At the center of Australia is a vast red desert known as the Outback. For twelve-year-old Amy from Melbourne who arrives to visit her aunt, it is a world unlike anything she's ever seen before. But then she meets Lana, a local Aboriginal girl who, like Amy, has recently lost her mother, and the two girls overcome differences to form a surprising bond.

With warmth and humor, Red Sand, Blue Sky charts the encounter between Amy and Lana and their deepening friendship. Through Lana, Amy learns about the harsh treatment suffered by the Aboriginal people at the hands of the white settlers who were her ancestors, while Lana comes to appreciate Amy's and her aunt's commitment to protect the sacredness of the land.