By Fleur Hitchcock (author)
"Intrigue and murder in the snow"
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March 2019 Book of the Month
Fleur Hitchcock’s exciting other-world thriller oozes atmosphere. Athan Wilde lives with his mother and sisters, the youngest of whom is unable to walk. The family are poor and his job working for inventor Mr Chen is important, though his mother is suspicious of Mr Chen especially when one of his experiments backfires accidentally destroying her hen house. But someone else is really out to get him and when Mr Chen is murdered Athan is in danger too, the murderer ready to use violence and kidnap to discover his employer’s secrets. It’s a gripping, fast-paced story with an air of Dickensian gothic and some of the supporting characters – Athan’s nasty, narrow-minded granny for example – are particularly shuddersome. Enjoyable adventure for robust readers.
Athan Wilde dreams of flight. When his friend, Mr Chen, is murdered, Athan must rescue the flying machine they were building together and stop it falling into the wrong hands. But keeping the machine safe puts his family in terrible danger. What will Athan choose - flight or family? From the acclaimed author of Murder In Midwinter, Fleur Hitchcock's The Boy Who Flew is a thrilling, murderous tale set among the steep rooftops and slippery characters of Athan's intricately imagined world.
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Perfect for fans of Philip Pullman, Peter Bunzl and Philip Reeve.
“An unputdownable, heart-stopping, white knuckle ride of a book. It will knock your socks off!” – Catherine Johnson
“A ROOF-topping adventure… really taking flight as it races towards its nail-biting climax.” – John O’Groat Journal
“Wonderfully evocative and rattles along at a pace that will hold the interest of every reader… The Boy Who Flew is a thunderingly good period adventure.” – The Book Bag (blog) “I proceeded to devour the book in just three sittings, oh how I love a brilliantly written book that captures my curiosity and this book did just that.” – Book Bound (blog)
“Filled with danger and adventure, I do hope this is the start of a new series…” – Independent Book Reviews (blog) “Hitchcock has cleverly woven a central plot line about the race to get humans airborne with a spine-chilling thriller which wouldn’t be out of place in a penny dreadful.” – Library Girl and Book Boy (blog)
“A cast of sparkling characters in a fast moving and dramatic plot that’s packed with nail-biting action.” – Madge Eekal Reviews (blog)
Fleur Hitchcock writes thrillers and adventures for 8-13 year olds, many of which are mysteries, mostly contemporary, and some historical. With more than 20 published books behind her, she is a passionate advocate for children's reading and enjoyment of books, working as a children's bookseller in Bath and bringing books and children together in schools across the country. She has been nominated for many prizes and has won both the Leeds and Salford book awards. She lives in the Wiltshire countryside, and sets most of her books in the West Country. She is married and has two adult children
Born in Chobham, by an airfield, and raised outside Winchester on the banks of the river Itchen, Fleur Hitchcock grew up as the youngest child of three. She spent her smallest years reading Tintin and Batman under her brother’s bed, and searching for King Alfred’s treasure in the river. She grew up a little, went away to school near Farnham, studied English in Wales, and, for the next twenty years, sold Applied Art in the city of Bath. When her younger child was seven, she embarked on the Writing for Young People MA at Bath Spa and graduated with a distinction.
Read a Q&A with the author here
Photo credit Rosa McKay
the best books for 9-12 year olds · the best books for teenagers
Athan Wilde dreams of flight. When his friend, Mr Chen, is murdered, Athan must rescue the flying machine they were building together and stop it falling into the wrong hands.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The Boy Who Flew and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
The Boy Who Flew features in the following genres: Books of the Month, Recommendations, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Star Books, Featured Books for 9+ readers
Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. Not Available.
The Boy Who Flew was written by Fleur Hitchcock and published by Nosy Crow Ltd
The Boy Who Flew has 237 pages
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. Not Available.
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