The Hunt for H.G. Growmore follows twelve-year-old Isabella “Bella” Ohieri, whose world is turned upside down when she begins losing her hair. Determined to stop herself from going bald, Bella joins forces with her imaginative brother Kay and their friends to search for a cure.
After exhausting the internet and library shelves without success, the children uncover the legend of Hassan Gwarzo Karagirma, better known as H.G. Growmore, a mysterious man said to possess incredible abilities that can restore growth to almost anything living.
Convinced he is her only hope, Bella and Kay secretly embark on a daring journey into the hills of Jos to find him before it’s too late. Along the way, they encounter strange people, hidden dangers, hilarious mishaps, and discoveries that challenge everything they thought they knew about courage, family, and belief.
Written By Joshua Kalu Ephraim Illustrated By Joshua-Philip Okeafor
Sample text from The Hunt for H.G. Growmore
“THIS IS AWFUL,” muttered Isabella in a low, wobbly voice. Behind her on the only bed in the room, Kay did not react. The half-length mirror in front of Isabella showed him clearly, lying on her pillows, absentmindedly rubbing his upper lip with a finger. His eyes did not leave the page facing him; a funny-looking picture of some sort of aliens was on the book cover. Aliens. Humph!
“It’s really, really dreadful,” she added hopefully, sneaking a look at him over one shoulder. Kay seemed carved from stone. Even his eyes didn’t blink now. What on earth was so fascinating about visitors from another world? What about people from this planet? Like, his kid sister, for instance.
“It’s terrible!” Isabella yelled, smacking a palm on the mirror for good measure, making Kay jump two feet off the bed. The book fell from his hands. He gaped at Isabella in astonishment, quite speechless. There, much better, Isabella started to smile, then caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. The smile vanished like her pocket money halfway through the month.
“I don’t believe this! Just unthinkable!” she moaned, staring with wide eyes at her reflection in the mirror. The Image that stared back, eyes alarmed, long wispy hair all awry, was that of a pubescent female, skin like the sunset of a day spent on the beach, much too tall for her age, with a perky, slightly upturned nose adorning a decidedly pretty face.
Mummy said Isabella’s nose was her most visible facial feature; “walking nose first,” she termed it, shaking her head with indulgent pride. Teacher Ngozi at school wasn’t such a fan, though. She opined, “that Bella in JSS 3 … that nose of hers looks like it always wants to tell everyone what to do- and how to do it too!”
Right at the moment, however, Isabella’s nose was the last thing on her mind. She really couldn’t bear it. It was a totally awful, awful thing to be happening! And what could she do?
The funny thing was, this was absolutely the worst day to feel awful about anything. To start with, outside, the July sun blazed happily on a world filled with singing birds and happy, playing children.
Up and down the street in this residential Estate in Kaduna City, one could almost touch the palpable euphoria in the air. And with reason too. This was the first day of the long holidays, “the long vac” as school kids all over the country called it. They were the height of every Nigerian Kid’s year, looked forward to with ever-mounting excitement as they slowly approached.
7 glorious school-free weeks! With absolutely nothing- or everything to do, depending on one’s personal energy level. The air fairly hummed with plans being made, even if they were just thoughts of lazing around the house, bedroom, beach, garden, poolside, or stream, watching tktoks, glued in front of a tv screen, with a fav book or movie, or absolutely nothing at all. Whatever chilled your ice cream. Kids everywhere were in holiday heaven.
However, Isabella was not thinking about the holidays either. She gasped as she ran a long comb through her hair once more. Several fine strands came away with the comb. Others floated softly to the floor. Now she groaned, staggering back to flop into a pretty daffodil-covered armchair by the window.
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Review: “Packed with humor, adventure, mystery, and heart, The Hunt for H.G. Growmore is a fun family read that celebrates courage, friendship, curiosity, and African storytelling. Perfect for young readers who love exciting quests, hilarious sibling moments, and unforgettable adventures with a touch of wonder.”
To buy the book visit https://www.ninetyninepages.online/stories/the-hunt-for-h-g-growmore.
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Copyright notice: This book has a standard copyright. The permission to publish this FKB version has been provided by the author or publisher to https://www.FreeKidsBooks.org. The book may not be re-posted online without the author’s express permission.
