The Race to Phar Lap's Saddle

Kids accompanying their parents on a busy work trip brace themselves for boredom and 12 yr old Tara and her 10 yr old brother Neil are no different. When they realize their workaholic parents will stay confined to a small room in the Melbourne museum for 2 full days, entertainment arranged in the IMAX seems to be the only available entertainment option, one they accept with silent resignation. They have their pet Sumo, a golden Labrador, for company.

But a thrilling adventure beckons them when a precious artefact from the museum goes missing. The artefact is the saddle of Phar Lap, a thoroughbred racehorse renowned for its victory studded career in the 1920s. The saddle is the object of their father's research & study, the very purpose of their trip to Melbourne.

Tara and Neil (along with Sumo who reminded me of Timothy from good, old Famous Five mysteries) take it upon themselves to find the missing saddle. Cracking cryptic clues/riddles sends them racing from one iconic tourist destination to another in the city. The search enriches them with titbits of local history, myths, language and culture. 

From a boat trip on the Yarra River, a bird's eye view of the dazzling city from atop the Melbourne Star, a free ride on the Central tram service to learning about eminent personalities like Ned Kelly and James Cook, their quest offers them more than they dreamt of when they arrived at Melbourne. 

Will Neil and Tara save the day or are they on a wild goose chase? 

To know what happens read Rishi Piparaiya's The Race to Phar Lap's Saddle, an adventure for kids aged 8-12 and a mini encyclopedia/travel guide of Melbourne, melded into one.

The book is not all text and has nice illustrations. A section in the end provides interesting information & fun facts about Australia. 

Maps - at the start of the book

Interesting facts - from a section at book's end

A quick, light read for grown ups too if you, like me, knew Melbourne only for the MCG, jumping kangaroos and cuddly koalas and if you aren't looking for a brain racking mystery with a nail biting finish. 

The Race to Phar Lap's Saddle by Rishi Piparaiya is a thrilling, fast-paced adventure and a wholesome read with travel facts and interesting information!

Please visit Cities of Adventure website to learn about other books in this series. Fictional adventure set in the cities of Los Angeles and Washington DC are already available. Upcoming releases/titles set in dazzling cities from across the world already has readers eager and waiting.