The Elephant's Tale

This adventurous chapter book follows Martine, an 11-year-old orphan who lives with her grandmother on a South African game reserve. Martine possesses a unique gift: the ability to heal animals. Her peaceful life is disrupted when a former business partner of her late grandfather attempts to claim ownership of the reserve through a fraudulent will. Convinced of his trickery, Martine, with the help of her friend Ben and guided by a prophecy involving elephants, travels to Namibia to uncover the truth. The story is a thrilling tale of courage, justice, and the deep bond between humans and animals, highlighting themes of conservation and standing up for what is right. It is the final book in a series but can be enjoyed as a standalone adventure.

This is the final book in a series that began with The White Giraffe (Dial, 2007), but it stands on its own. Martine, 11, has been living with her grandmother on a South African game reserve since the death of her parents. She loves the animals and land, and over the last year has discovered that she has the power to heal animals. But the peace and contentment of Sawubona is shattered when Reuben James, a former business partner of Martine's late grandfather, appears with a new will granting him ownership of the entire reserve. Martine, her grandmother, and all their employees must leave in two weeks. Martine is convinced that Mr. James somehow tricked her grandfather and vows to save Sawubona. She is encouraged in her effort by Grace, the local sangoma (healer), who divines her future and tells her that elephants will be a part of her quest. Along with her friend Ben, Martine sneaks into Mr. James's plane and when it lands they find themselves in Namibia. There they discover just what Reuben James has been up to and that they were right to mistrust him. The children manage to expose him and in the process save a group of mistreated captive elephants.