Book Info
Loading other formats...Format
Paperback224 pages
Author's Website
www.laurenstjohn.com/Publisher
Orion Publishing CoSuitable for Ages
Featured Books for 9+ readersChildren's Book Awards - Shortlists and Winners
Recommended Children's eBooks
Publication date
28th May 2009ISBN
9781842556672Children's Author 'Like-for-Like' recommendations
Click to buy book vouchers
The Last Leopard
Lauren St John
This title is in stock
Lovereading4kids Price: £5.24
RRP: £6.99 Saving £1.75 (25%)
Julia Eccleshare's comment:
Shortlisted for the Independent Booksellers' Book Prize 2010.
Saving the world’s rarest leopard is the mission for Martine and Ben in this latest African adventure about a young girl and the animals she loves and protects. Instead of spending the holiday riding her white giraffe as she’d expected, Martine is sent off to the Matobo Hills in Zimbabwe where she and Ben uncover a plot to destroy the leopard. The duo need all their courage and skill to save the leopard and to survive themselves in the latest in a series of thrilling stories set against a vivid background. If you’ve not read other African adventures written by Lauren St John then click here for more details.
The Lovereading comment:
Rich with the scents, sounds and intoxicating magic of Africa, join Martine, an English orphan and her greatest friend and ally, the white giraffe as they uncover a plot in which the fate of a magnificent leopard and the lost treasure of an African King is at stake. Their friendship faces its greatest test as they race against time to save the leopard as well as themselves. Lauren’s previous novels set in Africa include Dolphin Song and The White Giraffe.
The shortlisted titles for the 2010 Independent Booksellers' Award were:
Running Wild by Michael Morpurgo Dog Loves Books by Louise Yates Auslander by Paul Dowswell Dogs by Emily Gravett The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech Henderson’s Boys: The Escape by Robert Muchamore Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray What’s for Dinner Mr Gum? by Andy Stanton Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce The Last Leopard by Lauren St John Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick The Silver Blade by Sally Gardner
Who is Julia Eccleshare ?
Synopsis
The Last Leopard by Lauren St JohnMartine is looking forward to the holidays and riding Jemmy, her white giraffe, until an accident sends her and Ben on a journey to the Matobo Hills wilderness in Zimbabwe. It is a lawless land, where nothing is as it seems. When they uncover a plot in which the fate of a magnificent leopard and the lost treasure of an African King are mysteriously linked, their friendship faces its greatest test. Far from home and the help of Grace and Tendai, and with Gwyn Thomas languishing, under false accusations, in jail, Martine and Ben must use every survival skill they possess. They'll come face to face with Griffin, Mercy, Mr Ratcliffe (known as Rat), Magnus the hornbill, and a witch doctor, not to mention Khan, the last leopard. They must decide who their friends are, and who are enemies, as they race against time to save the world's rarest leopard and each other.
Reviews
‘St John’s refined prose and assertive young protagonists convey a profound regard for the beauty and magic of the vast African backdrop… a hugely enjoyable and gripping summer read for both girls and boys.’ The Bookseller
About The Author
Lauren St John was born in Gatooma, Rhodesia, now Kadoma, Zimbabwe. Aged 11 she and her family moved to Rainbow's End farm in Gadzema, which later became the subject of her memoir. After studying journalism, she relocated to England, where she was golf correspondent to The Sunday Times. She is the author of several books on sports and music, as well as the award-winning children's series The White Giraffe, Dolphin Song, The Last Leopard and The Elephant's Tale. Her latest book, One Dollar Horse, is published in March 2012.
Lauren St John has a fascinating life story and her captivating and haunting memoir about her childhood spent in rural Africa has been published. Rainbow's End captures the overwhelming beauty and extraordinary danger of life in the African bush and it's this life story that is the inspiration for many of her animal stories for children. This memoir is definitely not for children to read but we mention it here as parents of children reading Lauren's children's books may well like to read about this awe-inspiring author.
More books by this author
If you loved this book, you might like these...
Henry Chancellor The Forgotten Echo : The Remarkable Adventures of Tom Scatterhorn |
Caroline Clough Black Tide |
Philip Caveney Spy Another Day |
Tommy Donbavand Virus |
Sonya Hartnett The Midnight Zoo |
Share this book