It’s been a year now since Kate was given a magical steam train by her uncle Herbert for her 11th birthday. It isn’t magical in a rainbows and unicorn kind of way. The Silver Arrow train run by the Great Secret Intercontinental Railway has a very important mission, and Kate has done her best to try and complete it. But saving animals from habitat loss and climate change is never ending.

Kate is beginning to feel overwhelmed, taking The Silver Arrow around the world and back again, trying to fix what humankind has wrecked by levelling forests, spraying pesticides or generally warming up the planet. And now Uncle Herbert has gone missing!

Things in the real world aren’t much better for Kate. Becoming a conductor for the special railroad has changed her, and now at high school (Intermediate in NZ) her friend base has shrunk. Watching her younger brother Tom’s confidence and ability to make friends is frustrating. Her attempt to do so by auditioning for the school play implodes and she’s still stinging from the embarrassment.

Back on the railway, still wondering where Uncle Herbert has gone, they have a close shave with another GSIR train. It’s gold, and flashy and when she catches it, she discovers who the conductor is. He’s not only someone from school, he is breaking the rules of the railway!

Kate boils over with all that she is dealing with. This golden train is called The Golden Swift, and it seems as if it is undoing all her hard work. But is it? Maybe there is another way?

I loved the blend of magic, animals, and climate change in episode one in this duology – The Silver Arrow. If only there was such a solution to help steady the wobbling climate systems of our planet, to ensure we don’t lose any more of our amazing animal species, both big and small.

In this sequel The Golden Swift digs a little deeper, exploring the frustration and beginnings of despair of one girl who cannot imagine where and how any balance can actually be restored. Another young mind seems to have the answer, going back even further in history to when things changed.

Action, mystery and a fast-paced problem to try and tackle. This episode highlights that unfortunately there is no magic bullet – but we mustn’t give up.

Enjoyable and thought provoking read for all young readers.

Author – Lev Grossman

Illustrator – Tracy Nishimura Bishop

Age – 9+

(2022, Bloomsbury, Sequel, Series, Train, Animals, Environment, Habitat, Growing up, Popularity, School, Show, Play, Audition, Overcome, Steadfast, Belief, Climate Change, Diversity, Siblings, Uncle, Rescue, Missing, Kidnap, Fantasy, Secret)