Mr 8 and I loved having the opportunity to read the first and second books in the ‘Danger’ series, which follow the adventures of eleven-year-old Danger, who’s just moved to a new town and is ready to explore his new surroundings.
In Danger Versus the Ranger (book 1 of the series), Danger devises a plan to buy a boat so he can sail across to Kookaburra Island. He has no money, but plenty of determination and resilience, and quickly lands a job walking dogs. What Danger doesn’t count on is coming under the radar of the rule-enforcing Ranger, who appears determined to stand in Danger’s way. Luckily Danger has the resourcefulness to not only take on the Ranger, but stand up to the local bullies and make new friends along the way.
In Danger & The Good Book (book number 2 in the series), Danger and his friends the RATS are back with new money-raising schemes and adventures. They also need to contend with the local bullies trying to buy the same boat the RATS are saving up for, while trying to stop the door-knocking cheats who are tricking the local oldies!
Danger is a likeable protagonist who young readers will readily relate to – he sparkles with humour, wit and fun. Additionally, he is prepared to stand up for what he believes in and displays courage and kindness when he comes across a group of young boys being bullied in Danger Versus the Ranger. My dog-loving Mr 8 also loved that dogs also feature in Danger Versus the Ranger – with the dogs having distinct personalities of their own!
These books shine a light on the value of finding solutions to problems, working as a team, and striving to achieve the things you want. These are all valuable messages for our young readers, who will also observe that Danger is always kind and respectful to his peers and adults.
These are stories of adventure and fun that young readers between the ages of 7-11 will relate to and enjoy. Mr 8 and I read these together, but they are also appropriate to be read independently by this age group, with the charming black and white illustrations breaking up the text and enhancing details in the story. The dialogue between the characters is realistic for this age group and keeps the narrative moving at an appropriate pace. The books are visually appealing - designed to engage young readers who are ready to transition to chapter books.
There are freely available worksheets, available at https://dangermedia.com.au/for-teachers-and-parents, with plenty of fun activities based around themes explored in the books. Mr 8 enjoyed answering some questions about Dangers Versus the Ranger along with some other activities designed to enhance learning and literacy.
Mr 8 and I laughed our way through the first two books in the Danger series and are keen to see what adventures Danger gets up to next! Will he finally realise his dream of buying a boat and sailing across to Kookaburra Island? We will have to read the rest of the books in the series to find out!
Thank you to the author and illustrator Lindsay Holliday for kindly gifting Ari and I copies of these two books. We loved them!
Published by Danger Media