Something strange is happening to children’s magic. Not to mention magical creatures and dwellings falling ill. Eglantine’s sentient house Huswyvern has a cold and each time he sneezes their entire household is left topsy-turvy.

Can Miss Hegotty’s Secret Society of young witches figure out what is causing all the problems?

Plot summary of Witchlight

Eglantine’s house Huswyvern is sick. She has been searching Hus’ Grimoire for a spell to help, but hasn’t had any luck.

Her friends and fellow Secret Society Members are hard at work trying to solve another mystery. Something is happening to children’s magic – especially to girls or those who aren’t deemed wealthy or important.

Has the Department of Isle-Spark got something to do with it? An undercover operation, accidental trips back in time and ghosts with warnings, lead them to the culprits – but also terrible danger.

Can they go up against the Department and scheming Royal Court to save the lives of all their magical friends and family?

Review

Diving back into the world of Witchspark is a real treat!

Both girls from the first novel in the series are back – stronger, braver and more determined than ever to put things right in their magical world, especially for girls.

Victoria’s place as the future queen is suddenly in jeopardy and Eglantine’s very life is at risk. These challenges raise the stakes as those who wish to rule their world have no regrets at any lives lost in their malevolent plans.

The conclusion of the this duology left me nodding at its ‘rightness’ also filling me with relief for characters I’d fallen in love with (especially the sentient house named Huswyvern.)

Book Style

Beginning with a flyer and news articles, this sets the scene for a problem the characters are facing.

267 Pages / Individual illustrations and titles in each chapter heading / Letters, advertisements and government notices appear throughout the book along with black and white full-page illustrations, in times of peak action.

FAQ’s

What age is it for?

9+

Where & When is it set?

A fictional Fantasy Victorian London, England

What is the Point of View / Tense of the novel?

Third person / Past tense

Is there Violence?

(The threat of – yes)

What genre is Witchlight?

Middle Grade Fantasy

Themes

Magic / Fantasy/ Family / Friendship

Is it part of a series?

Yes

1. Witchspark (2025)
2. Witchlight (2026)

Author

Dominique Valente

Publisher

Harper Collins UK

(2026, Magic, Series, Friendship, Sentient House, Portals, Villains, Princess, Curses, Magical Creatures, Courage, Time-travel, Betrayal, Conflict, Fantasy, Ghost, Historical)

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A 13 yr old girl has a strange ability to go back in time on New Year’s Eve. Most of it is not planned, accidental and completely surprising.

Lily must navigate each time until she can return to her own, whilst not giving away she is from the future.

Plot summary of Lily Tripp: Diary of an Accidental Time Traveller (No Spoilers)

Lily Tripp lived a normal life until the age of 9, when suddenly she is thrown back in time. The 1st time she does this she finds herself in 1842. Then the time of the Romans in the year 122, and forward again again she finally wakes up in her own time at the age of 12.

No one has noticed her absence, and when back in time, her family members and friends are also there, but completely unaware of anything strange. Lily is pleased that her secret crush pops up in each time, but so does her long-time nemesis from school.

Lily grows up whilst time-jumping, realising who is friend, who is foe, and also a lot about herself.

My thoughts

I love anything with time-travel, and this middle-grade novel has a fresh twist on it. Lily Tripp is funny, loyal and a perfectly normal girl besides her accidental time travel.

She is dealing with all the normal things in life at age 13. Her secret crush, best friend, peer friendships and a school bully-nemesis are parts of many young teen lives, and the fact that these challenges travel with her back and forth through time, make this novel even more engaging.

This is a fun novel, styled as a diary as Lily copes with the peculiar life she is living. Her many lists on what she wants to achieve or has learnt along the way are funny, poignant and also help readers get to know her even better.

Readers learn about the different times as Lily experiences them, and at the back of the book there is more information about the strange quirks and behaviours of these times in real life.

Loved the end!

Main Characters

Lily Tripp – Carries a diary everywhere, including back in time where it changes to suit the times. She is loyal, funny, keen on a boy (since forever) and is constantly working on plans to tell him how she feels. All this while navigating time jumps of hundreds of years.

Poppy – Lily’s best friend, with a determination to be herself, no matter what others think. This changes during the novel, bringing tension and misunderstandings between the friends.

Georgia – Lily’s nemesis who is free with her opinions which are usually negative – particularly with Lily. She is the mean-girl in every time jump.

Ollie – Lily’s crush who is oblivious to it.

Writing Style

Diary format with dates and times with each entry, letting readers know where and when Lily is. These are clear for the reader. Lily is talking directly to the reader with all her thoughts, feelings, both happy and sad, as she becomes a young teen.

FAQs

What age is it for?

For readers 10+

Where & When is it set?

UK 2025 / 1621 / 1976 / ?

What is the Point of View / Tense of the novel?

1st person / Present tense / Told direct to the reader

Is there Violence?

No

What genre is Lily Tripp: Diary of an Accidental Time Traveller?

Middle-grade Humour

Themes

Time Travel / First Love / Historical / Growing Up / Friendship

Is it part of a series?

No

If you liked this, you might like…

More Time travel novels 

Author

Amelia Tait

Publisher

Hachette / Hodder Children’s Books

(2026, Hachette UK, Time Travel, School, Bully, Nemesis, Crush, 1621, 1976, 2025, Diary Format, Growing Up, Family, Friendship, Historical)

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She finds herself in a carriage with a stranger, who can instantly see she looks lost. She’s wearing summer clothes for a start, when it’s freezing outside. The ticket she holds means nothing to him, and when a weird looking train guard approaches them, the stranger jumps into action.

