When Barney's Dad gets funding to conduct his special research, it means a move to the country. The house they move to is huge - and comes complete with a high-grade secruity system and a strange caretaker with a propensity to seem like a prison warder.

The new town might be pretty small, but the people are friendly and Barney quickly makes friends. Dad's pretty happy with the set up for his research project too. So Barney figures he'd better keep quiet about his reservations. He doesn't know what is going on, but the house is definitely concealing a secret. There are strange shudders at night, slime seeping through the walls, and other goings-on. Barney's dreams are filled with wild images that seem real. Still, Barney is totally unprepared for what he finds out - and its ramifications for him. He will soon be the boy who talks to the alien.

The Black House, a new title for bestselling author Jackie French, is a lively combination of mystery, adventure and light humour. A Blue level title in Koala's Tadpoles series, it is suitable for 9 to 12 year old readers.

The Black House, by Jackie French
Koala Books, 2003

Other Titles by Jackie French

Captain Purrfect (2002)
SPace Pirates on Callisto (2002)
The Space Bug (2002)

Jackie French is one of the great Australian authors, featured in Aussie Authors a great new resource book for teachers and librarians.