Lauren St. John

After a fire kills her parents, eleven-year-old Martine must leave England to live with her grandmother on a wildlife game reserve in South Africa, where she befriends a mythical white giraffe.

The White Giraffe

Nadine 

Some nice elements and wonderful to read a story about African animals and a young girl who cares about their safety and survival in the light of all the poaching going on. Enjoyed the weaving of mystical with real. 
Main gripe - taking liberties with geography- yes she admits to it and calls it artistic license. Maybe that was ok before the age of the internet and affordable travel and media savvy fact checking children. I don't think it's so ok anymore and having also grown up in the area it marred the book for me as it will for any South African children who read it. There is little enough written for that audience- why spoil it for the sake of a bit of scenery descriptions?

Katie Day

On the night of her 11th birthday, Martine's life changes -- her parents are killed in a fire and she is sent to South Africa to a grandmother she has never heard of -- and who doesn't seem to like her. Life on a nature reserve is fascinating, especially as Martine becomes involved -- and friends with -- a white giraffe that has been predicted but never seen. Martine helps her giraffe escape poachers -- barely.

The White Giraffe

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