Featuring Your Next Weekend Read!

About this Book

“Amanda Ross is an average twelve-year-old Canadian girl. So what is she doing thousands of kilometres from home in the United Arab Emirates? It’s her own fault really, she wished for adventure and travel when she blew out those candles on her last birthday cake. Little did she know that a whole different world awaited her on the other side of the globe, one full of intrigue, mystery and folklore. A world with a beautiful princess, a dangerous desert and wonderful friends.”

Join Amanda on her first adventure as she discovers the secrets behind The Perfume Flask.

MY RECOMMENDATION:

The first book in the Amanda Travels Series introduces us to twelve-year-old Amanda, who’s from Canada. She visits her aunt and uncle in the United Arab Emirates. Once in the UAE, Amanda is smitten with the unusual sights before her. On one of her first mornings there, Amanda is awakened at 4:30 am:

““A strange sound woke me at 4:30,” said Amanda. ‘So that’s what it was.’ “The local citizens are devout Muslims and they are called to prayer five times a day starting around four thirty in the morning,” explained her uncle.”

Foster, Darlene. Amanda in Arabia: The Perfume Flask (p. 10). Central Avenue Publishing. Kindle Edition.

It’s the cultural details like this that make this story so satisfying. In fact, Amanda decides that when she hears the call to prayer, she will wish something good for someone. What a great message for children!

A bit later in the story, Amanda can’t believe her luck when she has the opportunity to ride a camel. I love the rich descriptions of the camels and the lesson that describes the differences between Dromedary camels (found in the UAE) and Bactrian camels, found in Turkey and Mongolia.

On another trip, Amanda buys an antique perfume flask in a small village market. The shop owner tells her the flask was meant for her. Now, the great adventure begins!

The next place Amanda explores is near the seashore. She visits a deserted Bedouin village, and it’s here she meets Princess Shamza. The young woman claims she sold the perfume flask and her camel to get enough money to make ends meet. It turns out Princess Shamza ran away from her parents to avoid an arranged marriage to a wealthy old man. Can Amanda help the princess?

What a fabulous story! I enjoyed this read and learned a few things about a country I knew little about. The mystery is engaging and Amanda is a delightful young lady. I look forward to reading more of Amanda’s travels.

About the Author

About Darlene:

Growing up on a ranch near Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, Darlene Foster dreamt of writing, traveling the world, and meeting interesting people. She also believed in making her dreams come true. It’s no surprise she’s now the award-winning author of Amanda Travels, a children’s adventure series featuring a spunky twelve-year-old who loves to travel to unique places. Readers of all ages enjoy following Amanda as she unravels one mystery after another. When not traveling herself, Darlene divides her time between the west coast of Canada and the Costa Blanca, Spain with her husband and entertaining rescue dogs, Dot and Lia. http://www.darlenefoster.ca

Find Darlene here: darlenefoster.ca

Her Blog: Darlene Foster’s Blog