The Ear, the Eye and the Arm

The Ear, the Eye and the Arm, a Newbery Honor book by Nancy Farmer, tells the story of Tendai, a bored, thirteen-year-old boy who lives in Zimbabwe in the year 2194. He and his younger brother and sister (Kuda and Rita) are not allowed to leave their secure, highly fortified household. Their strict father is a general, responsible for fighting crime, who fears his children might be kidnapped by local gangs if they stray from home.

Goaded by his younger siblings, Tendai contrives a plan for them to leave their home for an afternoon of exploring while mom and dad are away. At first, the kids enjoy the outing, eating greasy foods and watching the crowds, but they are soon kidnapped, and the adventure is afoot. Upon discovering the kids are missing, their parents employ the help of oddball detectives, the Ear, the Eye and the Arm, who have unusual powers due to a nuclear energy plant accident. But the kidnapping is just the beginning for Tedai, Kuda and Rita as the excitement doesn’t stop until the book’s final pages.

Combining adventure, futuristic technology and African folklore and traditions, The Ear, the Eye and the Arm is a truly fun, quick read appropriate for adults, teens and advanced younger readers.

Also by Nancy Farmer

The House of the Scorpion series (science fiction)

The Sea of Trolls series (fantasy)