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The Midnight Map Hunters
by My Book Hub Team
An illustrated adventure book for ages 9-12. Read the first pages free, then join to read it all.
Genre: adventure
For ages 9-12
A peek inside
In the narrow twisting alleys of 1930s Marrakech, three street children darted between spice stalls as the sun dipped low. Zahir, an eleven-year-old boy in a patched djellaba, led the way with sharp eyes scanning every shadow. Beside him ran Nour, a clever ten-year-old girl whose braided hair swung with each quick step and whose sly smile hid a thousand plans. Little Youssef, only eight and barefoot, struggled to keep up but never complained. Tonight felt different. Whispers spoke of an ancient map stolen from the old library, a map that made entire city blocks vanish at midnight. Zahir stopped near a fountain and whispered that they must find it before the city lost more streets. Nour nodded, already thinking of routes through the medina. Youssef clutched a small pebble for luck. Their adventure had begun under the orange glow.
They slipped into a quieter lane where the air smelled of mint and warm bread. An old storyteller sat on a worn carpet and told them the map once belonged to a forgotten sultan who drew magic lines across the city. When the map was unfolded after dark, whole blocks of houses and shops simply disappeared until dawn returned. Last night the spice market itself had vanished for hours, leaving only empty air and confused cats. Zahir frowned and asked who would steal such a dangerous treasure. Nour guessed a greedy collector or a rival thief who wanted power over the medina. Youssef shivered but stood taller, saying they knew these alleys better than any adult. The three friends promised one another they would recover the map before midnight struck again. Lantern light flickered on the walls as they planned their first move toward the library ruins.
