Welcome to Trashland

A search for treasure reveals the toxic consequences of modern life in this thrilling adventure set against the backdrop of the world’s largest e-waste dump.

Theo lives and works in Agbogbloshie in Ghana, a vast dumping ground for the world’s broken electronics. He spends his days scouring the trash for scraps of metal to sell for cash, while dreaming of going to school and escaping this harsh life. The money Theo makes is barely enough to pay for lessons, so when Emmanuel turns up with talk of buried treasure, Theo sees a chance to get out of Trashland.

But Emmanuel’s presence draws the attention of a local gang, and Theo starts to wonder if his new friend is keeping dangerous secrets …

Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8. Please note that this book contains mature content.

Reviews

"This fast-paced story, told through deceptively simple text, will engage even reluctant readers" – The i Newspaper

"Tense and exciting" – LoveReading4Kids

"An accessible and important book that opens a window on the world that we often don’t get to look through" – The Letterpress Project

"A powerful eye-opener to the harsh reality we are creating for other parts of the world … had me gripped right from the start" – Kate Heap, reviewer

"With high stakes, bags of tension, difficult decisions and great characters … the exciting treasure hunt through the dumping ground will have readers on the edge of their seats and racing through the pages" – A Word About Books, blog

About the author

Steve Cole is a bestselling children’s author. His various book series include Z. Rex, Thieves Like Us, Doctor Who, the three million copy selling Young Bond series. In other careers he has worked as an editor of books and magazines for readers of all ages. Steve lives in Aylesbury.