The Secret Journey by Peg Kehret Date of Publication: 1999 ISBN: 0671034170 Number of Pages: 164

REQUIRED READING ABILITY: Junior: Average Intermediate :Average
GENRES: Adventure/Historical Fiction
THEMES : Good versus Evil - Life versus Death - Family - Appearance versus Reality - Coming of Age - Survival - Isolation

SUMMARY:
Emma Bolton is a strong-minded twelve-year-old living in 1834 Liverpool. Much to her dismay, she is being sent to live with her poor aunt and bullying cousin while her father moves Emma's seriously ill mother to a better climate. Emma's mother has the dreaded consumption, and this is her only hope. Still, Emma is distraught at the thought of being left behind, and far from the mother she loves. She decides she will stow away on her parents' ship, disguised as a boy, and then they will have to let her come. Unfortunately for Emma, she receives false information and finds herself on the wrong ship. Worse, it is a slaver's ship captained by the evil Captain Bacon, and it is heading not to France, but to Africa for slaves!

When the ship runs into a bad storm, Emma finds herself alone in Africa with nothing but the clothes on her back. Can she figure out a way to survive this new jungle world...and will she ever see her parents again?

WHO WOULD LOVE THIS BOOK? A kid who...
- loves fiesty female protagonists
- likes historical fiction
- is interested in Jane Goodall and the chimpanzees of Africa
- likes shipwreck and survival tales

WHAT ELSE?
This is one of many novels by Peg Kehret.

RELATED LINK:
To learn more about it and her, check out the website, www.pegkehret.com .