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SITA, SNAKE-QUEEN OF SPEED by Franzeska G. Ewart

SITA, SNAKE-QUEEN OF SPEED

by Franzeska G. Ewart & illustrated by Helen Bate

Pub Date: July 1st, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-84507-779-2
Publisher: Frances Lincoln

Yosser, a Muslim girl pictured with a hijab, and Kylie, with streaked hair, are best friends in their last year of English primary school. When Yosser becomes obsessed with Sita, Snake-Queen of Speed, the most terrifying ride at Thrill City, she and Kylie don rubber snakes—and rubber gloves to search for treasure to finance a trip. They don’t find treasure, but they do find Kylie’s father’s missing prize ferret, stolen by a rival before the Grand Championships. They are, after all, Sita’s Fearless Band of Snake-Warriors. Of perhaps greater import, what is Yosser to do about the entrance exam for secondary school? Should she do well, perhaps well enough to earn a scholarship so her family has money left over? Or fail on purpose, so she can stay with her friend? Although some of the vocabulary and details of Pakistani immigrant life in England may be unfamiliar, this simple story of friendship will resonate with American middle-grade girls who can understand her moral dilemma and identify with her passionate longing to visit an amusement park. (Fiction. 8-12)