The Ostrich, a Tale of Flightless Adventure

Welcome to the town of Plaintown, Texas (the town's like Wonder Bread, but whiter) where Egyptian-American (and Davy Crockett Junior High 7th grader) Amira Masri doesn't ask for much. She just wants to fit in, defeat her arch-nemesis in swimming, and speak a coherent sentence in front of her crush, Kyle. Unfortunately, that's hard to do since Amira's the protector of a magical orb that mustn't fall into the hands of a dark, powerful secret society. This task, however, proves especially difficult since Amira doesn't realize she's the orb's protector. Further, Amira must contend with a pack of wolves who want her dead, at least one assassin hot on her trail, vivid nightmares of being chased by a man with purple eyes, and a dangerous, dangerous...dangerous lack of rhythm. So can Amira defeat a sinister, uber-powerful group armed with only her wits, a small group of misfit friends, a sweet little brother, and an ostrich? Good question............. THE OSTRICH is told from the perspective of a funny, but semi-reluctant narrator (imagine if David Sedaris or Chuck Klosterman were forced to narrate Harry Potter). The story captures the attention of young adults (and adults as well) because they identify with Amira. Amira is at a point in her life where a first kiss and the fate of the world can seem of equal importance; unfortunately for her, she actually must contend with both situations while simultaneously dealing with the general absurdities of adolescence and the unique problems a girl with an uncommon background faces. Although there are plenty of fantastical elements to the story, it is deeply rooted in reality, and therefore, easily relatable to "tweens," teens, and adults.