Imani and the Keepers of Forgotten Folklore The Isle of Lost Words A thrilling, magical fantasy about finding your voice and the power of connection. Twelve-year-old Imani has always felt like the "in-between" girl, caught between her mother's vibrant Ghanaian culture and her father's loud Irish heritage. She's a quiet observer in a noisy world. But when her beloved grandmother falls into a mysterious, unresponsive sleep, Imani discovers a terrifying truth: her grandmother is a Keeper, and the forgotten stories she safeguards are fading away, slowly killing her. The only way to save her is to venture into the Story-Verse, a realm where all the world's myths and legends live. But the Story-Verse is crumbling, its magic devoured by a sinister force called the Fading. Imani, the new Keeper, must assemble an unlikely team of faded heroes-Anansi the Spider from West Africa folklore, a clever but weary trickster; Min-jun, a cunning nine-tailed fox from Korean legend; and Priya, a proud but forgotten Yaksha warrior from Hindu myth. Their quest leads them to the chilling Isle of Lost Words, where they face a broken sorcerer-a fallen Keeper whose own ancient grief threatens to unmake reality. Imani soon realizes they cannot defeat him with magic or might. To heal the Story-Verse and save her grandmother, she must confront her deepest insecurities and prove that being the "in-between" girl isn't a weakness, but the bridge that can connect the world and inspire a new, collaborative tale. A captivating adventure about empathy, identity, and the magic of weaving cultures together. Social & Emotional Themes (Targets Parents & Educators): • • JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance (For Imani's journey of self-acceptance) • JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Friendship (For the teamwork and collaborative themes) • JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Emotions & Feelings (Directly targets the SEL component) • JUVENILE FICTION / Family / Multigenerational (Highlights the crucial bond between Imani and Nana Akua) Diversity & Representation Themes • • JUVENILE FICTION / People & Places / Africa (Crucial for discoverability based on the Ghanaian folklore) • JUVENILE FICTION / People & Places / United States / African American & Black
