The White Giraffe - Softcover

St. John, Lauren

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0142411523 ISBN 13: 9780142411520

Publisher: Puffin Books, 2008

Synopsis

The first exciting book in the dramatic Legend of the Animal Healer series!

A thrilling adventure classic-in-the-making!

The night Martine Allen turns eleven years old is the night her life changes completely. Martine?s parents are killed in a fire, so she must leave her home to live on an African wildlife reserve with a grandmother she never even knew she had. When Martine arrives, she hears tales of a mythical animal living there?a white giraffe. They say no one has ever seen the animal, but it does leave behind footprints. Her grandmother insists that the white giraffe is just a legend, but then, one stormy night, Martine looks out her bedroom window straight into the eyes of the tall silvery animal. Could it be just Martine?s imagination, or is the white giraffe real? And if so, why is everyone keeping its existence a secret?

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

'For a split second their eyes locked, the small sad girl and the slender young giraffe, then the sky went dark. Martine pressed her face to the window, desperate to see the white giraffe again, but it was impossible.'

Martine is ten when her parents are killed and she is sent to live in Africa with her strangely unwelcoming grandmother.

Her new home is Sawubona, a game reserve. It is a place as cruel as it is beautiful, where mysteries and secrets abound. What is her grandmother hiding? Why is Martine made to feel such an outsider? And why is she being kept away from the animals?

One lonely night, Martine looks out of her window and sees a young giraffe, 'silver tinged with cinnamon in the moonlight.' In that instant she knows that she is prepared to risk everything for it. The giraffe looks at her as if it is waiting ...

Myth, legend, danger, intrigue, betrayal, friendship and a special gift are just some of the ingredients in their extraordinary adventure. In a stunning debut, Lauren St John captures the unforgettable bond forged between Martine and the white giraffe in a novel rich with the scents, sounds and intoxicating magic of Africa.

Lauren St John grew up in Zimbabwe, Africa, where she had a pet giraffe, as well as numerous dogs, horses and warthogs. She now lives in London with her partner and two enormous cats. This is her first children's book.

From the Back Cover:

Martine is eleven when she goes to live on a game reserve in Africa, a place where mysteries and secrets abound, where the intoxicating magic of the country casts all sorts of spells.

One lonely night, she looks out of her window and sees a young giraffe, silver tinged with cinnamon in the moonlight.

'For a split second their eyes locked, the small sad girl and the slender young giraffe, then the sky went dark. Martine pressed her face to the window, desperate to see the white giraffe again.'

In that instant Martine knows that she is prepared to risk everything for it. The giraffe looks at her as if it is waiting ...

'a spellbinding and mesmerizing debut novel' Publishing News

About this edition

• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0142411523
• ISBN 13: 9780142411520
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 208