Taking the Chequered Flag (10 page)

• The first-ever motorcycle was descended from the ‘safety’ bicycle. That’s a bicycle with front and rear wheels of the same size and pedals.
  
• Some people claim that the first motorcycle was built in 1868. It was powered by a steam engine and built by Sylvester Howard Roper.
  
• Others claim that the first motorcycle was designed and built in Germany by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in 1885. It was powered by petrol and called the Reitwagon, which means ‘riding car’.
  
• The largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the world is Honda.
  
• The world’s largest motorcycle wedding procession happened in Slovakia on 6 May 2000. Peter Schmidl and Anna Turcekova were married with a wedding procession of 597 motorbikes.
  
• An average of eight motorcycles can fit into a normal car parking space.
  
• In March 2005 an Irishman called Robbie Bolger performed the world’s fastest motorcycle handlebar wheelie. This feat took place at Temora Aerodrome in New South Wales. Robbie reached a speed of 169 kilometres per hour.
  
• The biggest motorbike pyramid was created on 5 July 2001 at the Gowri Shankar Parade Ground in Jabalpur, India, when the Dare Devils Team of the Indian Army Signal Corps made a pyramid of 201 men balancing on 10 motorcycles. They travelled a distance of 129 metres.
  
• The fastest speed recorded for a blindfolded rider was 265 kilometres per hour. This was achieved by blind Billy Baxter while riding a 2000cc Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle in August 2003.
  
• On 5 September 2006, during the International Motorcycle Speed Trials at the Bonneville Salt Flats near Wendover, Utah, in the USA, a new world record speed of 564.7 kilometres per hour was achieved. The motorcycle, named ‘Seven’, looking more like a rocket on two wheels than a traditional street bike, was ridden by Chris Carr.
  

Thirteen-year-old Angus lives and breathes horses. His father is a horse trainer, and on most mornings before school, Angus is down at the track helping out.

One morning, when Angus is training a skittish new horse on the track, a group of erratic riders almost push Angus and the young colt into the railing. From here the mystery begins.

With the help of his friends, Angus discovers shady and possibly illegal goings-on at the local stud farm. When a horse, Lightning Strikes, appears to be the exact replica of a dead horse, Gale Force, Angus becomes suspicious.

Is the stud involved in a special breeding program, or something more sinister? Is it possible that they could be cloning famous racehorses? Angus and friends must find out before it is too late.

Something is not right in Teasdale. First, Gabby, one of the most talented swimmers in the state, is well beaten in the swimming trials by Andrea Taylor. Second, Hannah, the brightest kid in the school, misses out on the national
Whatever, Wherever
competition when she loses to her classmate Dave Kelly.

Neither Andrea nor Dave has posed any threat to the girls before, so who—or what—is helping them to win?

As Gabby, Hannah and their friends investigate, the clues point towards an unexpected villain.

And when Gabby finds herself trapped and in real danger, the kids set out on an urgent mission to rescue her and finally uncover what’s been going on.

School’s finally out and Ling and her friends head for a beach holiday looking forward to fun, excitement and exploring the derelict lighthouse around the bay. They soon find out, though, that their holiday destination was the scene of a tragic boating accident years ago.

At night, Ling is haunted by the image of a girl who whispers words, then fades away. During the day, a gang of hostile local kids searches the island for lost treasure. And in the background, the story of the orphanage and the children who lived there threads its way into the mystery.

Attempting to find out the truth from the locals only leads to frustration…and raises more questions. Why is Ling the only person who can see the ghost? What really happened all those years ago on the island? And why has the man who ran the orphanage—the frightening Mr Jamison—returned to his home town?

Ling and her friends must brave stormy seas and stay one step ahead of the other kids in a daring mission to uncover the truth and help restore peace to those who have been left behind.

Toby Jones and his friends are obsessed with cricket. They all play in the Under-13 school team and hang out in their own online cricket chatroom after school. Luckily, they also have a sports-mad teacher who lets them do projects on cricket.

While on a school excursion Toby visits the Melbourne Cricket Club Library, where he meets fellow cricket buff Jim Oldfield and stumbles upon the secret of the Magic Cricket Almanack. This secret, which Jim shares, is so extraordinary it could change Toby’s life forever.

Life for Toby and his friends becomes a balancing act—following their passion of playing cricket while keeping Toby’s new-found secret. But are they ready for the dangers this secret holds?

Toby Jones and the Magic Cricket Almanack
is the first book in an exciting new series that combines cricket with fantasy. Featuring cricket commentary co-written with Australian fast bowler Brett Lee, this is a book guaranteed to leave you wanting more.

Toby Jones lives and breathes cricket. He plays in a local cricket competition, follows the professional players and knows all the stats. But Toby has a secret—he can travel back through time to watch famous cricket matches and players. And he can take his friends with him. But it’s not all good news…

There are dangers. Toby has seen the strange, hooded figure lurking in the background. What, or who, is this creepy character after? And how desperate is he to get what he wants?

If you love fantasy or sport, you’ll love reading the Toby Jones books.

‘Kids, cricket, fun—always the perfect combination.’ BRETT LEE

Toby Jones is not your average cricket fan—he can travel through time, back to the great matches of the past. When his friend and fellow time traveller Jim Oldfield is left behind—last seen watching Bradman play at Leeds in 1930—Toby knows he’s the only one who can find Jim.

Meanwhile, Phillip Smale, ruthless team manager of the rival Scorpions, is working on a secretive scheme to lure rich cricket-lovers to his Timeless Travel Tours…but there is no guarantee of a return ticket.

Can Toby save Jim and also thwart Smale’s perilous plan? Or will the dangers of time travelling lead to disaster?

It isn’t Toby Jones’ passion for cricket that makes him unusual—it’s his ability to travel through time, back to the great matches of the past.