He is a salesman in this world. A world called New Davia. His job allows him to use the trains to travel within worlds. Worlds that don’t include Margo’s. So where did she come from? He bribes the guard, taking responsibility for this lost girl.

Margo is grateful, but frightened. Still, she’s intrigued by this salesman who looks only a year or two older, with a crescent moon scar down his face. She shudders when he tells her it did hurt, and the tattooist did it with malice. This salesman is called Moon – because of this very scar.

Off the train, and meeting more strangers, Margo is more and more confused. When she sees Police-like authorities, she tries to flee Moon and his friends, but changes her mind when she witnesses their brutality on another.

She’s soon swept up in a world made of multiple worlds, attached by train lines like no other. These worlds have different time zones and levels. Margo is used to a 24 hour day, but some of the places in Moon’s worlds have much less, down to even less than 5 hr days. This time change from one world to another messes with Margo’s mind and body, resulting in Skipshock. The more you travel between worlds, the more Skipshock will affect you. Until it finally kills you.

Worried about her mother who will be frantic at her disappearance from her world, she’s grateful for Moon’s help to get home again. But can she trust him? On her way, she hears about the inequalities of Moon’s world. Especially against his people. Some places in New Devia have much more than others, and the ruling authorities are squeezing more and more out of poorer places, for their own use.

Learning there is an opposing force to this power, greed and treachery doesn’t surprise Margo, but it does when these revolutionaries tell her that she is the key to their success. She can help them fight back, and get back what once was theirs. Their homes, their way of life and in Moon’s case – his very life.

Rich and imaginative worldbuilding,

a simmering romance,

a villain to despise

and a twist I never saw coming.

Skipshock is a scintillating read!

This novel’s world is original, intriguing to get your head around (and I did wrangle with it in the beginning), but well worth it, as we meet main characters Margo and Moon and we learn their back stories.

Margo grows up over the month or so she is in this parallel world to ours, as the time zones shorten and lengthen and her body changes with it. There are parallels to our own world with terrible prejudice against Moon’s people, and the growing gap between rich and powerful (with plenty of time), and the struggling poor (with little time in their days.)

Clever – and I can’t wait for the next book after a truly shocking ending!

Author – Caroline O’Donoghue

Age – 15+

Find another great read by this author here

Publisher – Walker Books

Set – New Davia, a dystopian, interconnected world of varying time-zones.

Viewpoint – Two persectives / 1st person & 3rd

Violence – Yes

Sex – Yes / Alluded to

Real Life – No

Fantasy – Yes – Time Travel Trains

Blend – Dystopian / Revolution / Romance

(2025, Fantasy, Romance, Courage, War, Action, Betrayal, Grief, Time travel, Trains, Parallel Worlds, Danger, Gunfire, Loss, Watch, Prejudice,

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Her godmother tells her of a tale told about her room. The message is said to be left by a girl over 200 hundred years before, after being locked in there by her own father.

Evie soon learns more about this girl first hand – waking up in 1814 in the same house, wearing maid’s clothing. Life is very different in 1814 and she has to learn her dawn to dusk duties very quickly or be fired and forced to leave the house. But how would she get home again?

The more she learns about the house and its occupants, she soon meets the girl who scratched the message in the window. Evie knows she has to warn her about her father before it is too late – hoping this righting of a terrible wrong will return her to her own time.

Another great read by Helen Peters – connecting our time with the past in a unique way.

This story was originally published in 2017. Republished in 2025, it shows how this story has travelled itself through the years and is just as entertaining as it was eight years before.

Author – Helen Peters

Age – 10+

(Nosy Crow, 2017, 2025, History, Historical, Godmother, Courage, 1814, Time Travel)

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Frightened for Libby and even more scared when their mum denies Libby ever existed, Kit doesn’t know where to turn. But someone else was there that night and he saw what happened.

This someone is a boy called Story. He has his own secrets, but he is keen to help Kit find her little sister.

It’s not the only strange thing happening in their small seaside holiday town. Kit keeps seeing a strange woman along the beach and in town. Why does she look at Kit so intensely? Does she know something about Libby’s disappearance?

Kit, Story and the stranger are quickly caught up in an ancient and dangerous ritual, whether they like it or not. The woman is one of The Twelve – beings who look after the timeline and our world.

Something is pushing it to its limits and Kit and Story are not only the only ones who can fix it, but have a very limited time to do it, all while looking for Libby who is somewhere in the timeline.

An absorbing read for time travel fans. There aren’t multiple time jumps as the characters have only hours to act, but this makes The Twelve even more captivating. Glimpses into ancient times are fascinating to visit on the page, as are the plot devices and world building used in the narrative to be able to make the jumps. These visits also give our ancestors their due in how they lived, using all that was available to them to make life better.

Another difference noticeable between current Wales (where it is set) and the same places in the past, is the bird life and how bountiful it used to be.

The villain is convincing in his desire to change everything, as are his reasons for doing so. It sparks an ever increasing but provocative problem we are all dealing with around the world. But I’ll let you find out what that is yourself.

Told in Kit’s first person voice, with other threads of her problems in real life surfacing throughout the novel. There’s a lot on Kit’s plate in The Twelve, and Story is a fabulous support character. Their relationship grows without any romance, which is preferable for many YA readers.

Thanks to Faber Factory & Libro for an audio review copy of The Twelve.

Author – Liz Hyder

Illustrator – Tom de Freston

Age – 12+

Publisher – Faber Factory

Winner of the 2024 Nero Book Awards – Children’s Fiction Award

Winner of  the Tir na n-Og Award, Best English language book 2025.

