After originally listening to this book a few months ago with my boys, I leaped at the chance to meet M G Leonard and we all greatly enjoyed her talk as well as helping to plot a murder mystery with her! I then spent the summer reading the rest of the series so far (the 6th arrives in the next few days) to my boys each night. There are many high profile and super wealthy persons in this train and the women wears expensive jwellery. And one by one the jwellery starts disappearing.

Lenny was een leuk personage. Ik vond het stoer van haar dat ze als verstekeling mee is gekomen en dat haar vader dat, ondanks alles, toch toe laat. Hij had ook makkelijk haar kunnen laten ophalen door haar moeder bij een station maar hij laat haar lekker rondlopen. Ik vond de vriendschap tussen Alex en Lenny erg leuk geschreven en ik was blij dat ze elkaar vonden.

An adrenaline-fuelled journey across America from bestselling authors M. G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman.

I have found that being involved in the UKLA judging process has reignited my enthusiasm and I have been so impressed by the diversity and richness of what is being written for young people. I have found powerful texts which really resonate and encourage the students I teach to explore new texts, or perhaps to rediscover the joy of reading”. Ruth Kidman Teacher Judge A great book to read aloud super vocabulary and lots to talk about - a new baby, going on an adventure without Mum and Dad.For the first time in the 11-14+ category the judges felt compelled to award Joint winners. Both Run Rebelby Manjeet Mann (Penguin) and The Last Paper Craneby Kerry Drewery (Hot Key) were considered so exceptional that both deserved the highest accolade. The extraordinary verse novel, Run Rebel, by debut British author Manjeet Mann, was praised for its complex representation, universal themes, and visceral emotional impact.The powerful Hiroshima survivor story, The Last Paper Craneby Kerry Drewery was praised for its sensitive and compassionate handling of history, the enriching discussion that it provoked and for the fact that it was so cleverly constructed with the use of different text formats and withthe illustration by Natsuo Seki enriching the emotional impact. Published 30 January 2020, The Highland Falcon Thief is a breathless train journey full of deceptions, puzzles and clues to solve. Reading this was like nose diving into a cozy middle grade version of an Agatha Christie novel. Well made middle grade mysteries that ISN’T scary are in fact rather unusual. This one manages to make a good mystery with unexpected twists and turns, a powerful story about friendship AND have it all mixed up with facts about trains! I would probably recommend this to kids who like reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stones, because there might not be any magic, but the feeling of solving a mystery and discovering a new world is similar. Additionally, I loved how Hal and his Uncle Nat's relationship grew over the course of the story. While Hal was always respectful and a bit in awe of his Uncle, you could see as the story progressed how they learned to really trust and love one another. The story was perfectly crafted. I doubted every person on the train at least once, including characters that I thought could not have done it. The big reveal at the end took me completely by surprise, and I gasped on several occasions because of the information we found out. I loved the final scene, where Hal, our main character, reveals how he figured everything out. It felt very Hercule Poirot-esque, and I loved every second of it.

The 1st book in the series, Harrison isn't that happy to go on a train adventure with his Uncle Nat. Wrong! It soon becomes apparent that there’s a jewel thief on board, and not just that but a stowaway too! As Hal begins to investigate, he also gets a very practical and hands on (probably more hands on than he’d like at times!) education in steam locomotives and, even better, makes a friend. The judging criteria call for the selection to be from a “wide and inclusive range” of publishers and for books which “recognise a broad range of perspectives, experiences and voices” and this is reflected in all four categories with themes of diversity, inclusion, empathy, inspirationand own voices all represented amongst books which have provedso effective in engaging readers. The other passengers are a wonderfully funny mix of all-too-recognisable stereotypes (in the best possible way!) From rich and pompous to famous and arrogant to self-made and brash, they’re not an immediately likeable bunch (save for a couple!) but they’re very engaging. Overall, if you couldn’t guess, I loved this! It’s fantastically written, with some wonderful, lively descriptions and a great mixture of humour, warmth, adventure and suspense. The illustrations have a lightness of touch and level of detail that bring it to life brilliantly. Like Murder on the Orient Express but better . . . a terrific read!’ – Frank Cottrell Boyce, author of Millions.

Age range(s)

Este un drum de 4 zile, o călătorie pâna in Scoția si înapoi, cu un tren regal cu abur, un drum de onoare a celui mai luxos tren care existase vreodată, și care urma să se retragă, să fie expus în muzeu De Juwelendief is het eerste deel in de nieuwe spannende kinderboeken serie "Dader op het spoor" geschreven door M.G. Leonard en Sam Sedgman. De illustraties in het boek zijn ontworpen door Elisa Paganelli. De Juwelendief is een whodunit kinderboek die je letterlijk mee op reis neemt. My favourite part was the end, when Hal reveals his theory. I thought his character was brave, funny and clever. I can’t wait for the next adventure!

Even though the mystery was predictable, I absolutely enjoyed how the two kids solved the robbery. The two kids are so pure and precious, and also incredibly smart and brave. The friendship between Harrison and Lenny was so genuine and real, I felt such warmth in my heart by seeing how much the two would do for one another. The Apartmentwritten by Alexandra Litvina, translated by Antonia Bouis and illustrated by Anna Desnitskaya(Abrams Books for Young Readers)I absolutely loved this book. I love how Hal solves the mystery even though he's only 11. I rate this book 5 stars....