book cover

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

  • Adventure
  • Fantasy
  • Ghost story
  • Graphic novels

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

Philip Pullman is an English writer from Norwich. He is the best-selling author of several books, most notably his trilogy of fantasy novels, His Dark Materials, and his fictionalised biography of Jesus, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ. The first book of His Dark Materials has been turned into the film The Golden Compass and the first two books are now a BBC TV series. The first two books from his Sally Lockhart series as well as his children's novel I was a Rat! or The Scarlet Slippers have also been adapted for television.

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