Nizrana Farook

This was a very enjoyable read with depth, fun, adventure, and family/friends bonds. This was a story about Razi, a local fisherboy, who's enjoying nature while watching turtles hatching on the beach when a boat comes up on shore and he finds another boy, Zheng who escaped from a shipwreck. Zheng asks for help from Razi to find the missing treasure and has to hide from the bad guys who are also after the treasure and after Zheng too. Razi enlists his sister, Shifa, who is also a healer/healer in training to try to figure out what to do and how to help Zheng.
Razi is hesitant at first to help Zheng go on a boat and chart the waters to the destination for the treasure because of his fear or perhaps being uncomfortable and upset with the water because of his grief with the recent death of his father, but soon enough he decides he has to help Razi and the three of them set off. They go off to find the treasure and along the way run into the whale(s) and it's an incredible part in the story with that aspect of nature and animals with the whale. It's also very touching, sometimes emotional, exciting, and a fantastic story. If you haven't read it, go read it now! Thanks so much to Edelweiss and Peachtree Publishing Company for the chance to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.… (mais)

The kind of fantasy story where a group of kids can meaningfully challenge a corrupt king, but no outright magic or mythical creatures in this. Chaya has a bit of a Robin Hood thing going on, stealing from royalty to secretly fund various relief projects for the impoverished families in her village. Her latest theft has spiraling unintended consequences, and she ends up on the run with her best friend, a girl she despises, and the king's elephant.

We read this story for family story time and the kids were on the edge of their seats.… (mais)