The White Giraffe - by Lauren St. John

This story takes us to South Africa along with Martine, poor thing. You see, Martine is a young teen from England whose parents died in a fire that she managed to escape from.  Before long, she was trundled away to her grandmother's home in South Africa, on the grounds of a wild animal reserve.  This was not the outcome that anyone wanted, and when Martine arrived, she could tell right away that her grandmother wanted nothing to do with her. Welcome to Africa.

However, there is quite a twist to this story.  Martine isn't your ordinary girl, and has a rare gift that ends up making all the difference.  As she navigates life in her new home, she makes a number of discoveries about the reserve, her family, the animals, and herself.

Why "The White Giraffe?"  There is a legend on the reserve that an exceedingly rare white giraffe lives nearby, sacred to the native people and hunted by greedy poachers.  This mysterious creature will prove central to Martine's sotry in ways nobody had expected.

This is a touching but exciting story about a girl's quest to survive in a world that is full of twists and turns, and is a testament to the beauty of South Africa and to the importance of family and friends.  It is the first in a series of promising novels.