About the Characters
Click on a Character to learn about them
Marco
United States
Our Marco’s both ordinary and extraordinary at the same time. He has regular mousy brown hair, and is of average height and weight. He’s a smart boy, but not the smartest; well liked, but not by everybody, particularly Bart and his friends.
Therefore you might ask, what is there that is so special about Marco? Well, he earned over half a million dollars trading stocks and commodities on the Internet and saved a village in Africa. Not bad for a twelve year old.
Marco: In His Own Words
“Yup, I made over a half a million dollars trading stocks and commodities on the Internet. All the kids thought I was amaaaazing. I’ve got to admit it. It did feel sort of amazing; only my folks weren’t that thrilled. I guess it was the part where I did it without asking for their permission. Dad was particularly mad that I used his account.
“I know that it was actually a bad move, but the brokerage house– you know the people that take all the stock market orders– had sent me a letter, begging me to trade with them. Above all, I think my dad was annoyed that I knew his password and pin number. Darn, he and Mom use the same ones for everything. Why I think even the mailman must know!
“This trading stuff, though, sounded like a cool idea at first. Sometime I get these thoughts, and they can get me into trouble. Like when I was little, around eight. I saw this dog that was digging a big hole in a corner of my backyard. Looked like he was headed to China! Yeah, you can get to China just digging through the center of the earth, theoretically though, not for real. Well, I organized the neighborhood kids and ….you want to know all about it? Just ask me. I’ll post the story, “A Big Dig.” The point is, I wound up in trouble. So, from now on I’m going to try to use my own ‘North Star,’ as Auntie M. would say. That’s the inner part of your body that you’re supposed to try to sense when you’re not sure if what you are about to do is the right thing.
“One point though, I can tell you I’m not sorry about helping Hakim and all those children in Africa that don’t have anything. Some of them lost their homes, all their things, even their families–killed. Still, we kids were able to help. I know that deep down my dad was very proud of me.
“We did some really cool things like inventing our own secret code so the thieves couldn’t get our supplies from the hospital and then camouflaging the truck with radioactive symbols. Hey, I really liked that one, but I’ve got to admit, Piper and her friends were incredibly helpful.
“I used to think that when I grew up I’d work somehow with dogs, (I totally love dogs) so maybe I’d be a vet, or I’d be a banker and handle a lot of money. But now I think I’d like to be a world leader ’cause the folks that are doing the job at this time, certainly need some help and Auntie M. always says, ‘Marco, you’re such a good thinker.'”
Roo
Australia
Rudolph Sanders, “aka” Roo, (which means “also known as”) was born in Australia but has spent most of his young life travelling around the globe. The kids in his English boarding school gave him that nick name as he’s from “down under.” Just look on a globe and you’ll see Australia is indeed “down under.” His father happens to be a vice president of a large grain company and so travels the world taking his son with him when he can. On one of those travels to southern Africa, Roo met Hakim at the Internet café. It didn’t take long for Marco, Roo’s pen pal from school, to join the boys playing some computer games and becoming fast friends. And yet it is there that Marco and Roo begin to become aware of the desperate situations facing children like themselves in 3rd world countries.
Roo: In His Own Words
“You see, my mother’s dead. No, it’s okay. It happened long ago when I was just born; not that I was the cause of it. Well I don’t mean it really is okay. I would have liked to have had a mother. I don’t think I miss her much ’cause I never knew her; but sometimes I think about what she was like and wonder if she would be proud of me. Dad said so once, and then he gave me such a big long hug. I kind of thought it was for her, you know.
“I’ve tried, but can’t get him to talk much about her. Every time I ask, he changes the subject. We’re close though, Dad and me. When I’m out of school I travel with him a lot. That’s how I met Hakim.
“I was on the internet with Marco, who’s my pen- pal through our school program, and Hakim was just standing there. Dad had some business to do in Africa and he let me stay on the computer at the Internet Café. I told Hakim to join us. He’s never played any video games, and the three of us had an amazing time. We’ve been in touch ever since.
“Then there was the time a village, not too far from Hakim’s home, burned down by some gunmen. They were actually, terrorist. That’s what I’d call them. They killed all the people; the animals as well. A truck from the UN came in with supplies but they hijacked it, murdered the driver and stole everything. Marco, though, found a way to help—it’s all in the book. That Marco, he’s a quite a bloke!”
Piper
United States
The girl next door’s name is Piper, next door to Marco that is. They both reside in Illinois which is right smack in the middle of the United States, when considering east to west in the lower forty eight. Piper has had a crush on Marco as long as she can remember, but sometimes she thinks he doesn’t even know that she exists. She right; he has not a clue.
