As a 7th and 8th grade gifted reading teacher and in high school as well, I introduce my students to a fine young adult novel, Walkabout, written by James Vance Marshall. It is a fine book to use to teach my students about Australian and Aborigine cultures. The book is generally well-received by the students, a sign to me that the book has dynamics that work with young readers. I teach the book as part of an Australian unit, integrating geography, history, unique vocabulary, botany, and wildlife.  The book helps students think about the issue of survival in a hostile environment.  If you are a reading or English teacher, this is a book you can center their studies around in a unit, one that will teach them more than they intended to learn. If you would like a list of the projects I assign in this unit, or of a test I’ve prepared for the book, I’ll be happy to email it to you. Write me at rickeyp@bayou.com.