Critical Praise“The perfect amount of tension to keep readers hooked.”BookLife praised Rex Ryder and Blackwater Creek as a “suspenseful middle grade novel” with descriptive prose, a realistic landscape and characters that are “authentic and believable.”The critic also highlighted Rex himself, noting that his survival expertise is naturally developed and that his compassion for his fellow townspeople connects him to readers.— BookLife Prize Critic’s Report, 2026
 
The cyclone is over.
The real danger is only just beginning.
Rex Ryder and Blackwater Creek is a fast-paced middle-grade survival adventure for readers ages 10–14, combining rugged wilderness, dangerous wildlife, extreme weather and real-world survival skills.
When a Category Five cyclone tears across Far North Queensland, fourteen-year-old Rex Ryder thinks the worst has passed.
He's wrong.
Deep inside a flooded mangrove creek, an emergency beacon starts transmitting a desperate signal. A family is trapped aboard a sinking boat. The floodwaters are rising.
And enormous saltwater crocodiles are already closing in.
With roads cut off, helicopters grounded and time running out, Rex and his father take a small tin boat into one of the world's most dangerous wilderness environments.
Every bend in the creek hides another threat.
Every decision could mean the difference between life and death.
To save the family, Rex will need courage, quick thinking, and everything his dad has spent a lifetime teaching him.
Because in crocodile country, nature always has the final say.
A survival adventure inspired by the wild frontier
Packed with authentic wildlife, genuine survival skills and edge-of-your-seat suspense, Rex Ryder and Blackwater Creek is a fast-paced survival adventure for kids ages 10–14 who love action, dangerous animals and real-world mysteries.
Why parents and teachers love Rex Ryder Adventures
Perfect for reluctant readers — short chapters and a pace that never lets up
Clean, age-appropriate content parents can trust — real danger, no gore
A hero worth looking up to — Rex's courage is calm and careful, never reckless
Real science, real places and real survival skills woven through the story
Screen-free adventure children pick up by choice
A complete standalone story — no need to have read the earlier books
Explore the Rex Ryder Adventures
Every Rex Ryder adventure takes readers to extraordinary real-world locations where history, science and nature collide.
Monsters of the Deep — An ancient city lies hidden beneath the ocean, but something enormous is guarding its secrets.
The Arctic Ghost Ship — A ship frozen in Arctic ice for forty years hides a mystery no one was ever meant to discover.
The Lost Dinosaurs — Deep inside a hidden volcanic valley, dinosaurs still roam, and someone will risk everything to control the discovery.
Real places. Real science. Real adventure.