery.

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"It’s evocative and emotional, without being syrupy or sanctimonious. I predict that readers will not only fall in love with these characters, but with the setting itself. Here’s one to add to forthcoming ‘best of’ lists without a doubt. Readers from around Year 4 upwards will enjoy and discerning readers will adore it, as they dig deeper in the layers. It’s a briney 5 ⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵rating for this one."

©2025 by Ashleigh Barton

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