On the Hill of Dust, in the remote mountains of Mexico, an eleven-year-old Mixtec boy called Teo lives with his family and the animals that he has healed, but one day a Romany caravan rolls into town with a young girl who calls herself Esma, the Gypsy Queen of Lightning–it is the beginning of a life-long friendship that will change both their lives.
Twelve-year-old Andrej, nine-year-old Tomas, and their baby sister Wilma flee their Romany encampment when it is attacked by Germans during World War II, and in an abandoned town they find a zoo where the animals tell their stories, helping the children understand what has become of their lives and what it means to be free.
One day little Medouncho the bear is misbehaving, and when his parents scold him, he determines to find his way home without them. He becomes lost, is drenched in a thunderstorm, and is finally rescued by the sun, who brings him home.
Eleven-year-old Sam and his new friends, brother and sister Ben and Zara, set off for the Arctic to try and rescue the siblings’ great-uncle and five other professors from the mad scientist holding them prisoner.
This book discusses the origin of the Romani people and language; their marriage, birth, and death customs; and their past and current status in society.