Surf Riders Club is Mary’s series for children, and is published through Hachette
The Series:
In the small coastal town of Beachcrest, five very different girls have one thing in common: they’ve caught the surfing bug! Ava, Alex, Bronte, Janani and Molly decide to start The Surf Riders Club to help each other practice, but it quickly becomes much more than that. Whether it’s learning how to get barreled, problems with their parents, or annoying siblings ruining their lives, members of the Surf Riders Club are there for each other no matter what. Join the girls as they take on the world, one wave at a time!
The Surf Riders Club #1
Ava has grown up in a big city with her mum, dad and older brother. They go skiing in New Zealand every year and she attends a private school.
Suddenly everything changes when her parents decide to sell their house for a sea change – they’re moving to the small coastal town called Beachcrest to open a cafe. Ava is also starting high school, and now she has to say goodbye to her friends and city life style. Her new school is very different and Ava misses snowboarding– but her parents have made it clear they won’t be going on vacation any time soon.
Then she hears that surfing is going to be offered as a school sport for the first time. Ava knows it uses similar skills to snowboarding so she decides to give it a try. Not everyone thinks she can become a surfer, but with some help from her new friends Alex, Molly, Janani and maybe even queen of cool Bronte, Ava is determined to prove them wrong,
The Surf Riders Club #2
How’s Bronte supposed to catch waves when she keeps fighting with her big sister? She always wanted to be just like Carrie, but now they are growing apart. Bronte wants to do her own thing, but Carrie thinks Surf Riders Club is lame.
Now Bronte is torn between her friends and her sister. Will she get it together in time for the Beachcrest Carnival surf comp?
Characters:
Ava – Moved from the City to Beachcrest with her family right before she started high school. Her parents, Helen and Joey, run the local café The Owl and the Pussycat. Her brother Shane is in high school and taught her to surf. Ava loves snowboarding and surfing.
Bronte – Has two siblings, Oscar (goes to university in the city) and Carrie (goes to Beachcrest high school). She has a fat, grumpy cat called Frankie. Her parents run the local surf shop Sand to Sea.
Alex – Is the youngest in her family. Her big sisters are Amanda and Martha, and they (and her mum Nellie) also love surfing. Alex is obsessed with becoming a world champion surfer and can sometimes be a little over-the-top about surfing (or pizza, or anything really!)
Janani – Her parents run the local Sri Lankan restaurant Kandi’s Kitchen, where Janani sometimes helps out with waitressing. She is an awesome artist and wants to write graphic novels and study animation when she finishes school.
Molly – Also plays piano – her mum wants her to become a professional performer. Molly’s mum is strict, but she’s often distracted with her older sister who needs a full time carer. Molly gets sunburnt very easily, so you’ll never see her surf without a rashie!
Mary van Reyk, Writer 