Math is her best subject,
collecting stones a fun hobby –
the newest one is special, maybe magical!
South African parents warn kids to stay indoors all night so the creature called Zim won’t take them away. This is true in Nolitye’s shanty neighborhood where children are disappearing!
Her mother says neighbors are wrong about her late father’s amazing abilities, the school bullies steal her tiny lunch every single day, the local stray dogs are talking to her – and she finds a special stone that makes her feel giddy with joy!
Someone else wants that stone’s power, the full power of all its pieces that Nolitye is finding….
Published after the author’s early death, this tale of myth, reality, folklore, and family is worth requesting at your local library or indie bookstore – if they don’t have it, they can get it for you!
What would you wish, holding this hidden star?
**kmm
Book info: The Hidden Star / K. Sello Duiker. Cassava Republic Press, 2017. [author obituary] [publisher site] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.
My book talk: Math is easy, avoiding the school bullies isn’t, but young Nolitye and her best friends are called on a difficult quest to save their South African neighborhood from an evil wizard’s control.
The lovely stone that Nolitye finds gives her such happiness. Then a mysterious woman stops time to tell her its secrets and that the eleven year old must collect its missing pieces before the wizard can gather them!
The stray dogs warn Nolitye to stay indoors one night – do they know who is stealing away children from their Soweto township?
Why does only Nolitye see that Ma Mtonga’s necklace is a living snake?
Can Nolitye, Bheki, and Four Eyes find all the pieces of the stone and stop the evil ones?
Her mother’s behavior suddenly changes, the neighbours think the mythical Zim may be the kidnapper, but only Nolitye and her friends know the truth!