This is a retelling of 'Around the World in Eighty Days', a story familiar to most of us (though I haven't actually read the novel by Jules Verne).

Aimed at readers aged nine upwards, this is a great adventure and has been recommended by various booksellers and chains. It's shortlisted for Stanfords Children's Book of the Year 2026 and longlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2026.

It is 1872 and Maggie Appleton's mother has died, leaving the young girl with nothing but a letter for someone called Passepartout.

In meeting this man, Maggie is drawn into an extraordinary adventure, being taken on a journey around the world with Passepartout and his employer, Phileas Fogg.

Fogg has taken on a wager to travel the world in a daring race against time, and Maggie and Passepartout go with him to Italy, India, Hong Kong, Japan and America.

But it's not just a case of keeping to their schedule. They also have to contend with an escaped bank robber on the loose, an angry police inspector and the secrets in Maggie's mother's letter. Who can be trusted and where does Maggie belong?

This is a brilliantly told, modern take on a traditional, classic adventure. It's full of suspense and intrigue, energy and fun, and it's the debut from this author. Loved it!