WHITE GIRAFFE

WHEN SHE IS ELEVEN YEARS OLD, MARTINE IS ORPHANED AND SENT TO LIVE WITH HER GRANDMOTHER ON A GAME RESERVE IN SOUTH AFRICA. HER GRANDMOTHER SEEMS STRANGELY UNWELCOMING AND MARTINE HAS A DIFFICULT TIME SETTLING IN AT HER NEW SCHOOL, WHERE SHE IS CONSPICUOUSLY AN OUTSIDER. BUT SHE HAS AN ALLY IN TENDAI - ONE OF THE KEEPERS ON THE RESERVE, FROM WHOM SHE LEARNS THE LORE AND SURVIVAL TECHNIQUES OF THE BUSH, AND IN GRACE - WHO INSTANTLY SENSES THERE IS SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT MARTINE. THERE ARE SECRETS ABOUT SAWUBONA (THE RESERVE) JUST WAITING TO BE REVEALED, AND RUMOURS TOO ABOUT A FABLED WHITE GIRAFFE - A TROPHY FOR HUNTERS EVERYWHERE. ONE NIGHT MARTINE, LONELY AND FEELING SLIGHTLY REBELLIOUS TOO, LOOKS OUT OF HER WINDOW AND SEE A YOUNG ALBINO GIRAFFE - SILVER, TINGED WITH CINNAMON IN THE MOONLIGHT. THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF HER MYSTERIOUS AND MAGICAL ADVENTURES - HER DISCOVERY OF HER GIFT OF HEALING AND A SECRET VALLEY THAT SHE TRAVELS TO WITH THE GIRAFFE, WHERE SHE'LL FIND CLUES ABOUT