(2025, Pushkin Children, Twelve watchers, Stone Clocks, Time unravelling, Time Travel, Time Slip, Story Musgrave, Portal, Golden Door, Rebel, UK, England, Friendships, Family, Sisters, Sacrifice, Kidnap, Time jumps, Shapeshifter, Humankind, Environment, Corrections, Betrayal, Courage, Fantasy, Love, Bullies, Bully, Time travel, St James’ Church, Stone Circle, History)

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The showdown with a family member who created this monstrous timeline into being was massive. It killed powerful beings, but with Joan’s own powers, saved her and her friends. Now they must hide as they work out a way to combat the ruler of the new timeline. Red uniformed guards are everywhere, and so are wanted posters for Joan and others.

As they plan, Joan must deal with the choice Nick made, damning them all to this new reality. They also learn that their arrival cancelled their counterparts and their own timeline plans.

The ramifications of everything build as Joan struggles with her love for both Aaron and Nick, and what their possible futures might be, no matter what happens with their plans.

Discovering all the blocks and disruptions the new ruler has put in place to counteract any acts of rebellion depletes Joan’s hopes at repairing and regaining all that has been lost.

But the longer they wait to strike, the more peril they are in as the new timeline is fracturing every minute. Will they work out a way to strike back, and will it be in time to save everyone they’ve ever known including themselves?

A spectacular finale to this riveting monsters vs humans, time-travel romance series!

Once A Villain starts exactly where Never A Hero left off. I reread the ending of Never A Hero to be ready to dive into this final book in the Only A Monster series.

There were so many threads to hold in my mind as a gobbled up this young adult novel. Timelines, romance, and obstacles defeating the protagonists at every turn. Choices to be made and heartbreaks to survive. Powers to control and grief like no other. Tumbling, page-turning, time travel conundrums.

All in all, Once A Villain gathers together the narrative to a pulse pounding finale, leaving a squeak of an opening to possibly see the characters again in the future.

Author – Vanessa Len

Publisher – Allen & Unwin

Age – 15+

If you liked this series, you will like the Six of Crows series here

(2025, Allen & Unwin, Australian Author, Third Person, Action, Conflict, Courage, Family, Fantasy, Grief, Love, Time travel, Romance, Series, Love Triangle, Time Lines, Sisters, Gladiators, Murder Plot, Monsters vs Humans, Control, Allies, Enemies)

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Their dog, named McQueen, is a serial escape artist, and any chance to escape his leash and he’s off! While chasing after McQueen, Angus is swept up by a speeding shopping trolley and sucked back in time. He finds himself, along with the cheese lady from his local supermarket, in the year of AD212. In shock, Angus can hardly speak, but luckily, this is no ordinary shopping trolley. It is armed with futuristic technology that will help him cope in this very strange place.

But Marge (the cheese lady) doesn’t even blink at the armed Roman soldiers as she enters a market – shopping for, you guessed it. Cheese! Angus follows in awe, especially when Marge barters in toilet paper. The Romans can’t get enough of it! They are soon back in the trolley and racing towards home where Angus has no problem completing his history homework.

His teacher and parents are so impressed, Angus wants to do well again, and pesters Marge at her cheese counter to take him again. But too much of a good thing is never wise, and like the saying goes – the wheels (literally) fall off his plans. We’ve all had a wobbly-wheeled shopping trolley. They are bad news if you’re trying to push one, but relying on one for time travel is much, much worse.

Angus, Marge, McQueen and and unlikely passenger are soon in a fight for their lives and for the entire world, as a megalomaniac ruler from the future has annihilation in mind. Can they stop him with a little help from famous people throughout history?

These two authors never fail to make me laugh, and The Kid Who Fell Through Time is a cracking good read.

I love the way the authors add bits in along the way (from themselves as authors), an annoying Fact Pig who can’t help showing off, and the publisher’s own Puffin who turns up in the story to tell them to hurry up and get on with the story! Hilarious!

The time-travel component has tons of action, a laser beam arm, a bespectacled genius scientist, some kick-butt women, and explainers when things get messy. It’s not only main character Angus who learns about history as readers will pick up some interesting facts along the way too.

Chocka with illustrations capturing the action and fun fonts throughout, readers will keep turning pages.

Another entertaining, hilarious read from James and Smith.

Authors – Greg James & Chris Smith

Illustrator – Erica Salcedo

Age – 8+

(2024, Penguin Random House UK, Time travel, Humour, Friendship, Courage, Animals, School, Action, Adventure, Funny, Cheese, Ancient Egypt, Shopping Trolley, Runaway Dog, Secret, Exchange Student)

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A covert trip into a cave system guided by two local guys one night sounds like a fun way to try and forget. The caves prove to be awesome, with candles flickering, music playing and alcohol flowing – and someone looks interesting. But then the ground begins to shake.

Fleeing through falling rocks and hearing screams from all directions, Ana stumbles out of the entrance with others into… daylight. And a raging battle.

Ana’s problems with her ex, her shame and her shattered heart are nothing to what she is about to face. She is suddenly on her own, being hunted, tied up, rescued, or doing some rescuing of her own. Learning she is no longer in the 21st century, but the Year of Our Lord 1303, is too confusing to comprehend. She is alone with strangers – some of which want to kill her, capture her, or determine if she is a witch.

Leon is confused by this strange girl who seemed to appear from nowhere. Her clothing is skant, her mouth foul and her courage huge. Who is she and where is she from? It is this stranger that bandages his wounds and then fills his mind for days as she is taken, then found then taken again. Does his enemies have her? Is she part of some prophecy? His feelings go from responsibility, to repaying a debt, to something more. If only he can find her again.

