Imani and the Keepers of Forgotten Folklore

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