Amanda in Malta: The Sleeping Lady

By Darlene Foster

Amanda receives a postcard from her best friend, Leah, and is surprised to learn that she is in Malta with her aunt. Reading between the lines, she senses Leah is in trouble. Desperate to help her, Amanda travels to Malta with her classmate Caleb and his parents.

Amanda is intrigued by this exotic island in the middle of the Mediterranean, full of colourful history, sun-drenched limestone fortresses, stunning beaches and fascinating birds. But…who is killing the protected birds? Who stole a priceless artifact from the museum? And why is Leah acting so strange? She couldn’t possibly be involved in these illegal activities, or could she?

Join Amanda and her friends as they visit ancient temples, an exciting falconry and the enchanting Popeye Village, as they try to get to the bottom of the mystery of the Sleeping Lady.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Central Avenue Publishing
• Release date: May 11, 2021
• ISBN: 9781771682381

Book preview

1

AMANDA BRUSHED THE SNOW AWAY, REMOVED A GLOVE, gripped the icy cold key and opened the mailbox. Flyers and junk mail greeted her. Nothing interesting ever came in the mail. But wait a minute. Something bright and flashy caught her eye.

A postcard!

The front featured a vibrant green door with a brass door knocker in the shape of a dolphin. Under the picture, MALTA was written in large bold letters.

Curious to know who would send a card from Malta, Amanda flipped it over. She recognized the handwriting. It belonged to her BFF from England, Leah Anderson.

Hi Bestie,

I’m here in Malta for a few weeks with my Aunt Jenny. She needed a travel companion. I’m bored and something’s not right. Can you come ASAP?

Hugs, Leah xo

PS: You’d love it here. Tons of history and stuff you like.

Amanda shook her head and muttered, Why didn’t Leah send me an email? What did she mean, something’s not right? She put her glove back on and rushed home through the snow, clutching the postcard.

Her glasses fogged up when she stepped into the house. Shaking the snow off her boots, she unwrapped her scarf and removed her coat, dropping everything on the floor. The empty house felt lonely; her parents wouldn’t be home from work for a while. She went into the kitchen and turned on her tablet before making a cup of hot chocolate to warm herself up. Amanda was so tired of the long, cold Canadian winter. It really was supposed to be spring by now.

Upstairs in her bedroom, she checked her emails. Nothing from Leah. There hadn’t been anything from her for some time which seemed odd. Amanda Googled Malta. She didn’t even know where it was. She soon learned it was an island in the Mediterranean, between Italy and Africa.

I bet it’s warm there. She sipped her hot chocolate as she looked at the sunny scenes and wondered how she could possibly get there.

The front door slammed. Amanda! How many times have I have told you to put your boots and things away when you get home? I almost tripped over them, and they’ve left a puddle of water on the floor.

Sorry, Mom! Amanda shouted.

Her mom was in a bad mood again. She always was during tax season. Amanda would rather die than be an accountant.

She hurried down the stairs, put her boots away, hung up her coat, and mopped the floor. Can I make you a hot chocolate, Mom?

Thanks, sweetie. Her mom gave her a tired smile. That would be very nice. It’s supposed to dump snow again. I brought work home since I was worried about the roads. I better get at it.

Amanda sighed and switched on the kettle. Perhaps now was not a good time to bring up going to Malta.

She made another cup of hot chocolate and brought it to her mother, already in her office in front of the computer. Thank you so much. I don’t think I will ever warm up. She took a sip. Perfect! Oh, by the way, Kathryn Sorensen, Caleb’s mom, called me at the office today. We always do their taxes and she had some additional information for me. Anyway, she said they were going on a holiday for a week. They had arranged for Caleb’s friend Jasper to come with them so he would have company. Well, Jasper broke his leg playing hockey last night and she wondered if you would like to join them, as they have an extra ticket. They’ve rented a large place so there’s lots of room. She knows how much you like to travel, and you and Caleb get along well. I said I would mention it to you.

Where are they going?

Some place warm. I think she said Malta.

Amanda gulped. She couldn’t believe what she’d just heard and stared at her mom. D-did you say—Malta?

Yes. It’s an island country in the middle of…

The Mediterranean. I know. Leah is there right now. I would love to go! When are they leaving?

Next week, I think. During Easter break.

Right! I better get packing. Amanda dashed up the stairs to her bedroom.

She couldn’t believe her luck. It was like the time she wished for travel and excitement when she blew out the candles on her twelfth birthday cake, and the next day tickets came in the mail for her to visit her aunt and uncle in the United Arab Emirates. That was when she fell in love with travelling.

