The Girl Who Raced the World: a page-turning retelling of the beloved classic Around the World in Eighty Days

By Author / Illustrator

Nat Harrison

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

Publisher

Piccadilly Press

ISBN

9781835871386

Format

Hardback

Published

25-09-2025

Synopsis

You must take every day, every hour, every minute one tick at a time.

It is 1872 and, when Maggie Appleton's beloved mother dies, she is left with nothing but a letter for a mysterious stranger called Passepartout. With nowhere else to turn, Maggie seeks out Passepartout and, in doing so, is drawn into an adventure beyond her wildest dreams. Together with Passepartout's employer, the enigmatic Mr Phileas Fogg, Maggie journeys to Italy, India, Hong Kong, Japan and America, in a daring race against time to win the wager Mr Fogg has accepted.

But with a bank robber on the loose, an angry Inspector on their tail and unread secrets in her mother's letter, Maggie soon discovers that there is much more at stake than keeping on schedule to win the bet. Who can she really trust - and will she ever find out where she truly belongs?

A timeless tale of travel, treachery and trust, for fans of Katherine Rundell and Emma Carroll, bringing Jules Verne's classic Around the World in Eighty Days to life for young readers.

'A page-turning, heartfelt adventure full of intrigue, peril and fun. I loved it!' Hannah Gold, author of THE LAST BEAR. 'Astonishingly accomplished ... Full of high-stakes action and characters to root for.' Emma Carroll, author of LETTERS FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE

Download Extract

Reviews

Sue

When her mother dies, Maggie is left with nothing but a letter for a stranger named Jean Passepartout. Faced with life in an orphanage, she seeks him out and finds herself caught up in the adventure of a lifetime. Passepartout is valet to Mr Phileas Fogg, who has just entered into a wager to prove he can circumnavigate the world in 80 days, and as Maggie's life becomes filled with the wonders of travel, she quickly realises that there is more than just the wager at stake.

The Girl Who Raced the World is, quite simply, fabulous! Based on the classic novel by Jules Verne, it is manages to capture the spirit of 'Around the World in Eighty Days' whilst adding plenty of originality and spark, making it an excellent read for readers (young and old!) in search of an excellent adventure.

Whilst the story differs from the original in several key ways, Phileas Fogg and Passepartout remain main characters pursued by Detective Fix, who believes Fogg robbed the Bank of England and is using the wager as a clever way to escape capture. The main difference is that this story is told from Maggie's point of view, allowing readers to empathise with her situation and worries as she finds herself faced with life in an uncaring orphanage, having lost her mother, and then placed in a situation where she doesn't know who she can trust.

Maggie is a great character. Plucky and loyal, she values others and makes firm friendships on her journey as she strives to do the 'right' thing. Over the course of the story, she finds her family, her place in the world, and the reader is cheering her on every step of the way!

Action-packed and pacy, the plot romps along at a pleasing pace with plenty of tension and drama on the way. Well written and full of historical details, it would make an excellent class story, offering much to discuss along the way as well as much to enjoy.

This really is one not to be missed - and I really hope there is another adventure (or two or three!) to come for Maggie and her friends!

336 pages / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher