The Voyage of Sam Singh

By Author / Illustrator

Gita Ralleigh

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

Publisher

Bloomsbury Children's Books

ISBN

9781804545522

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

04-07-2024

Synopsis

Teaching Resources for The Voyage of Sam Singh

In Gita Ralleigh's second magical middle grade adventure set in a parallel colonial India, land-pirate Sam Singh sails to an isle teeming with spirits and secrets on a perilous journey to find the truth.

'We are kings of the forest, Let them tame us if they can!' Sam's older brother, Moon, has been missing for three long years. Moon is a skilled thief, but Sam fears Moon's luck has finally run out. It's rumoured he's being held in the Octopus, a notorious prison on the Isle of Lost Voices, from which no one has ever escaped alive.

Leaving his tribe of land-pirates behind, Sam sets sail with the shady Professor Bogusz and his faithful parrot, Suka. With help from a young forest guide called Lola, they trek deep into the island's interior, a place where spirits dwell and the Octopus casts a deadly shadow. With a storm brewing and the clock ticking, Sam is in a race against time to break into the prison, save Moon and find a brighter future for them all.

Find out more in our Q&A with author Gita Ralleigh

Also by Gita Ralleigh: The Destiny of Minou Moonshine

Download Extract

Reviews

The Voyage of Sam Singh is the second stunning and enchanting tale from Gita Ralleigh's alternative colonial India. The first in the series, The Destiny of Minou Moonshine, is a vividly lush and adventurous tale of bravery and belonging. In The Voyage of Sam Singh, Sam must also harnesses his bravery and identity in his voyage to find his missing brother, Moon.

Impoverished 'land pirate' Sam has taken a job helping an arrogant Professor (the Collector) to explore these tropical lands, collecting the languages of its indigenous people. Sam needs the food and money desperately but more than anything, he needs to use the job as a means to search for his missing older brother, Moon. Sam fears Moon (a thief by necessity) has been captured, transported and imprisoned in the notorious and feared Octopus prison on the Isle of Lost Voices .

Sam embarks on a voyage through rolling seas and perilous, humid jungles with determination and hope in his heart. Accompanied by his clever, affectionate and endearing talking parrot and building a new friendship with Lola, a bold, lively and entertaining forest guide, Sam's journey is full of drama, emotion and tested loyalties and morals.

It was fabulous to be reunited, as a reader, to some familiar faces from the land of Moonlally from the first book. The settings are vividly rich in colour, sound and scent; all lovingly and creatively imagined for the reader. The culture, food, traditions and past of the native population are proudly celebrated and revered and entice the reader completely into this historical fictional tale.

Sam is a character that you root for from the start; a boy with nothing but goodness in his heart and a longing for acceptance. Lola creates a sense of fun and confident mischief in the story that allows Sam to grow, take risks and prove that he has his own story to follow.

The Voyage of Sam Singh is a charming, evocative story that whisks you away to the heat of far off lands, spiritual experiences and the triumph of hope and heart over greed and colonial powers.

272 pages / Reviewed by Jenny Caddick, teacher