Told in two points of view, The Lost Saint is masterfully written, with a rich medieval backdrop and constantly clashing characters. Being thrown back more than 700 years into the past is the largest time-slip gap I have read in a long time, and the contrasts between the two were most entertaining.

I loved the way main character Ana stood up to the condescension of the men she met, how she tricked them with her acting talent and how she got herself out of many terrifying situations. Other characters were introduced, and I’m looking forward to getting to know them better as this series progresses.

Some characters were aggravating, and I’m hoping for their comeuppance. Romance is only just touched upon with a few lingering kisses, but there is a very strong possibility of more sparks flying in future episodes.

Author – Rachael Craw

Age – 14+

(2025, Allen & Unwin, NZ Author, New Zealand Author, Series, Time travel, Action, Romance, Conflict, Courage, Fantasy, Historical, Magic, 1303, Medieval, Prophecy, Palace, Rescue, Escape, Saint, Sword play)

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Nan is patient and firm however, and Letty visits grudgingly. She can’t wait until her parents return from their work trip and rescue her. On a phone call to her dad he suggests looking for a hidden box of treasures in the room she’s sleeping in, which was Gramps’ room when he was a boy.

When she finds the box it has a jumble of marbles, paper clippings and an old football jersey. This discovery launches Letty back in time to 1969, when Gramps is a boy her age, and the world is excited about the very first moon landing. Gramps is called Moonboy by everyone as he is fascinated by the upcoming event.

Being able to move between times also allows Letty to break through Gramps’ dementia and reconnect with her grandfather, all while making a new friend, learning about the moon landing and its trials and tribulations along the way.

Not all runs smoothly however, as Letty realises the possible flow on effects of everything she does back in 1969.

This story would make a great fiction resource for any middle grade study of the 1969 moon landing as it shows the excitement of the landing itself and also things that didn’t go quite as planned.

Time travel is a personal favourite, and travelling back to 1969 was fun. The background for this time was taken from interviews with family members with their memories providing all the interesting details of living in a Milk Bar (Dairy).

In the rear of the book are more interesting facts about the moon landing, given young readers even more information to use in projects or enjoy for their own interests. 

My favourite theme in the book is the intergenerational relationship between Letty and her grandfather, and how she broke through his dementia with items from his childhood.

Author / Illustrator – Anna Cidor

Age – 7+

(2025, Allen & Unwin, Time travel, Family, Grief, Adventure, Love, Secret, Grandfather, Grampa, Rest home care, Dementia, Connections, Friendships, Grandparents, Time jump, Moon landing, 1969, Memories, Memory, Historical)

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They pull out a box and find an old radio inside. Hiding it in an old garden shed, they wonder if it will work.

Three other children are wondering the same thing. Alice, Artie and Lawrence are looking at Alice’s brother’s old homemade radio after Alice rescued it before the rubbish truck arrived. When they hear a voice on the other end, they can’t believe it. Swapping names is easy, but they begin to realise that something isn’t quite right.

When they realise they are talking to three kids 79 years in the future, they struggle to get their head around it. In fact, they are standing in exactly the same shed, on the same street. Comparing places in their town, they learn that things change over the years.

With the help of Henry, Frances and Lukas from 2023, Alice, Artie and Lawrence try to save their favourite store in town. The flow on effects in 2023 are soon felt, and they quickly understand that messing with time can be incredibly dangerous.

Just a word in the wrong ear can change entire lifetimes, and even their country’s future. What have they done, and can it be undone?

Told in two viewpoints set 79 years apart, Westfallen had me hooked from cover to cover. Not only is it a ripping read, the contrasts between two sets of friends in 2023 and 1944 was brilliantly portrayed in dialogue and events. Throw in a completely different reality on top and the fates of not only the main characters but an entire country, spiral downwards in a tension filled narrative.

The engaging premise and plot had me reading Westfallen in nearly one sitting, only to find it was the first in a trilogy. I was split between feeling gutted that this episode cut off in a thrilling way and I’ll have to wait until the next book, and knowing there will be more in this series.

If you love stories about war, time-travel, friendship loyalty and courage, Westfallen is the series for you!

Loved it.

Authors – Ann Brashares & Ben Brashares

Age – 9+

(2024, Bloomsbury, Time Travel, Friendship, Gerbil, The Butterfly effect, 1944, 2023, World War 2, WWII, War, Family, Future, Past, Radio, Well, Racism, Thrilling, Tension, Nazis, Alternate future, Ramifications, Flow on effects, Historical, Multiple Viewpoints, Trilogy, Series, Rescue, Mystery)

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When their parents are away on business…again, and their babysitter has left them to it while she holidays with friends, the twins do what they always do. Hang out in the vast NYC library. They think, Why not make the most of it? and take one of their father’s prized rare books to be valued at the library. This copy of Dracula is a first edition, and the twins want to understand why their dad spends more time with his book collection (when he’s actually home) than with his own children.

They can’t find anyone to help at first, until they meet a night librarian – Ms Literati. But before they can find what they’re after, the treasured copy of Dracula, vanishes! Even Page knows they’re going to be in a heap of trouble if they don’t get it back before their parents get home. It’s hard enough keeping a straight face when their parents check in with them by phone, let alone they find out the truth.

Page & Turner have wondered what a Night Librarian does when the library has closed for the evening, but they soon discover why someone is needed to watch the books. Books are brimming with all sorts of adventures, magic, fantastical characters and scary ones too, such as Dracula himself.

Events in the library show the twins that sometimes this magic, especially from classic stories, can explode from their pages if not handled correctly.

Will Page and Turner find their copy of Dracula? Will they keep it a secret from their parents? Will they even survive a night in the NYC?

