The Adventures of John Blake
by Philip Pullman, illustrated by Fred Fordham
Interest age: 10 to 12
Reading age: 10+
Published by Fickling Books, 2017
About this book
When Serena falls into the sea, she’s rescued by John Blake: a boy from the ghost ship Mary Alice, which is travelling through time. But the crew of the Mary Alice have worked out that the ship keeps appearing at certain points on the map. What could this mean, and how does it relate to John’s father’s work on a top-secret weapons programme?
Like the Bourne films with time travel and a ghost ship, Pullman’s story rockets along at thrilling speed, full of secrets, mysterious baddies and emotional drama. Serena and John are keen to unravel John’s past, but shady forces are threatening their discoveries.
Fred Fordham’s exquisite art tells the story with a mixture of fast-paced panels and whole page illustration which are beautiful as standalone pieces, as well as giving a sense of awe and mystery to the story. Adventure on the high seas meets spy thriller: a fantastically executed, exciting must-read.
About the author
More books like this
-
The Amulet of Samarkand: A Bartimaeus Graphic Novel
by Jonathan Stroud
9 to 14 years
-
Curse of the Chosen: Volume 1
by Alexis Deacon
11 to 14 years
-
Calamity Jack
by Dean Hale and Shannon Hale, illustrated by Nathan Hale
9 to 14 years
-
Stormbreaker: The Graphic Novel
by Anthony Horowitz
9 to 14 years
Lists of recommended reads
-
Books about time travel
From The Time Machine to Dr Who, the ability to travel through time and change the course of history has long caught our imagination. Here are some of our favourite children's books about time travel both classic and recently published.
-
Graphic novels (Middle Grade)
These comics and graphic novels offer a different route into discovering the pleasure of reading. This selection is for children who can read themselves and who enjoy a visual narrative too.