Coopers Edge School

The Girl Who Stole an Elephant by Nizrana Farook is a thrilling adventure story set on the island of Serendib. The main character, Chaya, is a brave and outspoken hero who steals trinkets from the rich to help those in need, believing it is the right thing to do. However, her actions lead to unintended consequences, putting her and her friends in danger. The story explores themes of friendship, power, and the complexities of class systems, as Chaya's journey reveals the hidden struggles of her community and the moral dilemmas she faces. The vivid descriptions of the lush jungle and the rich characters make the narrative engaging and thought-provoking.

This is the story about how one ordinary nine-year-old child and three classmates are full of empathy for Ahmet, a boy that comes to their school as a refugee from Syria (he is the boy at the back of the class).

Through their sensitivity, curiosity, ingenuity, bravery and innocent niceness, they make a massive impact on Ahmet’s life, friends, class, school, community and wider world. There’s a lovely lack of stereotyping on gender and backstory for the narrator, which adds to the message of not judging people before you know them.

Varjak Paw is a Mesopotamian Blue cat from a large family that live comfortably inside the Contessa’s large, grand house. Yet, when the Gentleman arrives with his odd black cats, Varjak and his grandfather the Elder Paw believe that something strange is going on. Having escaped the house, Elder Paw tells Varjak to leave and bring back a dog that will frighten away the Gentleman and his black cats. Thing is, Varjak has no street smarts, having been a house cat all his life – and no idea what a dog is, either.

Finding his way in the city is tough for Varjak until he makes friends with Tam and Holly, two street cats who take pity on him and help him find food and shelter and avoid the cat gangs that roam the city and work for the mysterious Sally Bones. At the same time, Varjak dreams of his ancestor, Jalal, who teaches him a special cat martial art as he sleeps, making him a fearsome warrior. Will Varjak ever find a dog and bring it home? And what are the strange robotic cats he witnesses in the city?