Not only do they have the adventure of a lifetime, they get to know each other better, make new friends and save their favourite place in the world.

The cover of this book captured my attention, and when I took a peek inside I knew I wanted to visit the NYC library for myself.

This is a perfect book for booklovers and fans of story. Story itself is a huge part of this adventure, and the older the story the more exciting the magic. With humour, clever story telling and two very different twins in the mix, a theme of family is also woven through the tale.

Jim Hawkins, Jack (and the Beanstalk), Alice (in Wonderland) and Dracula himself star, along with many more famous and beloved book characters, as the twins try to find a family treasure and save the NYC Library.

A enjoyable and compelling read with a satisfying ending.

Author / Illustrator – Christopher Lincoln

Age – 8+

Graphic Novel

(2024, Scholastic, Graphic Novel, Action, Adventure, Courage, Family, Fantasy, Friendship, Growing up, Historical, Humour, Magic, Secret, Time travel, Siblings, Twins, New York City Library, Books, Characters, Search, Missing Book, Rare book, Middle Grade, Tween read)

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Arriving in a time with any technology absent, horse and cart or walking the only transport, and trees towering over them, someone takes offence at their bright clothing. Amorangi’s Pokemon shirt and Millie’s cat print leggings certainly stood out, but being called “Devil children,” was a bit much.

It’s only another moment when they are back where they belong – with something missing from their neighbourhood. A huge Rimu tree. Little did they know that the loss of this tree caused havoc back in time too.

A girl named Rawinia saw the two brightly dressed children appear then shortly vanish into thin air. Were they patupaiarehe – the tree fairies her family spoke of? Soon this is the last thing on her mind as her family is thrown into chaos.

Amorangi and Millie know they must put things right again, travelling back into time to work out what happened to the Rimu. Time travelling however is much more mixed up than before. They arrive on a ship, just as it is sinking! They are separated and experience different times as they try and find each other.

Millie makes a good friend in Rawinia who still believes she is fairy folk, as they flee the beginnings of a NZ land war. Meanwhile, Amorangi makes an unlikely friend while they dodge flying, flaming rocks being spat from an awakening volcano!

They work out what they must do, but it seems impossible. If only Amorangi had done his homework!

The second in this series, Rimu: The Tree of Time is even more gripping than the 1st!

With a little confidence taken from their first trips back in time, siblings Amorangi and Millie believe they know what they are doing. It’s not long into the story that they realise they have made a terrible mistake, with horrifying consequences.

Not only have they changed their surroundings in real time, a life lost steps up the stakes. The tension steadily rises throughout this episode, whilst taking readers back into Aotearoa NZ history. Arriving on a lurching, sinking Wahine is a terrifying experience for the characters and a glimpse of how frightening our worst maritime disaster was for those on board in 1968.

The gradual build up of tensions between Māori and British Forces is written well, culminating in whole papa kāinga (villages) forced to move under threat of gunfire. In another time, earthquakes are the ringing bell for one of the characters as Mount Tarawera begins to erupt.

These historical events that shaped Aotearoa’s NZ’s history are expertly woven into the narrative, giving not only an exciting read, but an open door into classroom activities and study.

An added terror for the characters is the feeling they are being rubbed out – never to exist. Had they doomed not only others in the past but themselves too by popping back in time to fetch a homework item?

I much enjoyed this episode of Amorangi and Millie’s Adventures. The gripping plot, and a face-paced read kept me turning pages right until the fascinating Historical Note at the end from the author.

Author – Lauren Keenan

Age – 8+

(2024, Huia Publishers, Aotearoa, New Zealand, NZ, Historical, History, Siblings, 1860, Pekapeka Block, NZ Wars, Māori, Pakeha, Tension, Taranaki, New Plymouth, Settlers, Colonists, Colonialism, Wahine Disaster, 1968, Sinking, Tarawera Eruption, 1886, Volcano, 1860, Series, Family, Friendship, Time Travel)

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Urgh, aren’t Monday mornings the worst?

This is what Felix is thinking as his dad yells for him to get up. His little brother Olly doesn’t help, following him around telling him endless terrible jokes out of his favourite new book.

Escaping to the bathroom, Felix hopes the shower will drown out Olly, but instead his ears are filled with a shrieking sound like metal on metal, then he is flashed with a searing bright light!

When he opens his eyes, he is definitely NOT in his bathroom. He’s not even in his house. In fact, a hoard of people are running straight at him, armed with pitchforks and other sharp tools. He only just escapes their rampage, while realising he is also buck naked.

Completely flummoxed by this turn of events, Felix figures first things first – find some clothes. Not usually one to steal, he helps himself to a clothesline of old fashioned clothes – only to see someone watching him do it.

This is the least of his worries, as soon he meets a medieval mage, saves a vegetarian dragon all while trying to figure out where he is and how he got there?

Will he ever see his dad and annoying little brother ever again?

The first in this time-travel series, the time-travel portal is unique. I can’t say I’ve ever read a book where having a shower transports you back in time. This brings a whole new dimension of singing or thinking about the day ahead whilst washing, and a warning about wishing in the shower instead.

Large clear fonts, funny illustrations and short chapters makes Shower Land a great series for emerging readers to step up their reading skills.

The intriguing end leads into a possible new adventure for Felix. Who did he catch a glimpse of as he left another time?

Author – Nat Amoore

Illustrator – James Hart

Age – 7+

(2024, Penguin Aust, Shower, Siblings, Joke book, Time Travel, Medieval Market, Vegetarian Dragons, Working Together, Series, Funny, Humour)

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But it’s just as hot there too. In fact, a nearby lake has drastically shrunk in the heatwave revealing the remains of a village once called Syndercombe. Aunt Jessie explains that there are even more buildings under the water that is left, and the area was flooded on purpose.

