Thirteen-year-old Georgie has a head full of dreams and an insatiable sense of adventure. Sailing around the world,climbing Mount Everest and learning Swahili are just a few of the challenges Georgie is intent on tackling. When she begins exchanging letters with her new penpal Ellie, a girl her own age who lives in a small village in Tanzania, Georgie's life takes a new turn. She soon hatches a plan to visit Ellie in Tanzania. Her friends at school think it's a great idea; all Georgie has to do is convince her parents.<br><br>Born and raised on the prairies, Lisa Joyal now lives with her family in Toronto, Ontario, and works as an Assistant Crown Attorney practising criminal law. She has travelled extensively, and greatly enjoys working with and writing for children. <em>Swahili for Beginners</em> is her first novel for young adults.