Carl Merrison and Hakea Hustler are the authors of the critically acclaimed novel Black Cockatoo. Carl is a Jaru and Kija man from Halls Creek. He works with young Indigenous boys focusing on improving engagement with education. Carl was nominated for Australian of the Year in 2016. Hakea is an English teacher who has taught around Australia including in remote Aboriginal communities.Deklan Archer, Dek to his friends, arrives at school to news that has shocked the community. Old Mr Henry, infamous for selling sly grog to locals, has been found drowned.To make matters worse, the bus returning the Year Twelve camp is running late. This has got Dek stressed because he and his mates were mucking around near the bus.The cops are talking to everyone and Dek is one of the first students called up. Could Mr Henry’s death be murder, and if so what does that mean for the busload of missing students?From the start Tracks of the Missing draws the reader into its adventure. From Dek’s perspective this a calamity; he’s got family and friends on the bus and he knows the cops don’t understand the country well enough to search properly.Dek wants to investigate and he and his mates are ready to ditch school and join their family. It’s not that simple though. Dek has a big footy trial coming up. It’s not often the big city scouts come to their remote community. If Dek misses the chance to show his skills then he might miss the only chance he has to get out of town and see the world.Dek’s hand is forced when his Grandfather, a renowned tracker, enlists him to the search. Hitting the road with a reluctant police officer they head into the bush away from the main search party. Grandfather has a feeling and Dek backs him up, but there is something worrying them both this time.Carl and Hakea’s style in Tracks of the Missing is sharp and pacy. When we spoke for Final Draft they described wanting to engage young readers in a way that is exciting but isn’t off putting to those who feel less confident in their reading skills.Carl also talked about wanting to engage young men, particularly in the communities where he’s worked with stories that relate to their personal experience.Tracks of the Missing is a thrilling mystery but at its heart Dek vacillates between the pull to solve it, to save his family and friends and to leave it all behind to follow his footy dreams. Carl talked to me about this pull and the need to walk in two worlds.The novel also highlights the relationship between Dek and his Grandfather. As they track the missing bus, Dek reflects on the skills his grandfather has taught him and how they will be lost when Grandfather dies. Dek is like so many young Indigenous people building connections with culture and worrying that the generation that carries that culture is getting older.Tracks of the Missing also does fascinating things with white conceptions of genre. If you think you know YA, or adventure, or even fantasy, Tracks will shake down your preconceptions and introduce new ways to think about these storytelling tropes.I found Tracks of the Missing a real wild ride with a strong heart. It taught me something about the legacy of colonization and dispossession and challenged my notions of the endurance of culture.Tracks of the Missing is out now from Magabala Books, and just a quick shout out to Magabala. They are an independent Indigenous publishing house that have been around since the eighties. They produce an incredible range of titles from first nations writers, most particularly books for younger readers. If you’re concerned with supporting a change in the kids of stories that are told in this country and offering Indigneous perspectives to young readers they are a must and always my go to when buying books for family and young friends.
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