Les clefs de babel facts for kids
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| Author | Carina Rozenfeld |
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| Country | France |
| Language | French |
| Genre | Fantasy children's novel |
| Publisher | Syros |
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Publication date
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2009 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
Les clefs de babel (which means The keys of Babel) is an exciting French children's novel. It was written by Carina Rozenfeld. The book came out in 2009, published by Syros. It's part of a special collection of children's books called Soon, put together by Denis Guiot.
Contents
What's the Story About?
This adventure takes place inside the famous Tower of Babel. A thousand years ago, people had to hide there. A dangerous cloud had poisoned the Earth, making it unsafe to live outside.
The humans who entered the tower split into five different groups. Each group sealed off their part of the tower. They wanted to keep out anyone who might be "diseased."
Liram's Journey Begins
The story starts high up in the tower. Our main character, a boy named Liram, lives there. His father gives him a very special gift: a cat that can talk! But then, something terrible happens. Liram's father, who is an important leader, is killed during an opera.
Liram has to run away. A friend of his father tells him he must go down into the lower parts of the tower. So, Liram takes his talking cat and bravely starts his journey alone.
A New Discovery
On the next floor down, Liram wakes up in a hospital. The people there quickly realize he doesn't belong to their society. Their rules say everyone must shave their hair to stay clean. After a quick check-up, a barber comes to shave Liram's head.
This barber has a secret. Years ago, he found a baby girl with a unique five-sided tattoo on her left shoulder. As he shaves Liram's hair, he notices something amazing. Liram has the exact same tattoo!
The Keys of Babel
The barber introduces Liram to the girl he found, whose name is Maïan. They tell Liram that he is a "clef de Babel," which means a "key of Babel." There are five of these special "keys" in total. Each one has a unique power. Maïan, for example, can walk right through objects and walls!
Maïan explains that she saw a disc in a temple. It had a marking on it that looked just like their tattoos. They decide they must steal this important object. They succeed, but the monks who guard it find out who took it. The monks begin to hunt them down. This forces Maïan and Liram to go even deeper into the tower, continuing their dangerous adventure.
Meet the Main Characters
- Liram
- A brave teenage boy. He is one of the "keys of Babel." His special power allows him to talk to animals.
- Maïan
- A mysterious girl found as a baby by a barber. She is also a "key of Babel." Her amazing power lets her pass through solid objects and walls.
