Sylvia Bishop: The Secret of the Night Train (Scholastic Ltd. 2018)
M. G. Leonard & Sam Sedgman: The Highland Falcon Thief (Macmillan Publishers Limited 2020)
Now, I’m writing about two stories that take place on trains and the protagonists solve mysteries aboard those trains, plus we can visit well-known European locations while reading them.
Sylvia Bishop studied politics and then did social science research, but during her university years she met the improvised comedy, which allowed her to invent stories. She also uses her ability to improvise while writing books. Today, her stories have been published in 15 languages, of which The Secret of the Night Train is the third.
Max Morel has never left France, but now, before the winter break, she is called by her great-aunt, Elodie, to ask her to be with her as she recovers. So, Max sets off on the big adventure with a bag, three scarves around her neck, and a nun’s companion, however, the adventure will be a little bigger than she expected. The illustrations in the book and the beautiful cover were made by Marco Guadalupi.
M. G. Leonard is the author of the internationally bestselling Battle of the Beetles trilogy. The first volume, Beetle Boy won numerous awards and has been translated to 37 languages worldwide. Sam Sedgman is a novelist, playwright and digital producer. Written with his friend, M. G. Leonard, The Highland Falcon Thief is his first children’s book. The fourth volume of the Adventures on Trains series will be released in September this year. The illustrations were created by Elisa Paganelli, who runs an award-winning design studio and has already collaborated with several publishers, including illustrating The House With Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson (you can read more about the book here). Harrison Beck will soon have a little sister. Until then, however, he has the opportunity to go on a trip with his uncle, Nat, who is a travel writer. The trip will be the final journey of the Highland Falcon, Britain’s most famous steam locomotive. However, the journey, which promises to be boring, holds unexpected surprises for our protagonists as they visit the iconic landscapes of the British Isles.