Ten-year-old Olinde Ukuthiywa has always felt like she doesn't quite belong. Her name means "one waiting to be named," and while other children's names carry stories and meaning, hers only reminds her that her story hasn't begun yet. She dreams of having real friends and a name she can truly call her own. But everything changes the night a mysterious clay pot shatters in her home, unleashing a powerful vulture who carries her away to the Island of Intsomi-a place of breathtaking beauty, ancient magic, and dangerous secrets. On the island, children are well-fed, well-behaved… and slowly forgetting who they are. Under the rule of the ruthless King Prospero, stories are twisted into lies, and memories fade. With the help of her sharp-tongued companion Ntengu and a hidden community of animals, Oli discovers that she may be the last Storykeeper-part of a long line charged with protecting the power of iintsomi, the traditional stories that once connected worlds. Armed with a mysterious ancestral necklace and the courage she didn't know she had, Oli must learn to find her voice, claim her identity, and tell a story powerful enough to break the king's hold. Because if she fails, the island-and every child on it-will be lost forever. And this time, her story won't just be told… it will be written by her. What sets this book apart? · A magical middle-grade adventure rooted in Xhosa storytelling traditions. · Strong female lead. · Warm humour, emotional family stakes, animal trickster energy, and a clear book club/classroom hook around stories, names, language, and heritage Educational/classroom hooks Storytelling traditions; Xhosa words and songs; names and meanings; oral history; environmental imagery; courage and consent; critical thinking about whose stories are told and controlled.

THE AUTHOR Siphokazi Jonas is a South African poet, playwright and actor with an MA in English Litera­ture and a BA in English and Drama. She was the 2016 runner-up for the national Sol Plaatje European Union Award and headlined as the first Featured Poet at the Poetry Africa Festival in 2021. Siphokazi received a Best Short Film South African Film and Television Award (SAFTA) as co-producer of the poetry film #WeAreDyingHere. Her work has appeared in Poetry London, Atlanta Review, Versopolis Review, The Poetry Society and Stanzas. THE ILLUSTRATOR Luyanda Cwane is a South African heavyweight illustrator whose vibrant, expressive artwork brings stories to life across multiple African languages. His illustrations feature prominently in the Ulwazi Lwethu African Languages Literacy Project, a collaboration between the Zenex Foundation, Room to Read, the Nelson Mandela Institute, and Molteno, supporting early-grade literacy in South Africa.His notable titles include "Maitela a Vhavenda", among others. In addition to his work with Ulwazi Lwethu, Luyanda Cwane has contributed illustrations to a wide range of well-known publishers such as Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Macmillan, Maskew Miller Longman, Via Afrika, and Marang Publishers, as well as organizations such as Speaking Books.