Sick of the heat, and lured by the cool remaining water in the reservoir, Polly goes swimming – and wakes up in 1952 – as someone else, in Syndercombe.

This someone is Nellie, taken in by an older couple when her mum passed away. Nellie is kept company by Lena who is recuperating in the country after tuberculosis. Nellie and Lena have become the very best of friends.

‘What’s the story, morning glory?’

‘What’s your tale, nightingale?’

Nellie is an excellent swimmer in her area, and with Lena at her side Nellie tries out for an amazing opportunity. A wealthy man is keen to sponsor and train a child to be the very first child to swim the Channel between England and France. Nellie is devastated when a boy she’s never met before is chosen over her, and the disappointment just won’t leave her. Again, with Lena by her side, another opportunity arises.

Polly returns home to 2032 in awe. She visits Syndercombe again at exactly the same time as the first – just in case it’s important to the portal she had found. She was right. 2am is very important to Nellie, as this is the time that the local water board say her village must be empty before they flood the area. A dam is being built and everyone must move. Nellie hates to think about leaving her farm and her favourite Clydesdale horses. But she has a distraction. She is going to train to swim the Channel anyway, and the colder the water the better.

Polly can understand Nellie’s worries, but she has some of her own in 2032. Her own best friend has ignored her for weeks after an argument, and her big brother Joel is acting strangely. Surprising news comes from home and Joel finally tells her what’s wrong. The heat makes everything harder and Polly is always keen to return under the water to 1952’s Nellie. At least they’re not her own problems.

But news of bad weather is coming, and Dad is coming to get them. Polly is torn. She has to know what’s going to happen to Nellie and Lena.

This is a time-slip novel with a difference. The portal is underwater and at a key time in the demise of an entire village. Progress after the 2nd World War demands more fresh water for towns and the best place for a reservoir means drowning this village. Also woven into the story is swimming of the English Channel, surprise family announcements in both timelines, along with friendship dilemmas too.

Key themes are whether decisions made in the pursuit of progress are the best in the long run. There are fracturing friendships and miscommunications, parental expectations vs being yourself, and of course the result of ‘progress’ being global warming.

The ending is very neat and tidy and one moment I was hoping it wouldn’t be, then had a tear in my eye because it was wonderful.

Author – Emma Carroll

Age – 9+

Read more book reviews of Emma Carrol’s titles (Click on a Cover)

(2023, Faber & Faber, Allen & Unwin, Time Travel, Historical, 1950’s, Friendship, Swimming the Channel, The Cost of Progress, Flooding a town, Bullying, True self, Dreams, Expectations, Friendships, Portal, Time Slip)

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Her parents come home from a parent-teacher evening and they are bristling with rage. They thought she was coming home to do her homework while they were trudging through the yearly stocktake at their family bookstore. Little did they know, Selby was actually watching her favourite TV shows, eating what she liked for dinner and completely ignoring anything to do with school.

Every distraction is banned. No TV, no computer, no music. Dad orders a new routine for his daughter. School, shop, homework, dinner, study, bed. And it will begin with a new tutor to help her catch up on her classes. The tutor turns out to be a brainiac friend of Selby’s big brother, and she groans at the thought. Especially when Dan begins with the boring book she is studying in English – Hamlet.

Selby claims she can’t understand a word of this guy Shakespeare, but Dan insists, then tells her to read out loud. The shame of it! Shelby begins to read and Dan nods his encouragement. She’s surprised. It’s not so bad reading aloud after all. It’s even… WHACK!

They wake on cold, stone battlements in the dark. Figures approach them, and to their horror they realise they are in 16th Century Denmark. One of the men in front of them is Hamlet himself.

Dan is an expert on all things Shakespeare, so is the perfect guide in this strange adventure. He knows what to expect as they seem to drift from one scene in the play to the next.

But Shelby is shocked by what she hears. There is talk of murder. Lack of respect for a mother and a girlfriend enrages her and experiencing Hamlet’s madness is hard to watch. She refuses to let the coming events play out as Dan describes them, and she does everything she can to save lives – even if they are only fictional.

Changing a play as influential to the world is tricky however. She must tread carefully in the past to protect the world’s literary future.

Knowing only the basics about Hamlet, I went into this story nearly as blind as Shelby did. Hamlet Is Not Okay begins as a light teen read (Shelby is 15), but steadily becomes more substantial as Shelby learns the world of Hamlet. There are problems to solve, lives to save and parents to keep happy, all while skipping back and forth through a portal between the present and the 16th Century.

This might be based around a dire Shakespearean play full of murder, madness and ghosts, but this novel by the author of the Nanny Piggins and Friday Barnes’ books, is also sharp-witted and funny.

Shelby’s ignorance of anything Shakespeare brings a fresh teen perspective on the behaviour of the characters and their actions to one another. No-nonsense Shelby is determined to sort them all out and does so brilliantly without too much upheaval for the future.  

I particularly enjoyed a mention of a classic I do love and know well – Pride and Prejudice.

A clever, entertaining read, which may just help High School students as an introduction to Hamlet (the play) itself.

Author – R A Spratt

Age – 12+

Find more R A Spratt books here

(2023, Penguin, Hamlet, Shakespeare, Homework, English Study, Play, School, Tutor, Time Travel, Murder, Depression, Girlfriend, Ophelia, Funny, Family, Bookshop, Literature, Classic Remaking, Historical, Ghost, King & Queen, Grief)

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Working in the store after high school seems a safe bet for Audrey. She had planned to attend Art School, but those plans fell apart when a relationship did. Two rejections from the two most important things in her life has left her smarting, uncertain about going out in the world after high school, and definitely wary of falling in love again.

