Historical fiction with a wicked twist. Listening for Lions is a breathtaking story of tragedy, deception, and triumph against all odds. National Book Awardndash;winning author Gloria Whelan sets this richly historical comingndash;ofndash;age adventure in British East Africa in the year 1918. This irresistible novel entangles an orphaned girl in a deceitndash;filled plot. Young Rachel Sheridan is made to leave her beloved Africa for England, where she must pose as the deceased daughter of a nefarious couple in an effort to gain them an enormous inheritance. Her irrepressible spirit and extraordinary wit turn her from victim to heroine in a surprising and empowering tale of a remarkable young woman. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Whelan (Homeless Bird) places her courageous and thoughtful narrator in Africa in 1919, just after the Great War and manages to place a new twist on familiar themes. "It didn't occur to me at that moment that I, too, might become an orphan. I think I believed that because Father was a doctor, he would let no illness come to our family." When 13 year-old Rachel Sheridan loses her British missionary parents, unscrupulous neighbors exploit her resemblance to their deceased daughter, Valerie, and send her to England to try to collect the inheritance from Valerie's ailing grandfather. What sets this familiar tale apart is Rachel's love of the African land, animals and Masai people, and the details that make Whelan's narrative come alive. The author ensures that Rachel's lack of choices and her sensitive nature make her complicity wholly believable. Once in England, the girl's evolving relationship with the invalid grandfather heightens her sense of guilt about her assumed identity. However, when the villains are exposed, much of the novel's tension dissipates and the balance of the book reads somewhat like an extended epilogue. Still, Whelan's formidable and appealing heroine will keep readers rooting for her dream of a home with the lions of Africa. Ages 10-up. (July) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr 5-8-Rachel Sheldon, the daughter of missionaries, has spent her entire life in Africa and loves it there. In 1919, she is orphaned when her parents die of a deadly influenza outbreak. Her neighbors, the Pritchards, have lost their daughter, Valerie, to the illness as well, and convince Rachel to pretend to be Valerie in order to "please the dying last wish of her grandfather in England." Rachel discovers that the Pritchards are gold-diggers, hoping to use her to convince Grandfather Pritchard to leave them his estate. Rachel becomes close to the kind, sick man and doesn't want to hurt him, but realizes that she must choose between telling the truth regardless of the consequences or allowing the Pritchards to deceive him. Gloria Whelan's well-written story (HarperCollins, 2005) is firmly placed in the early 20th century and features well-rounded characters and believable conflicts. Bianca Amato's narration breathes life into the story, making it even more engrossing, and she does a great job with the difficult African phrases and names. This affecting tale will make a wonderful addition to library collections.-Saleena Davidson, South Brunswick Public Library, Monmouth Junction, NJ Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr. 6-9. In 1919, in British East Africa, 13-year-old Rachel loses her missionary parents during an influenza epidemic. When she turns to her English neighbors for help, the Pritchards ensnare her in a shocking, ill-intentioned scheme. Disowned by their rich family, they had planned to send their daughter, Valerie, to her grandfather's estate in England, where they hoped she would help to reinstate them in his will. But after Valerie dies of flu, the Pritchards conspire to send Rachel, whose red hair matches their daughter's. Whelan creates deliciously odious villains in the Pritchard parents, who, with shameless cunning, manipulate Rachel into agreeing to the deceit. Once in England, Rachel and the perilously ill grandfather develop a surprisingly strong, affectionate bond, although she continues the ruse, believing that "one more disappointment would be the end of the old man." In a straightforward, sympathetic voice, Rachel tells an involving, episodic story that follows her across continents and through life stages as she grapples with her dishonesty, grief for her lost parents and life in Africa, and looming questions about how to prepare for grown-up life at a time when few choices were allowed to women. Gentle, nostalgic, and fueled with old-fashioned girl power, this involving orphan story will please fans of Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic The Secret Garden 0 (1912) and Eva Ibbotson's The Star of Kazan 0 (2004). --Gillian Engberg Copyright 2005 Booklist From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Book 1 Rachel Sheridan	p. 3
Book 2 Valerie Pritchard	p. 63
Book 3 Rachel Pritchard	p. 141
Glossary	p. 195
Author's Note	p. 197

Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.