Dead in the Water (Breakouts)

Reading age 10 Interest age 12 to 14

Tyler, Blake and Maddie are happily paddling their dingy near the shore. At first they don’t notice the scuba diver swimming ashore and the tiger shark sweeping in for the attack. Then they hear the scream – and see the grisly commotion. Despite being badly injured, he’s far more anxious to tell them a random list of letters and numbers. He insists they take note of a message. It later turns out this was a professor of oceanography who had just made a remarkable discovery at the bottom of the ocean. They are now privy to some top secret information, but more worryingly, the bad guys are after it, desperate and hot on their heels. Breakouts offer strong modern, adventurous stories for both boys and girls, with offer a challenging read in terms of ideas and vocabulary but in a style and length that make them easier to read. Dead in the Water is ideal for reluctant readers aged 9-13 with a reading age of 9-10.

About the Author

John Townsend was born in Chelmsford, Essex, and discovered his enchantment with books at an early age. As a child, he wrote mini dramas, silly poems and stories to tell the cat. Whether or not the cat wanted to hear them is another matter! His love of hiking and the outdoors led him to become a geography teacher in Gloucestershire, writing pantomimes and plays for the annual drama productions. His first publication was inspired by his rusty old Morris Minor, and nearly 200 books later, he is now a full-time writer. Mainly focusing on non-fiction, he is a National Literacy Trust ‘Reading Champion’, and runs boys’ literacy projects in schools.