Piper spends hours in front of the mirror practicing flipping her long hair in just the right way, at just the right angle. She huddles with her girl friends mulling over the situation and deliberating about various possible strategies. The girls are not in the least bit upset by her lack of progress. All her friends are convinced, and they tell her; “it’s just a matter of time.”
Piper: In Her Own Words
“I’m not sure. Cindy thinks Marco likes me because he gave me that picture of the Commodity Exchange. I can’t figure out why he did that? Sometimes he’s strange and sometimes, he’s absolutely rude. There was the time that he called me on the phone, and when I answered, ‘hello,’ he started right away telling me what he needs to camouflage a truck in Africa. I know it was important and people could die if the supplies didn’t get through; but he never even said, ‘hello,’ back to me or anything.
“Hmm, Marco can be nice sometimes. He always manages to help me when I ask him. Like the time Sefania’s friend, Alfred, was thrown in prison. Marco was quite brilliant in figuring out how to get him out of jail, even without a “free pass.” He is a good thinker; none better in fact.
“Strange how he always wears that faded red shirt. Actually he looks kind of cute in it. Did I tell you I kissed him once? I was on the steps to his house at the front door to give him a magazine which mentioned children helping African children to have clean water, emergency food, and medicine (that was us). And I told him how wonderful he was rescuing that village. Then, yeah, I leaned forward and kissed him right on the cheek.
His ears got sooo red. It was great fun. But I’m not really sure if he likes me. Hmm?”
Hakim
Africa
Strong for his fourteen years yet as thin as can be, Hakim lives in southern Africa with his family, who are farmers struggling to get by. There is much love in his family and he would do anything for them, yet it was with a heavy heart that Hakim quit school to help out on the farm. He longed to travel beyond his village, for Hakim knew there was a big world out there; he had seen glimpses of it– on the Internet.
Hakim: In His Own Words
“Well, they say I’m tall for my age. My mother says, ‘Hakim, you must have a hollow leg,’ as all I want to do is eat all the time. That’s just not possible where I live. Sometimes it’s too hot to grow food and then there are the monsoons– so much rain.
“My family barely has enough food sometimes for one meal a day and my two younger brother need to eat to grow. I watch over them. I’m okay though. I am strong and very fast—in fact the fastest kid in my village.
“One year we had running race for the whole township—many villages. I came in second and would have won except this big tall guy entered the race at the last minute. He said he was 17 (the oldest age that you could be to qualify for the race). But he wasn’t. He was closer to 20. The grown-ups didn’t know at the time. They found out later. They let him keep the title. Didn’t want to make trouble. Some of the bad guys were his friends.
“I’d like to be a doctor when I grow up. Our Sagoma, the faith healer, says that I have the touch, that I’m gifted. I don’t know about that, but I do feel so good when I can help. I wonder, where would I ever get the money to get advanced schooling? It must cost a lot.
Wan-Ting
China
Wan-Ting, a young Chinese girl barely sixteen years old, is one of the Yi people who live in Southwest China. As she appears here, her rich black hair is worn tied back almost in a bundle and tucked under a scruffy brown hat with the brim turned up. The outfit she is wearing is the typical dress of the region, namely a gaily-colored pleated skirt and a jacket with a swath of colored stitching of an intricate design, crisscrossing her chest. Note the pair of basketball sneakers on her feet.
Wan-Ting: In Her Own Words
“Ni-hao, everybody. That means hello. My name is Wan-Ting and I live in China. My life has not been easy as I, along with all the people in our village, have gone through several famines where there is literally nothing to eat, or almost nothing. But things are getting better now. All I want is to do well in school so that I can get a fine education and help my family.
“I met Marco through Minerva, his Auntie M. who had been traveling in southwestern China in a very rickety old car. Auntie M. hit a rut in the road and flipped over down an embankment. My father and I found her not far from the car from which she was thrown. She was a bit dazed…”
“Excuse me young lady. I think the proper word is ‘rescued,'” said Auntie M, “and you were so wonderful to go to such great lengths to help me.”
“Oh it wasn’t such a difficult thing.”
“Forgive me my friend; it was indeed a big deal. Wan-Ting, you and your family took me into your home after the accident — the swollen ankle and all, blood running down my face…. but that another story. I’m so glad that I could introduce you to Marco and his friends.”
Educators & Adult Readers
An intercontinental setting, a brilliant kid, and a world torn apart by greed and war, The Kid Who Beat Wall Street and Saved Africa by Ginger Heller begins with a prologue that follows lanky fourteen-year-old Hakim, saving a boy from kidnappers who turn kids into child soldiers and escaping from them, thanks to his ability to run like the wind and his great swimming skills. A powerful image that evokes the beautiful landscapes of Africa and the misery of the people. But then there is Marco in another world, a twelve-year-old boy who makes over $500,000 in gold mining stock from the comfort of his room. The story gets interesting when it involves pen-pals, and the misery lived by children in Africa because of war. Now Marco has a great plan to make life less miserable for his friends across the world. Follow this tale of adventure, courage, and compassion and discover the difference one caring kid can make in the world.
