Gondwana — Judy Lawn

Twelve year old Matt McAllister thinks his young foster brother, D, is weird, but when D persuades Matt to investigate a giant foot print at the quarry on their farm, Matt's life changes forever. The footprint belongs to an enormous dinosaur, a barosaurus. The creature has a compelling gaze that Matt finds unnerving. He's never had much affinity with animals â€" much to his father's disgust â€" but something about the young barosaurus calls to him. The dinosaur leads the boys to a cave, through which it disappears; and when they follow, they time travel to Gondwana Land, a place more terrifying than anything Matt could imagine. D is entranced and eager to explore. ‘Believe' he tells Matt, only Matt seems to ‘hear' the word in his head â€" and he doesn't want to believe any of it. He feels he's wandered into one of D's weird dreams and wishes he could ‘wake up'. When Matt's friends Orange and PJ, turn up, followed by Orange's sister, Samantha â€" the most annoying girl Matt knows â€" her friend, Melanie, and nosey newspaper man, Paul, Matt suddenly finds his life more complicated than it's ever been. And why is the second hand of Paul's watch speeding up? The young barosaurus has joined a large herd, and when they trundle away, D takes it into his head to disappear with them. Or has he been trampled to death? Matt knows he must go after D, find him and bring him home, to ‘take responsibility', as his father is always telling him. He, Orange and the girls are left to fend for themselves in a hostile land, a land where time seems to be galloping. Matt realizes they're all aging at a rapid rate. He and Orange have muscles, a strange strength beyond their years, and the girls have ‘curves'. What does it all mean? And what can he make of D's voice he can ‘hear' in his head? Who is D? Matt must find the answers to these questions, overcome his fear of animals, and get them all home to safety before they perish in this bleak, foreign world where time itself seems to be running out.