The Buried Crown

It's World War Two and Britain is on the brink of invasion. George has been sent to live in the countryside while his brother and guardian, Charlie, trains to be a pilot – but he's far from safe.

An ancient burial grown nearby contains a priceless treasure: a magical Anglo-Saxon crown that Hitler is desperate to possess. 

Alongside Kitty, the granddaughter of a Jewish archaeologist, George must find and protect the crown from Nazi invaders before it's too late.

This fast-paced adventure zips along, with chapters that often end on exciting cliffhangers. The book draws on real-life history yet mixes up the facts with tantalising mythical and magical elements: dragon legends, watchful Ravens, powerful runes and a Saxon king called Redwald... It all evokes an atmosphere a bit like Bedknobs and Broomsticks.

However, in The Buried Crown, you are often unsure what is real and what imagined. It's a brilliant device that will open up a lot of good discussion points for children. To help that along, there is information at the back of the book about the many topics covered.

Additionally, the book delves a fair bit into what it means to be a refugee or far from home, and there's a lovely underlying message about friendship, kindness and standing up for what's right.