I’ve read many books for kids, but The Kid Who Beat Wall Street and Saved Africa has no competition. It’s a work apart, intelligently plotted and written to reflect our history and geography, as well as the injustices that children suffer in war-torn countries. Marco is a character that kids will adore, deeply human and compassionate. His sense of adventure is strong and it combines with his visionary spirit to create a character that even grown-ups will love. Ginger Heller’s novel is infused with a lot of wisdom and lessons that can change lives. The contrast in setting, the handling of themes, and the pacing are just few of the elements that will keep readers turning the pages. Deeply moving and hugely entertaining, a story that should be turned into a movie. I just loved it!
~ Romuald Dzemo for Readers’ Favorite
I have been a principal for 9 years and have never heard kids talking about a book during lunch. The day you left all of the kids were talking about your visit. I can’t wait to read the book. Come again.
~ Principal, K-12
The Kid Who Beat Wall Street and Saved Africa is a social issues-oriented action novel for children, grades 4-6, written by Ginger Heller. Marco Polo Blackberry had somehow managed to make $10,000 in the stock market, and it was a surprisingly effortless accomplishment. His mind grappled with the things he knew he wanted to buy, even as he tried to accept the fact that he had been so successful. It had all started innocently enough; he simply took advantage of the fact that the White and Garrett Brokerage Firm had offered him free trading for four months. They hadn’t really meant to offer it to him; it was his father who they were trying to lure back as a customer, but that typographical error substituting his middle initial had meant the letter went to Marco. He had used his life savings and taken a gamble — and it had paid off brilliantly. While he pondered the newest tech, ski boards and luxury trips, he was also very much aware that there were people out there in need. The lunchroom supervisor had showed him a picture of a starving four-year-old from Africa and his friend Piper’s pen pal from Albania had shared the hardships her two friends had endured trying to emigrate to Italy.
Ginger Heller’s The Kid Who Beat Wall Street and Saved Africa is an imaginative and upbeat story about kids who are making a difference in the world, and how they manage to do it. I was awed by the power of Marco and his friends’ network and loved seeing how they were able to coordinate and apply their particular skills to situations occurring in other countries. I also enjoyed learning about Commodity Trading, and how contracts are bought and sold. Heller’s story is both fun and educational, and her characters feel like the real kids they are. There’s also a bonus at the end of the book in the form of three Appendices which include: 100 Words of Interest; A Glossary of Foreign Words and Phrases; A Glossary of Trading Terms and the Key to Marco’s Secret Code. Each one is a delight and not to be missed. While most kids and adults will probably not experience Marco’s mind-boggling success with the Stock Market, it’s a grand thing to know how it works, just in case. The Kid Who Beat Wall Street and Saved Africa is most highly recommended.
~ Jack Magnus for Readers’ Favorite
“The Kid Who Beat Wall Street and Saved Africa” is a wonderful book for adults and 6-8th graders alike to read. The story will take the reader across many academic disciplines, to numerous countries, and into many cultures and viewpoints. This book was taught to a group of 7th and 8th graders at my inner-city public school and many of the students, who do not normally literally rush home to read a book after a full day of school or choose to sit in a quiet spot at lunch to keep reading, chose to do just that and read ahead of their assigned reading because they loved the book so much. This book has turned self-proclaimed “non-readers” into bookworms! Plus, “The Kid Who Beat Wall Street and Saved Africa” is both a novel and a type of textbook (complete with a glossary, vocabulary words, and even a word search!) thus, making this book even more fun and multifaceted for readers of all ages.
~ Syracuse Educator
Marco Polo is not your ordinary middle school boy. While his classmates are thinking about games and parties and homework, Marco’s mind is far away, coming up with awesome ideas to solve all of his friends’ problems. Up until now, all of their problems have been pretty small, ordinary things. However, the stakes are quickly getting higher and higher. Beginning with figuring out how to free a friend’s brother who was wrongly imprisoned, Marco starts making a name for himself among his friends. Pretty soon, Roo will bring Marco a new challenge in the form of Hakim’s story. From measles to bandits to war to famine, Hakim and his village are struggling in every sense of the word… But Marco is only a kid, so how can he help a struggling community on the other wide of the world? With some stocks, some corn, some stubbornness, and some good old fashioned ingenuity, that’s how!
The Kid Who Beat Wall Street and Saved Africa is an extremely well written book. Both the main characters and the supporting cast are well rounded, well fleshed out human beings. The descriptions are accurate and detailed enough to give us a good idea where the characters are at and what they’re doing, but there’s not so much detail that it chokes the story. The plot is fast paced and easy to follow, and it grips you right from the first page. Overall, it’s a wonderful story for young readers, and a great example for middle grade students that they too can make a real difference in the world. I highly recommend this book!
