Daughters of the Lamp

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

Percy Jackson meets Arabian fairy tales in this stunning middle grade fantasy debut about a girl who becomes the guardian of Ali Baba’s legendary treasure.

Believe in fairy tales.

Sahara Rashad lives by logic. Loves science. And always has a plan. Except her dad just whisked her away to her uncle’s wedding in Egypt, upending every single plan she had for the summer.

In Cairo, Sahara’s days are filled with family—and mystery. First, Sahara’s cousins claim the pretentious bride-to-be is actually a witch. Then her late mother’s necklace starts glowing—and disappears.

Sahara’s attempts to recover the necklace lead her to the greatest mystery yet. Deep in an underground chamber lies Ali Baba’s magical treasure. Hidden from a line of sorcerers who threatened to use its powers for evil, the treasure was given to Sahara’s ancestor Morgana for safekeeping and passed down from mother to daughter for generations. Now only Sahara stands in the sorcerers’ way.

Can the girl who’s never believed in magic trust the unknown and claim her legacy as the treasure’s keeper?

Story Locale:New York City and Cairo, Egypt

Series Overview: Daughters of the Lamp: Spring 2024

Sequel to Daughters of the Lamp: Summer 2024

About the Author

Nedda Lewers is an author and former teacher. She writes books that take children on fun adventures and feature characters who are trying to make sense of the big, complicated world and their place in it. Even though it wasn’t easy growing up with one foot in America and the other in Egypt, Nedda cherishes how that experience has given her a rich and expansive perspective from which she draws to write her stories.

Author Residence: Manhattan Beach, CA

Author Hometown: New York, NY