The Hidden Star

February 1, 2018

Gr 4-6-Magic and mythology mingle with everyday life in this engaging tale about a girl who discovers a powerful magic stone. Eleven-year-old Nolitye loves to collect stones around the shack where she lives with her mother in Phola, a township on the edge of Johannesburg, South Africa. For reasons she cannot completely understand, smart, brave Nolitye has always been drawn to the stones, which she keeps in a bucket under her bed. One day she finds a stone that seems to stand out from the others and she soon discovers that it has magical properties: it makes whoever holds it feel happy. As Nolitye and her friend Bheki experiment with the stone, they learn that it also has the power to grant wishes. Soon, Nolitye's world begins to change shape as an array of magical beings appear both in person and in dreams, and Nolitye learns that her stone is a piece of a larger one used to prevent darkness from taking over the world. The intrepid protagonist, along with Bheki and Four Eyes (a former member of a gang of local bullies who would torment Nolitye), work together to reunite the pieces of the stone The novel's lighthearted tone, occasionally interrupted by terrifying creatures, makes for a pleasurable fantasy story with a strong nod to mythology. Readers will warm to Nolitye and her relatable run-ins with the school bully and will delight at the quirky details of Duiker's magic in an otherwise realistic setting. VERDICT A satisfying fantasy story in a place not often represented in the genre. Recommended for most middle grade collections where fantasy is popular.-Kristy Pasquariello, Wellesley Free Library, MA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from April 1, 2018
Magic, adventure, and folklore come together in Duiker's final novel.In Phola, where children can speak to dogs and other animals, 11-year-old Nolitye has a compulsion for collecting stones. One day she comes across a stone unlike any of the ones she keeps stored in a bucket under her bed. This one is magical, granting wishes and giving her the urge to giggle, and it's also going to change her life. Nolitye soon learns from the spirit residing within it that she must find four other missing pieces to unite the stone and restore its full power. Only Nolitye, who has gifts she never imagined, can complete this task. However, there is evil in her village, and dark forces conspire to take the stone away, but with faithful friends Bheki and Four Eyes by her side, Nolitye is up to the challenge. With evocatively descriptive prose and a trio of strong protagonists along with a secondary cast of unique personalities (such as Rotten Nellie, the class bully, or MaMtonga, the terrifying witch next door), Duiker beautifully captures a corner of South Africa (the main characters are black). With strong elements of magical realism, the novel is both charming and whimsical with several heart-thumping moments that make it difficult to put down.At its core, this posthumously published South African import is a heartwarming story about friendship and persistence. (Fantasy. 10-adult)

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April 15, 2018
Grades 5-8 Published posthumously, Duiker's South African magic-realist novel tells the story of 11-year-old Nolitye, who finds a strange stone and gets transported into a world of adventure. Along with her friends Bheki and Four Eyes, Nolitye embarks on a journey to find the other missing pieces of the stone, all the while avoiding the Spoilers gang, led by Rotten Nellie, and the witch MaMtonga, who is desperate to snatch the stone from Nolitye and use it for dark magic. In this enjoyable middle-grade novel, Duiker successfully manages to blend traditional South African folklore with township life, which gives the whole book a modern flair. Nolitye's life is harsher than most, but she never loses her hope, spirit, or the ability to find her way out of any predicament. And while magic has suffused every element of the story, from the plot to the setting, where Duiker shines most is when he highlights the magic of friendship and found family. A wonderful tale for any fan of fantasy adventures.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)