Barrington Stoke ISBN 9781781127315 £6.99
Friends Seth and Nadiya, the defenders of the title, work together to help people of the past. Seth has inherited from his father the dubious ability to see ghosts or shades of long-dead people, many of whom are in trouble of some sort. With Nadiya’s interest in history, the pair team up to defend the often oppressed people from whatever it is that is threatening them. This leads Seth in particular into some gruesome and tricky situations. In this, the final book in the Defenders trilogy, he is in Cornwall where he sees past inhabitants of an Iron Age hill fort, complete with several bloodied severed heads at its entrance. Echoing current events, he sees war-torn travellers seeking refuge outside the fort, but who are being denied access. He also makes friends with a pair of refugee brothers in the current time. This then links with the football theme that also runs through the books as the boys end up playing for a local team. A subsidiary story runs alongside, where Seth’s mum is waiting to hear results of tests to see if her cancer has been treated successfully, so Seth is a boy with a lot on his mind. The short chapters, fast pace and broad spacing characteristic of Barrington Stoke titles are designed to help less experienced readers. Unfortunately, there were several proof-reading errors in my copy, which will, hopefully, be corrected in any future print runs. Age range: 9-12.
Pam Dowson, retired primary teacher and PGCE tutor