The shop has many special customers and one of these is Mr Montgomery. He is almost part of the shop, coming in every day for coffee and a newspaper. Her father never charges him for them – never has. This elderly gentleman has seen Audrey grow up, and he tries to give her advice about her art and her heart. She won’t hear of it, until he makes her listen… She wakes up in a field in 1812.

Lucy can’t believe her eyes. The girl lying on the ground in front of her is wearing trousers! The cloth is strange and Lucy can actually see the girl’s skin showing on her body!

She helps her up and takes her back to her house. Luckily her strict father is away for the next few weeks, and she and her house maid Martha can find out where this strange girl is from. But the answer she seeks is preposterous. The year of 2023?!

Audrey quickly proves who she is, and all doubt is left behind as she speaks so strangely, is very confident and outspoken and doesn’t seem to have any etiquette training at all. Lucy is perplexed but fascinated at the same time in this stranger. While her father is away, Lucy and Audrey get to know each other. Lucy teaches Audrey all she needs to get by in Regency England, and Audrey slowly draws Lucy’s real personality out.

Lucy has been brought up by her father since her mother died. Her parent’s had a loveless marriage, and Lucy’s mother had wished for more for her only child. But Lucy’s father sees her only as a pawn to increase his wealth and standing in the county and business community. Lucy must marry a man much older and richer to cement her father’s aspirations.

Together, the girls begin to work out why Audrey has been thrown back in time, all the while becoming their true selves around each other. Does Audrey have to find love to return home to 2023? Can Lucy marry a man she doesn’t love? Can Audrey find her love of drawing again? Can Lucy admit the feelings she has for a girl?

As a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice, just the title of this YA novel was enough to dive in. It is told in two points of view. Audrey is 17, and lives in Pittsburgh USA in 2023. Lucy lives on her wealthy father’s estate in 1812.

Thrown together when Audrey travels back in time, the contrast between them is captivating. Both dealing with uncertain futures, it was wonderful to watch them unfurl on the page – slowly becoming themselves again after past hurts. Their growing attraction is almost painful to watch as they doubt themselves, then each other, and right before I just about couldn’t stand it a page longer, the plot shifts and I’m gripped again.

One of the best romance novels I’ve read in ages, with a fantastical time twist, finishing with a glimpse of their future together.

(Thank you Net Galley for my ARC of Pride and Prejudice and the City)

Author – Rachael Lippincott

Age – 14+

(2023, Simon & Schuster, Harper Collins, Romance, Regency, England, 1812, 2023, Love, Art, Drawing, Arranged Marriage, Friendship, Etiquette, Dancing, Attraction, Mystery, Time Travel, Secret, Betrayal, New Life, Understanding, True Self, Freedom, Historical, LGBTQ+, Queer)

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A big red button? Para instantly thinks to push this button. Whooooaaa!

Crash! Para Pūkeko lands millions of years back in time, just as an enormous meteor is heading for Earth.

The first creature she meets is a small green lizard type creature she quickly figures is a tuatara. And sure enough, and with the help of the Time Thingy, both Para and Heahea the Tuatara, survive the event that wipes out all the other dinosaurs.

Heahea and Para begin travelling forward in time, and Para tries to get back to her beloved dump. They meet Moa, Huia and even survive a very angry mother Pouākai (A flying bird even bigger than a moa – also called Haast’s Eagle). Huia is very clever and concerned about species vanishing after humans arrived in Aotearoa New Zealand. Heahea and Para make things much worse, before leaping ahead in time to see white men discovering New Zealand.

Again these two hilarious NZ native creatures cause havoc in history, before finally getting back to Para’s home. But is it her home as she knew it….?

This bright, funny graphic novel will be a wonderful first foray into Aotearoa New Zealand history. Characters Para Pūkeko and Heahea the Tuatara leap through time, causing chaos everywhere they land. After the Triassic period, they move forward together to 1445 and 1642, experiencing key moments in NZ history. These can be enjoyed, then researched in class or at home for the correct events.

This is a great way to capture readers 7+ with the NZ history curriculum coming into effect in schools. 

Both Para and Heahea are hilarious, and I cringed at their antics and laughed at others. The illustrations are in full colour and the font large – both easy to follow and read for young readers.

This is the first in this new Graphic Novel series. Book 2 is coming soon.

Author / Illustrator – Book Ruffell

Graphic Novel

Age – 6+

(2023, Penguin Random House NZ, New Zealand, Pūkeko, Swamp Hen, Native Bird, Humour, Funny, Historical, 1445, 1642, Moa, Huia, Pouākai, Haast’s Eagle, series, Graphic Novel, Last of the Dinosaurs, Time Travel)

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That’s not the only problem Bob is dealing with. He is a time traveller, but with no control over it. At first it was only ten minutes into the future but then it’s decades! Meeting with his older self is freaky at first, but each time he is thrown forward in time, he learns a little more about the world’s future.

As expected, technology is much advanced, but also has taken a terrible turn. Leaving the house is nearly impossible as groups of zombies lurk everywhere. These zombies wear a strange hat that dangles a phone screen in front of their faces. Their goal in life is to take selfies – all the time. If they can get you in it, even better.

Bob learns more and more each time he is hurled forward into his future, but each time he returns to his 11 year old self, his plans to prevent the selfie zombies fail again and again. When he jumps again, the world is even worse! Can he change the fate of the world or is it already sealed in zombie horror?

This funny zombie horror time-travel story has everything. Laughs, friendship, a guilty secret, smiling zombies who bite and a school talent show that must be won at any cost.

