• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7

Recently granted registration papers for his submarine, Alfred is no longer an outlaw and is filled with conviction to become an active environmentalist. But in Perth, Australia, he is mistakenly accused of sabotaging an oil tanker, forcing him to escape overland and to Tasmania. There he meets up with Merwin Hughes, an environmentalist- hippy. Al and Merwin strike a deal, whereby Merwin will share all he knows about environmentalism, in exchange for a voyage on Al’s sub. They then travel the “safe” route around the coast of Tasmania, where they spot another tanker on its way (illegally) to refuel the whalers. The pair gets caught in the violent clashing of ships, and the heroic actions of Captain Paul Watson and crew aboard the Sea Shepherd Society’s flagship, the Steve Irwin. Al learns that the war to save the planet is being waged ubiquitously by dedicated individuals, each contributing in his/her own way, and that every action, large or small, matters greatly.

Philip Roy continues to travel back and forth between Nova Scotia and Ontario, keeping residence in both places. For some half-dozen years now, he has been presenting orally a series of stories at local schools, fairs, and markets called “Happy the Pocket Mouse.” The first of the series, Mouse Tales, illustrated by Andrea Torrey Balsara, will be released by Ronsdale Press in spring 2014. This series of picture books complements Philip’s “Submarine Outlaw” series for young adults, which is now up to volume six. Recently he travelled to Australia to research the materials for the next book in the series, Eco Warrior, to appear in the fall of 2014. Travelling makes for great adventure, Philip contends. The only thing better is writing about it and visiting schools and libraries to share the stories with young readers. Visit Philip Roy’s website at www.philiproy.ca

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“Roy adroitly explains environmental activism in a manner that it is comprehensible to readers at any level. Highly recommended!"—Recently Read