Nate Yu's Blast from the Past: boy meets ghost in a tale of unlikely friendship

Nate Riley is an amateur myrmecologist and has his own ant farm, ruled by Queen Elizabeth III - or Betsy as she is affectionately known. With his mums, he has recently moved to Liverpool and unlike him, the 'parentals' (as he calls them) are very keen for him to take the opportunity embrace his Chinese heritage in this city's vibrant Chinatown. Another thing he is less keen on is starting a new school. However, during a 'bringing history to life' talk, Nate comes across an old shell casing engraved with a Chinese dragon and, when he touches it, he meets Jirou, a ghost who needs his help. With his new friends, Missy and Ryan, Nate must help Jirou remember why he has appeared and help him find peace.

Nate Yu's Blast from the Past is absolutely brilliant. Rich in detail, it blends cultural details, facts about ants and friendship whilst shining a light on an overlooked moment in history to create an absorbing and satisfying story. Nate is a lovely character. Having been adopted by his two mums, he has very little knowledge of his Chinese heritage and often feels like an outsider - different from his adoptive parents and those around him, yet not feeling connected to Chinese culture. One of the reasons his wonderfully supportive parents have moved to Liverpool is to allow him to grow up in a more multi-racial environment, but he isn't sure that he wants to involve himself with this and it is easy to empathise with his feelings. Overwhelmed by the move from a small village to a huge city, he also has to contend with trying to make new friendships and encountering people's preconceptions about his background.

As he learns more about himself, Nate shows great resilience and determination as he strives to help Jirou find peace with the past. Through the story, readers learn about the Chinese Labour Corp and their experiences during the First World War, an area of history which is seldom, if ever, mentioned in history books. The contribution they made to the war effort has been completely overlooked, making books like this one even more important for raising awareness, starting conversations and encouraging children - and adults- to discover more.

Maisie Chan has done an excellent job of sensitively conveying the appalling way members of the CLS were treated, making it appropriate to the target age of readers, the analogy of the worker ants helping to deepen understanding. Each chapter begins with a new ant fact, one of the many ways in which detail enriches the story. Readers cannot fail to learn so much about the amazing life of an ant colony alongside information about the Beatles and details about Chinese - or Lunar - New Year. With so much to explore and enjoy, the story would make an excellent class story or text for guided reading sessions. A must have for all bookshelves! 

256 pages / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 9+