By Sufiya Ahmed (author) , Elisa Paganelli (illustrator)
"A thoroughly exciting and thought-provoking historical adventure."
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February 2026 Book of the Month
This wonderfully exciting story opens in Mumbai in 1865. Ranj shares a rat-infested hut with his four-year-old brother and his ma, who works for the saheb’s family, dusting and mopping. They’re all missing Ranj’s big brother Dani, who left India to travel to England as a lascar (seaman) to earn money the family desperately need, and hasn’t returned. Ranj decides to stowaway on a ship and follow Dani to find out what’s happened to him, and his best friend Usman goes too.
Their journey is eventful enough, but things get even more fast-paced when they arrive in London and encounter the ruthless child-snatcher, on the lookout for children from far away. The cat and mouse action continues until the boys finally fall into the child snatcher’s trap and are caught.
Thanks to new friends and their own quick thinking, they manage to escape and even secure the child snatcher a taste of his own medicine.
The story is a real page turner but also, without ever feeling like a history lesson, conveys a real sense of life during the Empire, both for families like Ranj’s and those of his new friends in London, revelaing the huge inequalities in class and colour. Ranj and his friends are vibrant, living characters and their adventures will stick in the mind long after the book is closed.
Early 1900s, Bombay, India. Humza and his friend Ranj are on a mission to bring back Dani, Humza's brother who went missing in London two years ago. But they're too young to work as lascars on the ships so they decide to stowaway.
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After a long voyage across the world, Humza and Ranj arrive in London. The boys are greeted by a seemingly kind English gentleman, who ushers them into an inn.
There they meet the innkeeper's daughter, Daisy, who warns the boys to run, they've been taken by the child snatcher. And so begins a nail-biting adventure across London.
Can the boys stay out of the clutches of the child snatcher? And can they ever find Dani and bring him back home?
A thrilling, accessible adventure story, perfect for reluctant readers, this is a celebration of shared history with diverse representation.
'Moving, action-packed and unforgettable' - Hiba Noor Khan
Sufiya Ahmed was born in India and arrived in the UK as a baby. She lived in Bolton, Lancashire, before moving to London where she still lives. Sufiya has worked in advertising and in the House of Commons, but is now a full-time author.
In 2010 Sufiya set up the BIBI Foundation, a non-profit organisation, to arrange visits to the Houses of Parliament for diverse and underprivileged school children.
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Early 1900s, Bombay, India. Humza and his friend Ranj are on a mission to bring back Dani, Humza's brother who went missing in London two years ago.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Escape from the Child Snatchers and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
Escape from the Child Snatchers features in the following genres: Featured Books for 9+ readers, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Star Books, Adventure Stories, Crime & Mystery, Historical Fiction, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational
Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.
Escape from the Child Snatchers was written by Sufiya Ahmed and published by Andersen Press
Escape from the Child Snatchers has 203 pages
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.
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