~ Sarah Westmoreland for Readers’ Favorite
Kirkus Review
A debut middle-grade novel about a boy, a blog and a mission. Marco is an excellent role model for kids, and this book shows that one person can indeed make a difference in the lives of others. Marco is pretty rad for a middle schooler. An earnest and sometimes inspiring story of an extraordinary middle schooler.
Phenomenal Read!
The book is enchanting. It is a must for kids and their parents.
A must read…
This is a great story to read and even better now that it is in a complete edition. This book is full of adventure, fun, and compassion that keeps you turning the pages. Great not just for adolescents but also adults as well.
What a fun way to learn about Wall Street!
This book not only well written for 7th graders, it is great for even College level or new investors to read! Home schoolers, this is a must for your library! What a great book!
Engaging read with many positive life lessons!
This is a fun and engaging book with many positive life lessons featuring energetic and inspiring children from around the world working together. The main character, Marco, is 12 years old!
Get your kid involved…
If you want to get your children involved in the world and what is happening in developing countries, as well as in our country, this is an excellent introduction. The book shows the power of one person, a child, to help others. Could be an inspiration for your child.
Teaching the Young
This book is a blockbuster for 12-year olds and older. It teaches them how to invest as well as manage money and use the internet to help less fortunate people in the world. Heller also has an intriguing storyline and dialogue that creates a page turner. I am going to get my grandson a copy.
An Interesting Twist on Wall Street as Exploited by a Kid
Quite a story about a journey filled with action, adventure and insights into the mind of a determined 12 year old. Just shows what is possible when you put your mind to something. Marco has the will and finds an interesting way. It’s encouraging that he gives his capital gains to help others.
Money
A charming story about a boy and his adventures, making money, helping others and having a good time. Not a bad combination of things. Young readers will learn a bit about the stock market in an amusing and interesting manner.
What a good time we all had!
We bought this for ourselves and our grandchildren. We also bought Volume 2. What an absolute pleasure to have something in which all of us could be involved and TALK about together? Thank you so much Ginger Heller!
Exciting read!
This is a clever, and, at the same time, serious book, which is also great fun to read. My grandchildren loved it!
Great book for conversations with kids
Ginger Heller has put her heart into this story to engage kids and adults together – a timely story. Look for her interview on the Huffington Post!
Clever story!
I love the characters and the fast-moving plot. The action kept me and my children turning the pages as fast as we could to see what happens next.
Great way to excite kids about the real world!
Bought this for a friend’s children – in their words: “Ryan is really into it! He feels like he’s reading a grown up book!”
Superb book for junior high level readers
My grandchildren loved it. Easy to identify with the characters. Exposes kids to a world of other children. Inspires them to do good things. Also exposes them in a fun way to financial thinking.
Educators & Adult Readers | Young Adult Readers
Young Adult Readers
I loved this book sooo much for several reasons. I loved the basic story of the book. It made me know that this isn’t a perfect world, but we can make it better.
~ Caitlin R., age 12
“The book connects to the events all around the world and shows them to us.” I liked everything about this book but the best part was about tradeing stocks and the ways that it worked. I didn’t have any difficulties with this book. I thought that It was really good! I am actually being really sincere, this is a great book for readers!
~ Alexander, age 11 1/2
The idea of the website is awesome! This was a great book! My favorite part was the Africa part and Hakim’s life.
~ Riley E., age 11
I enjoyed “The Kid Who beat wall Street” when Hakim tried to save the 2 little babies with measles. I enjoyed this because it was sad how the little children were dieing right there in the middle of the road.
~ Daniel P., age 12
So far I’m enjoying that The Kid… has so much information the best part is your reading a book that’s great while your learning. For example there’s some humer in the “pits” when one person stabs a person with a pencil in the arm by accident and the person who stabbed him gets punched in the nose by the man who was stabbed, but, at the same time your learning real actual facts about trading in the “pits.”
~ Ryan A., age 11 1/2
I’m not liking hearing about the kids in Africa who are getting Killed. It makes me smile to hearing that Marco and his friends are helping out I liked the part where marco was talking to a man about how he wanted to get the Xray machine to hakim and then hakim could barter it. This book is so exciting and interesting.
~ Ryan H., age 12
In The Kid…, I am enjoying how the world problems are mentioned. It will give people a clue how lucky they are. Also it goes back and forwards form different countries. This book tells you that Hakim has one pair of shoes that are falling apart. I have more than 15 pairs of shoes and never knew that I am that lucky. Here if we had measles we would immediately be driven to the doctors.
~ Claire C., age 13