 It's been a couple of weeks but I have another fantastic read for you! This title from author Saloni Surah is for the slightly older reader, say 8 to 12 years old. An early chapter book, "Flora Investigates: the Case of the Missing Gold Eggs" is about a young girl named Flora who sniffs out clues in Florence, Italy. In this case, she will meet wacky characters who are all suspects in the case. There will be a dancing pirate, a flying boat, multiple suspects and Flora's nose for trouble will analyze them all. The illustrations are captivating and I expect we will see more from illustrator Lisa Williams as well. I particularly enjoyed the images that showed Flora's notebook and notes... Let's learn more about the author, shall we? Saloni is a wonderful new voice in early readers.
A coach, with a PhD in HIV and drug use, she began writing while working on her PhD. She has worked with people from all over the world and see firsthand the effects of poverty and illiteracy. This spoke to her and moved her to start writing. While working on her PhD she found the time to manage some creative space to express herself apart from the largely scientific writing necessary to her degree. When asked about her inspiration for this story, she replied,"A gold egg laying chicken has gone missing and Flora has to find out who store her and why. It's a fun book with gold eggs and a flying boat, but it has heart because it's a book about a girl who has a dream and doesn't give up." This is her first published title, but Saloni has written three others and plans to go back and tweak the others. Based in the UK, Saloni's husband is from Florence and the book is loosely based on his friends and family. Her mother-in-law had previously kept chickens, and when Saloni first met her husband, one of these chickens had gone missing. He husband joked that there had been a murder in the back yard. When she travelled to Florence with him for the first time, the story started to brew. She met people who would evolve into the characters of the book although she does say they are "obviously overdone". Who wouldn't want to meet a crazy chicken lady or a dancing pirate with a flying boat? Saloni's publisher, TAUK Publishing, drew in Lisa Williams to illustrate the tale and Saloni is quite pleased with the result, saying Lisa has done a great job. When asked about a sequel, Saloni's response was that her dragons were calling her first but absolutely, yes! You can find this book on Amazon in eBook and paperback editions, as well as on Kindle Unlimited. If you happen to be near New South Wales, look for "Get Lost in Books", an indie bookshop that carries this title. In the UK you may find it on the shelves of "WriteBlend" in Liverpool, "The Book Dragon" in Stockton-on-Tees, and "Rainforest" in Chester. If you are looking for further Middle Grade works, watch for "The Last Fairy Guardian" by Saloni Surah, which is releasing this spring. It's a book about a forbidden friendship between a fairy and a human girl. I, for one, am looking forward to it! For more about Saloni Surah, click on the link button below.
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