The Ear, the Eye and the Arm facts for kids
First edition
|
|
| Author | Nancy Farmer |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's, science fiction novel |
| Publisher | Orchard Books |
|
Publication date
|
April 1994 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 311 (first edition, hardback) |
| ISBN | 0-531-06829-3 (first edition, hardback) |
| OCLC | 28887914 |
| LC Class | PZ7.F23814 Ear 1994 |
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm is an exciting science fiction novel for young readers. It was written by Nancy Farmer and won a special award called a Newbery Honor. The story takes place in the country of Zimbabwe in the year 2194. It mixes futuristic ideas with traditional African culture.
The book tells the story of three children who are trying to escape from people who have taken them. Their father is a famous general. The children find themselves in the busy, high-tech capital city of Zimbabwe, which also has many challenges.
Contents
What Happens in the Story?
An Adventure Begins
The story starts in Zimbabwe in the year 2194. General Matsika is the Chief of Security. He is fighting against groups of people who cause trouble in the country. To keep his three children safe, Tendai, Rita, and Kuda, he keeps them inside a very strong house.
The children want to have an adventure. They hope to earn a special Scout Badge. They get help from a person called the Mellower. He is a praise singer who works for their parents. With his help, they manage to leave their protected home.
Lost in the City
The children soon find themselves in the busy streets of Mbare Musika. This is a lively market area. But their adventure quickly turns dangerous. They are taken by force to a place called Dead Man's Vlei. This is the secret hideout of a woman known as the She Elephant.
The She Elephant is a person who takes children and makes them work. Tendai, Rita, and Kuda are forced to work in mines. Here, they have to dig for plastic. Meanwhile, their worried parents ask for help. They hire three special detectives known as the Ear, the Eye, and the Arm.
The Special Detectives
Each detective has a unique ability. Ear has amazing hearing. He can hear even the quietest sounds from far away. Eye has vision like a hawk. He can see tiny details and things that are very distant. Arm has a special power called empathy. This means he can feel what others are feeling. He can also see into their true selves.
Escaping Danger
Tendai soon realizes that the She Elephant plans to sell them. She wants to sell them to a group called the Masks. This group has managed to avoid General Matsika's efforts to stop crime. The three siblings manage to escape from the She Elephant's hideout.
They run to a place called Resthaven. This is a special area inside Zimbabwe. It tries to keep old African traditions alive. However, the children are eventually asked to leave Resthaven.
More Twists and Turns
The children then look for help from the Mellower's mother, Mrs. Horsepool-Worthingham. She takes them in and seems to care for them. But Tendai soon finds out that Mrs. Horsepool-Worthingham is holding them for money. She wants a ransom from their parents.
The She Elephant captures the children again. She takes them to one of the Masks' secret hiding places. The Masks then move the children to a very tall building. It is called the Mile-High MacIlwaine. This skyscraper is actually the main base for the Masks.
The Final Showdown
The Masks try to perform a strange ritual involving Tendai. At this crucial moment, Arm is helped by a powerful spirit. This spirit is called a mhondoro, a holy and legendary spirit of the land. The mhondoro helps Arm find the children.
When Arm is knocked out, the mhondoro helps Tendai and his friends. They manage to stop the leader of the Masks, known as the Big-Head Mask. This Mask is like a symbol of a Gondwannan god. When the children's parents finally arrive, the She Elephant crushes the Big-Head Mask. The mhondoro then helps Arm wake up.
The group of troublemakers is finally stopped. All the wealth they stole is given back to people who needed it. The children are reunited with their parents. General Matsika learns an important lesson. He decides to give his children more freedom and trust.