The time travel aspect is fun as main character Bob does the unusual in time travel – meets up and works with his future self. But the concept of going back in time to prevent problems in the future is far from smooth, in fact causing even more problems. Young Bob learns from old Bob each time he jumps, even though he’s not impressed with his future career or girlfriend.

Themes of tech turning us into zombies is clear as is the advice of not losing a sense of fun as you age. Bob even learns where his time-travel skills come from in a touching reunion.

Fun read with even funnier illustrations.

Author – Andy Jones

Illustrator – Robin Boyden

Age – 7+

(2023, Piccadilly Books, Allen & Unwin, Action, Friendship, Family, Love, Future, Secret, Time travel, Humour, Growing up, Zombies, Funny, Band, Talent Show, Rival)

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Hopping on a bus doesn’t take him to a long-time pen pal as planned though. To his horror he finds himself on the other side of the world in New Zealand – 100 years in the future.

All is soon explained to him. He was chosen to be part of a special time-travel program. He is to stay in 2122 for 5 months as part of a University educational historical study and 2122 students will learn about history through people from that time. Worried about how his disappearance will affect his family back in 1996, he is assured that he will be returned to his own time with no memories of his miraculous time-jump, and no time will have passed there.

Life wasn’t peachy in 1996, but Ren wishes for home. His allotted student guide for 2122 is Mithaniel, or Mars for short. He’s excited to be Ren’s guide, and is all for the sophisticated time-travel and tech conglomerate Chronotech that runs it. After Ren’s initial misgivings, Mars shows Ren the fun side of 2122.

Mars’ best friend is wary of Chronotech. They believe something isn’t right at the core of this powerful corporation. There are too many unanswered questions. The longer Ren is in 2122, the more he begins to understand until he too has questions. He’s also falling for Mars which adds even more complications. How would he even say goodbye and will he forget him the moment he is sent home?

My favourite graphic novel this year! Project Nought‘s main characters are all queer, brave, loyal and determined to discover what is going on inside a University’s time-travel project. Imagining going through what the focus character experiences, quickly sucked me into this graphic novel. Would I baulk like Ren at this intrusion in my life, or accept it whole-heartedly like funny, brash, courageous Phoebe?

Time travel can be messy in any kind of story, but Project Nought has executed it well, making this a riveting and solid read. The artwork flows brilliantly and I marveled often at the ‘camera’ angles the author-illustrator portrays.

Characters are distinctive and likeable and their emotion beautifully drawn. It was a surprise to discover Project Nought is set in Auckland, New Zealand, and as a kiwi I could place the story’s settings.

Will definitely be looking out for more of this talented author-illustrator’s work.

Author / Illustrator – Chelsey Furedi

Graphic Novel

Age – 14+

(2023, Harper Collins, Time-Travel, Graphic Novel, Future, Inclusivity, Gay, Bi, Non-Binary, LGBTQ+, Queer, Friendship, Action, Betrayal, Powerful Corporation, Lies, Secrets, Fake News, Laboratories, Experiments, Trials, Tests, Control, Social Media, News, Trust, Missing, Attraction, Science)

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Life for Ocean Mooney in 2425 is selling fish at the Newcastle (England) fish markets. She is finishing up one day when she notices a boy putting up posters for an act at the soon-to-be Fish Fair. This act boasts items from the Wonder Age of computers, TVs and microwaves and even has a movie on offer. Like anybody else reading these posters, she is intrigued. But this boy named Duke and his uncle have “other business” in the area too, which is even more intriguing. When Ocean learns what it is, she realises it makes their amazing Wonder Age show pale in comparison.

402 years before in 2023, Thomas is unhappy at his genius cousin Kylie coming to live from Australia. She is about to attend a prestigious school for bright brains like herself, but in the meantime has taken over the house with her annoying babble about time travel and its possibilities. She intends to showcase her idea, and the digital contraption she has built in her bedroom, in a television competition.

Thomas doesn’t believe it, let alone understand it, but agrees to go on tv with her. She might be a genius, but appearing on tv by herself is just too daunting.

The day at the studios before the show that night is fantastic. At least it would be if Thomas wasn’t feeling guilty about something he has done. The flow on effects are clear soon enough when both he and Kylie vanish, and a strange looking girl and a monkey take their place.

Was it a trick? A stunt for the tv show’s ratings? Or is the girl telling the truth? Time is ticking for the world to find out.

Ross Welford is a wonderful storyteller, and The Monkey who fell from the Future is another great tale full of likeable characters, easily imagined settings and a race to the finish conclusion.

There are two time zones in this novel, beginning with 2425, then flicking back to 2023 and back again. These times are well indicated at the beginning of the alternating chapters along with the point of view character’s name. Tension rises steadily and authentically as the action escalates to a nail biting ending.

Staying in one area, but 402 years apart helps the character and the reader picture the two settings. One neat, tidy and now, and one filled with crumbling buildings, ivy covered homes and broken roads. Not to mention the strange birds and animals wandering the bush between.

The time travel itself is via distinct conditions and although confusing to all but one of the characters, it is easy for the reader to understand, putting the specifics aside to be wrapped up entirely by the story.

Another fabulous read by Ross Welford. 

Author – Ross Welford

Age – 9+

Ross Welford talks about The Monkey who fell From The Future here

Read more reviews of Ross Welford titles (Click on a Cover)

(2023, Harper Collins, Blended Family, Cousin, Future, Action, Animals, Monkey, Courage, Adventure, Bullies, Time Travel, 2425, Laptop, Computers, TV Show, Travelling showman, Fish Fair, Star Wars, Meteorite, Science)

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