The Ecowarriors series
Turtle Walk
When thirteen year-old Samantha Steadman starts high school at an elite boarding school, little does she know that she will soon be fighting an ecological war for the survival of the endangered leatherback turtle.
Samantha and her friends — rich and sassy Jessie Delaney, and politician’s daughter Nomusa Gule — take the fight from the classroom to the open seas. Their adventures range from dangerous night-time skirmishes with illegal fishermen, to crazy antics for television cameras.
Back at school, they have to deal with romances and heartbreaks, a joint musical production with the neighbouring boys’ school, encounters with an eccentric bunch of teachers, conflicts with parents, and skirmishes with bitter rivals.
The trio will need to work together to face their fears, and to hold on to the hope that individuals can make a difference.
Fun and funny, this feel-good story will appeal to tweens and younger teens. VSCO girls will love these stories!
Note: If you’ve read Young Adult books by Joanne Macgregor before, please note that this book is geared for younger, middle-grade readers (9-13 years).
Rock Steady
The ecowarriors are back!
Samantha Steadman, and her best friends — smart-mouthed Jessie Delaney and politician’s daughter Nomusa Gule — are back at boarding school, in grade nine. And this year, they’re up against a whole new set of challenges.
Their creepy new science teacher takes delight in tormenting Sam, and she’s started counting and checking everything in a way that has her friends worried about her sanity. Add to that Sam’s determination to uncover and stop the illegal trade in San rock art, a blossoming new romance (or two), and a dangerous survival competition in the mountains which will endanger the trio’s lives, and the girls will need all their wits and courage to stand steady.
Exciting and funny, this feel-good story will appeal to tweens and younger teens. Rock Steady is the second book in the Ecowarriors series, but can also be read as a standalone novel.
Note: If you’ve read Young Adult books by Joanne Macgregor before, please be aware that this book is suitable for upper middle grade – younger teen readers (10-13 years).
(This is a fully revised edition of the 2013 edition.)
Fault Lines
The cracks are beginning to show...
Ecowarriors Samantha Steadman, Nomusa Gule and Jessie Delaney are now in Grade 10 at Clifford House boarding school. But this year, cracks are beginning to appear in their friendships, romances and their belief in themselves.
When Samantha Steadman joins ecological activists to block fracking in the Karoo, she expects that her best friends will be right alongside her in the fight. But Nomusa takes a very different view of the controversial issue and Jessie, under the influence of a glamorous new girl at the school, is too obsessed with her weight to care about ecology.
Samantha feels very alone as she tries to deal with pressure from boys, school and her Poison Dwarf of a science teacher, all while uncovering a personal mystery from the past and struggling to save the Karoo – as well as her friendships – from splitting down their fault lines.
This funny and exciting novel is the winner of the 2018 Percy Fitzpatrick Biennial Award for Youth Literature and the MAHLA Award (Minara Aziz Hassim Literary Awards) in 2016.
Fault Lines is the third book in the Ecowarriors series (after Turtle Walk and Rock Steady), but can also be read as a stand-alone novel.
Note: If you’ve read Young Adult books by Joanne Macgregor before, please be aware that this book is aimed at upper middle grade – younger teen readers (10-14 years).