She sent an email to let Leah know she was on her way, hoping she would actually get it.

She had been in Malta only a couple of hours and already Amanda’s head spun trying to take in everything. The taxi driver drove her, Caleb, and his parents from the airport to Valletta, the capital city. He dropped them off at the entrance of a cobblestone street, indicating their place was through the archway.

I just love these colourful doors. They break up the sandstone buildings. From the air it looked like we were about to land on a city of sandcastles. Amanda studied a worn blue door in front of her. Look at this cool doorknocker. It’s in the shape of a seahorse.

Well, so it is! Caleb lifted his camera to take a close-up picture.

Mr. and Mrs. Sorensen walked ahead, dragging suitcases behind them. On the phone in his other hand, Caleb’s dad studied a Google map. I’m sure the place we rented must be near.

Mrs. Sorensen sighed and adjusted her shoulder bag.

Should I carry that, Mom? asked Caleb.

I’m OK. You look after your roller bag and camera.

Here! Caleb’s dad pointed down a narrow alleyway. Our place is down there. No wonder the taxi couldn’t bring us right to the door.

They trundled along cobblestones, suitcases thumping behind them.

Amanda looked up at the colourful, square, closed-in balconies. This place is so awesome!

Mr. Sorensen stopped in front of an elegant wrought iron gate. He punched in numbers on the intercom pad. The gate slowly creaked open. They walked through it and past a welcoming pool with crystal clear water surrounded by lush bushes and flowers. In a corner, a fountain spouted, creating rainbows in the air.

Oh, my. This is charming, exclaimed Mrs. Sorensen as they entered the apartment. There is a bedroom for you, Amanda, with your own bathroom. She pointed down the hall. Neil and I will have the room on the right. Caleb can sleep on the foldout couch here in the living room.

Are you sure? Caleb, do you mind sleeping in here? Amanda asked.

Heck no. I don’t care where I sleep. Besides, the TV is in here, so I’m good.

We didn’t come to Malta to watch television, said his

Reviews for Amanda in Malta

[marjorie.mallon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received a copy from NetGalley and am pleased to leave an unbiased review.

This is a lovely middle grade novel that whisks you away to the island of Malta. I've never been but have heard a lot of rave stories about Malta and Amanda in Malta made me want to visit!

I loved the adventure aspect in this particular story, author Darlene Foster did a great job in creating a captivating and exciting story. Amanda sets off to find her friend Leah who disappears, and later the Sleeping Lady artifact goes missing too!

There are many great scenes in the book which will appeal to children: The Popeye Theme Park in Malta, (I loved Popeye as a child!) Marsaxlokk, (a charming fishing village,) the bird sanctuary island - Filfla, boat trips, island hops, Falconry centres and details about the eye of Osiris and dangers of anaphlaxtic shock!

It is also quite educational in places too.

There are humorous passages to make you laugh. I am sure this would appeal to youngsters and some young at heart adults too!

[porte01 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book continues the excellent children’s book travel series featuring twelve year old Amanda as she visits remote locations, where she joins us in learning about history and culture, and manages to also squeeze in time for adventures and solving a mystery or two. In this book, Amanda visits the beautiful Mediterranean archipelago of Malta, (including the island of Malta as well as the smaller islands of Gozo and Comino) with her friend Caleb and his parents. Full disclosure: my parents are Maltese and I lived in Malta for a few years, beginning when I was, coincidentally, twelve years old and I now live in frigid Canada, as does Amanda. Given that Amanda and my returning nostalgia are so deeply in synch, it's no surprise that I was curious to read this book. The good news is that I was delighted to find Amanda’s perspective of Malta, as well as the snippets of history and the travelogue provided, not only interesting and wonderfully researched but presented in a fun and lively manner that I’m sure middle school children will enjoy as well as take learnings back from. Amanda and her friends visit all the expected tourist locations in Malta, including (amongst other stops on this tour) the walled capital city of Valletta, the ancient ruins of Hagar Qim, the caves of Ghar Dalam, the historical Mosta dome cathedral, and the underground temple known as the Hypogeum. They also sample local cuisine (including everyone’s favourite Maltese pastizzi pastries), and experience the azure splendor of the waters and caves of the Blue Grotto. To complement the story, Amanda’s motivation for visiting Malta is driven by her need to help her friend Leah out of a jam and this sub-plot nicely interweaves learning about the islands with an element of mystery and danger that is sure to delight modern day Nancy Drew fans. A big thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance review copy of this engaging book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts presented are my own.