Drawbridge: Book 1 in the Kings Keep Series

Newly arrived at the prestigious but mysterious Kings Keep Academy, twelve-year-old country boy Alec is almost immediately suspicious of the boarding school, its rules, its staff, and some of his fellow students. Nothing seems quite right and at first he is resolved to return home rather than face the confusing, occasionally frightening, new life awaiting him. Whom can he trust? Why does the school function so differently from other schools? What are the mysteries of the school lagoon? Are the characters that Alec encounters when alone real, or imaginary? Drawbridge introduces the main characters of the Kings Keep series, as well as the settings that will excite, terrify and mystify them on their life adventures as they are drawn towards the incredible climax in the final book.

Graeme Butz is a former high school teacher and community worker who lives in the Blue Mountains near Sydney, Australia. He spends much of his time working on his bush garden, reading, listening to music, visiting Op Shops, writing the next book, and talking to his 'visitors' (parrots, wallabies, lizards and snakes). Occasionally he spends time beachcombing on the New South Wales south coast, and helping with reading support groups in local schools. Written while still a teacher, the Kings Keep series - its characters, events and narrative - were all extensively piloted on junior high school students (and underwent serious revision) to ensure language- and content-appropriate plot and text for the target age group.