Cynthia Goldthorpe

This is my second story about a boy called Jamie, the children he befriends and the 'River Folk', as the animals that live on and in the river, near the children's home, call themselves. The children form a club they call the 'Water Rats' and together they explore the natural environment and in the process discover a hoard of treasure. There is excitement when they discover thieves breaking into a motor cruiser and a river chase results in the Pirates, as the children call the thieves, being caught. In the children's keen interest in wildlife, they discover that a long absent and rare creature, has returned to the river and they are soon involved in monitoring the creatures behaviour. The River Folk too, are are also very thrilled by the return of the legionary creatures and the river is buzzing with excitement.

Jamie, a young boy, is a bit of a loner who loses himself in video games. He is taken on a boating holiday by his parents, who hope that the real world will engage his interest. Jamie is bored by the whole idea of nature but is thrilled to discover that he is able to understand what the animals are saying to each other - something he keeps to himself. To his parents delight, he is drawn into the world of the river and the creatures that live on and in it. His parents are happy to see that he is coming out of his shell when he is befriended by some children. Together they discover that the river has become polluted, bringing problems to the animals, known in the book, as 'the river folk'. The challenge is to find the source of the problem and to remedy the situation.