Maisie vs Antarctica
By Author / Illustrator
Jack Jackman
Genre
Adventure
Age range(s)
9+
Publisher
Nosy Crow
ISBN
9781805131359
Format
Paperback / softback
Published
26-09-2024
Synopsis
Filled with humour, heart and a touch of sci-fi, this first book in a brilliant new series takes you on a non-stop adventure in Antarctica, perfect for the most intrepid of readers!
Maisie thinks her dad is the most boring person in the world. For fun he likes to do origami (but only basic triangles) or jigsaw puzzles of a cloudless sky (yep, every piece is blue). He writes cool-sounding books like How To Wrestle A Crocodile and How To Defuse A Bomb, but he's never actually done any of the awesome things he writes about.
But Maisie has to admit weird things happen around Dad. Unexplainable things... When childcare falls through and Dad has to take Maisie to Antarctica to research his next book, How To Survive In Antarctica, Maisie realises there is definitely something unusual about Dad... She is determined to find out the truth about her dad. What Maisie doesn't realise is that she'll discover some things about herself and what it really means to be a hero along the way. One thing is for sure - it's going to be the adventure of a lifetime!
An action-packed cross between Adventures on Trains and My Brother is a Superhero. Find out more from debut author Jack Jackman, including a Creative Challenge for the classroom!
"Perfect blend of laugh-out-loud comedy and high-stakes action" - Zohra Nabi, Waterstones Book of the Month author of The Kingdom Over the Sea. "A brilliant blend of mystery, survival and adventure, with a sprinkling of supernatural woven seamlessly in" - Tom Vaughan, Waterstones Book of the Month author of Hercules: The Diary of a (Sort of Hero)
Reviews
Beverley
11-year-old Maisie lives with her father. He writes books telling people "How To" do exciting things, like building a zipwire, but he lives a very boring life and, as far as Maisie believes, has never done anything exciting himself. When he needs to go to Antarctica to research his latest book, he reluctantly has to take Maisie with him. When a plane crash leaves them stranded in the snowy wastes of Antarctica, Maisie discovers a whole new side to her father's life. Can his strange talents help them to survive and find their way home?
Maisie vs Antarctica is a glorious debut novel by Jack Jackman. We are plunged into the adventure from the very first page, and the action never flags. Maisie is such an engaging character; funny, brave and imaginative, she jumps from the page and straight into the heart of the reader. Her relationship with her father is beautifully described; she loves him but is irritated by his love of boring jigsaws and origami. As the story progresses, the two grow closer and we are given some hints as to how her mother died.
The author gives vivid descriptions of Antarctica and its wildlife; we learn how to build an igloo and are introduced to emperor penguins and leopard seals. The author is a teacher himself, and this book would work perfectly as a class reader. Any teacher wishing to introduce the topic of Antarctica to a group of children will find this book invaluable. As well as being a gripping adventure, it gives huge scope for further class research and discussion.
The novel includes an interesting Q&A with the author, and also gives us a sneaky peak into Maisie's next adventure - she and her father will be travelling to the Himalayas in the sequel, and I just can't wait to find out what happens to them next!
Congratulations to Mr Jackman on a thoroughly enjoyable debut - I can see teachers and pupils alike queuing up for this one!
256 pages / Reviewed by Beverley Somerset, school librarian
Suggested Reading Age 9+