The Red Camel, by Kirsty Murray

It is about 1900: the outback town of Oodnadatta is where young Aboriginal girl Ruby Baker is brought by her dad to work. Ruby comes from Alice Springs; she misses her mum and doesn't like the Nortons, the family for which she does domestic work. Ruby is at her lowest ebb when she meets Idris Sayed, the son of Taj Sayed, a local Afghan cameleer. Idris and Ruby have quite a bit in common: outsiders, displaced and struggling to make sense of their lives.

Ruby makes friends with Idris and finds out about the camel trains that carry goods through the harsh Australian outback. Idris is looking forward to his first camel train trip with his father and older brothers. He feels he is ready and well up to the task of taking a camel from Oodnadatta to Alice Springs. His mother is less enthusiastic; she is worried about her young son and gives him a 'barakah', or special blessing to keep him safe and make sure he returns.

Ruby sees a chance to get back to her family, so she hatches a secret plan to stow away in the camel train. Her plan will cause a major disruption and put a strain on Idris' relationship with his father. Zainie, Idris' red camel, ends up carrying the box in which Ruby has hidden. Ruby's choice of hiding place is both good and bad, as the events that follow her discovery bring rapidly changing fortunes.

The expanse of central Australia forms a stark backdrop for the conclusion of the story. Camel trains, the timeless landscape and the human need for love and family are a potent blend for adventure.

• Idris meets Ruby when he is evading the 'rough boys' who are chasing him. Suggest why they were chasing Idris.
• Idris and his family live in 'Ghantown', 1 km outside of Oodnadatta. Why are the Afghan cameleers living this distance from town? Suggest the reasons that may be behind this situation.
• A camel train can cover the same distance in 12 days that takes a bullock team five weeks. How can the camels manage that? Why is the bullock team slower?
• Uncle Bob appears sad as he tells Ruby he will relay her message to her mother in Alice Springs. Why would he be sad? How would you feel if you were Uncle Bob or Ruby in that situation?
• The camels drink from a bore water trough at Charlotte Waters station. What is bore water? How is access gained to bore water reserves?