When Jarell gets caught drawing in math class instead of learning algebra, his teacher asks him this question: “What makes you so special?”
Readers of Race to Fire Mountain will soon discover that the real answer to his query is also the heart of this book, as Jarell sets off on a quest to learn if he has what it takes to be special… and be a hero.
Jarell struggles to pay attention in school and often feels unsure about where he belongs. But drawing holds his focus and helps him feel relaxed. When he discovers those drawings hanging in his cousin’s newly remodeled barbershop, he’s immediately transfixed.
Is his artwork really good enough to garner this level of attention? Does he really have “skills” like his cousin claims?
Soon, Jarell learns that his skills go beyond drawing pictures of ancient cities, warriors, and goddesses. When a secret portal in the back of the barbershop transports him to a mythical land, Jarell realizes his drawings aren’t just coming from his imagination…he’s been drawing the world of Ulfrika that is now in front of him!
Not only that…he also realizes that the people of this land think he’s the hero they’ve been waiting for.
“Only you, the true descendant of Kundi, can use the mirror to travel to Ulfrika. To help us.”
With the help of a special haircut — a low fade carved with a special symbol — and a young female warrior, Jarrell begins the quest to fend off evil and save this land that is calling him to come back home.
But is he too late? Can he really be the hero everyone is looking for?
Race to Fire Mountain is the first in a series written by Remi Blackwood, the pen name of author Jasmine Richards and her team of young and upcoming writers. This unique collaboration has created a an accessible, fun-filled, world-saving adventure series that gives families a chance to explore the art of African mythology, the concept of belonging, and what it really means for each of us to be a hero in our own lives.
