I checked this book out because it kept getting stolen from the library, which usually is a sign it's pretty good. It was. I didn't like it quite as much as some of the other books I've read for the MSBA.

Martine's parents die in a fire and she is sent to South Africa to live with a grandmother she has never met. Martine is fascinated by the legend of the white giraffe. Her grandmother tells her that the giraffe doesn't exist, but one stormy night Martine sees it. Why is it a secret? Does someone want to steal it?