The Time Travellers: Secrets and Spies – at a glance
The School Reading Lists’ five word review: Spies, elephants, heroes, Bengal tigers.
Children’s book title: Secrets and Spies.
Children’s author: Sufiya Ahmed.
Children’s illustrator: Alessia Trunfio.
Genre: Mystery, spies.
Published by: Little Tiger.
ISBN: ISBN: 9781788956604.
Recommended for children aged: 8+ year-olds.
First published: Paperback October 2024.
This children’s book is ideal for: Children who love thrilling spy stories.
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Our review:
Spies, elephants, heroes, Bengal tigers, and a secret mission while zipping through time and space. This is a fast-paced, compelling way to learn about lesser-known parts of history and how they shape our lives today.
Suhana and her friends, Ayaan and Mia, are whisked away from Edinburgh to 1799, Seringapatam, India, where they meet Imran – a boy who works for the Sultan of Mysore. With Imran’s help, the children blend in with the locals, explore the rich palaces, uncover a traitor, and attempt a secret mission.
This is part of a new series of books featuring likeable, relatable characters that time travel. They explore different places across the world, meet legends, and get caught up in momentous events in history. Through fictional missions and adventures, a plethora of facts and information is absorbed, from the clothes worn, foods eaten, languages spoken, culture, beliefs, and so much more. History is brought to life, immersing the reader in the Sultan of Mysore’s world and predicament, and offering a far more impactful and global understanding of events.
With treachery and deceit, the East India Company, funded by the British Empire, brings the reader down to earth. Experiencing the effects of Britain’s greed on other cultures through good-natured, empathetic characters gently touches on shameful but much-needed, missing diverse history. Time Travellers – Secrets and Spies is an exciting, gripping adventure story that educates through curiosity and excitement and could inspire the next generation to avoid past mistakes and consider ethical behaviours.
At the end of the book are some timelines, and the well-thought-out plot/mission links into even more inspirational historical heroes. There’s an activity at the back and further information about contested history. A cleverly written, stimulating story, it’s essential for libraries or home bookshelves. Although aimed at 8–12-year-olds, anyone from 8 years and up may find this a really interesting read.
Many thanks to Little Tiger for the review copy.
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