Author & Illustrators

Manuel Sumberac Books

Attack of the Sea Dogs

Chapter book

This is the fourth book in the Time Keys series, where our heroes continue their time travelling adventures in the Tudor age.

Emmett has promised Sim that they will locate his father in 1587 to save him from death by the plague that will sweep London. Arrangements are made to sneak off while Sim’s mum, Callidora, is absent, knowing that she won’t approve. However, Emmett has an ulterior motive to honour a promise to his blood brother, Sir Francis Drake. Sim, Jeopardy and Nelson unwittingly end up as part of the sea battle at Cadiz on Drake’s ship, where Emmett’s true aims become clear. Callidora sets off to rescue them and prevent a cataclysmic series of events should Sim meet his father and risk his entire future existence. Their Tudor adventures culminate in a night-time race across the city as the companions try to get home to the right time via various time doors, pursued by members of the Council of Keys.

The story evokes Tudor city life, the adventures of Francis Drake, and the history of the Tower of London – readers even meet Shakespeare! There is also a helpful fact file about Tudor times at the end. The book would be a good accompaniment to the Tudor topic, and although it is preferable to have read at least the first in the series, this could be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel, as the plot is recapped throughout this storyline.It is fast-paced, and although the ending isn’t a true cliffhanger, it builds a real sense of anticipation for the next instalment. There is also the significant matter of Sim discovering his true abilities during the flight from the 15th century – I can’t wait to see where this all leads!

Scientists Making a Difference

Non-fiction

Are you always asking ‘why’ and ‘how’?
Do you enjoy experimenting?
Do you notice things that other people don’t?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then release your inner investigator and pursue a career in science!

What do scientists do and why do they do it? In Scientists Making a Difference, Dr Shini Somara goes straight to the scientists themselves to find out. You’ll meet apprentices and technicians, as well as professors and entrepreneurs. They’ll tell you in their own words about their work: growing human cells to test medicines, building quantum computers of the future, tracking and protecting African wild dogs, searching for life beyond our solar system, and so much more.

These are some of the world’s most amazing change-makers, who combine their passions with their work to make the world a better place. Why not become one of them to help answer the big questions of the future!

Operation Doodlebug

Manuel Sumberac & Tia Fisher

Chapter book

Operation Doodlebug is a compelling novel, set in World War Two England.

Stanley, the boy at the heart of the story, lives in Croydon with his parents but, following his dad’s enrollment in the war effort, is sent as an evacuee to the seaside with a group of his friends. As he leaves his childhood home, he learns that his dad is missing, presumed dead. This leads to Stanley and his friends to embark on an adventure to discover the truth.

The story is fast paced and really exciting; perfect for use with Upper Key Stage Two as part of World War Two topic work. The first-person narrative and use of an authentic London ‘voice’ for the character makes the book a useful resource for exploring dialect, informal language and characterisation. Teachers could use extracts to support pupils in writing their own diary entries or letters from the perspective of an evacuee.

The novel also lends itself well to guided reading, with plenty of opportunities for inference and prediction as Stanley uncovers clues about his father. Themes of friendship, resilience and loss provide quality material for class discussion and PSHE links. In addition, the text can be used to support wider historical enquiry, prompting pupils to research the experiences of evacuees or the impact of doodlebug attacks on London.

It’s a superb novel to add to a classroom library or to use as a core text within World War Two topic work and is highly recommended.

The Bridge Beyond the Stars

Cornelia Funke & Manuel Sumberac

Picturebook

This is a beautifully illustrated tale of a young angel, Barnabel, who is desperate to make a difference. He does not understand why, at the very youthful age of 3,022 years, he is still not allowed to cross the bridge which spans the stars to the human world and help. This is a book about dealing with ‘dark things’ and specifically deals with grief and dying and what happens after someone dies, explored through myth and metaphor.

Tianlong, the large, golden-eyed dragon who guards the bridge does not think that Barnabel has enough knowledge to go across and help. So Barnabel sets out on a voyage of discovery, both about the world, the Dark Things and himself until he is finally able to convince Tianlong that he is ready for this most important of jobs.

This is a tale all about finding hope in the darkness and which might also help children dealing with feelings of despair and grief. The illustrations make great use of a limited colour palette (just black and yellow) and make this a wonderful tale to share with older primary children. Dealing with a difficult subject in a thoughtful and thought-provoking way.

The Impossible Gladiator

M.G. Leonard & Manuel Sumberac

Chapter book

This is the third book in the Time Keys series — another brilliant series from M. G. Leonard — and this time, we are travelling to Ancient Rome. These books could be read individually, but having the backstory of Sim and his mum, and how he got entangled in this world, adds to the story.

Whilst on a mission to find a time key in Rome, which they hope will help answer why Sim can open time doors with only a tuning fork, they become embroiled in another mystery. A magician has gone missing after a stunt, and it seems he has upset the notorious Kane Wolfe and his huge henchman, Penhooligan.

Then, Sim finds himself kidnapped and alone during Emperor Hadrian’s reign. He travels through another time door, right into the wondrous Colosseum and the powerful world of Emperor Titus. It is here that Sim is laughed out of gladiator training, becomes a beast master’s helper — who names him Micus (meaning Little Crumb) — and ends up working with a tumbling troupe on horseback alongside his new friend, Lupa.Luckily, Sim finds the magician and they make a plan to return home. But not before discovering that his own family have come to rescue him! Sim rescues Kinetic and a rhino, and they stampede their way back — but not without some excitement along the way!

As always, M. G. Leonard has created a fast-paced adventure packed with danger, humour and fascinating history. The Ancient Roman setting, particularly Sim’s adventures in the Colosseum, makes the story especially exciting. The Time Keys series continues to be a brilliant mix of history, mystery and adventure, leaving readers eager to discover where Sim’s next time-travelling adventure will take him.

The Legend of Viking Thunder

M.G. Leonard & Manuel Sumberac

Chapter book

Hot on the heels of Hunt for the Golden Scarab, the first in M.G.Leonard’s new Time Keys series, comes this epic Viking adventure.

Sim and his cousin Jeopardy have an ability to open doors in time when they tune in to the right frequency with their instruments. What follows is an immersive and seat-of-your-pants odyssey from Norway back to Viking England as the family try to keep the powerful Gjallarhorn out of the hands of the evil Council of Keys.

M.G. Leonard excels at bringing history to life in this series. Her writing is compelling and pacey, and her focus is always on carrying the reader along with the story, never getting bogged down too long in any one moment. For teachers looking for fiction to support and enthuse kids as they learn about history, this series is a winner!

Hunt for the Golden Scarab

M.G. Leonard & Manuel Sumberac

Chapter book

Hot on the heels of their award-winning, multiple middle-grade book series spanning beetles, trains and birds, M.G. Leonard is back, launching a new action-packed, time-travelling adventure series with an initial foray into Egyptology.

Sim lives with his mother, Callidora, in a flat above the museum of Sir John Soane. One evening, while Sim and his mum are training in the museum, they hear voices approaching. Callidora pales and opens a door in the museum, rushing Sim inside, opening a world of questions that even she can’t avoid forever.

Underpinned by historical fact, a tale of adventure, lies, trust and time travel unfolds, sweeping you along with twists and turns that keep you gripped and wanting to read on.

A brilliant book to accompany any unit on Ancient Egypt, readers will look forward to discovering what, where and when Sim, Jeopardy and Nelson will get up to next in this promising series.

Orphans of the Tide

Manuel Sumberac & Struan Murray

Chapter book

Original and enticing, this is one of the best fantasy stories I have read for a long time. There’s a mix of peril and intrigue in all the right proportions, a strong female lead and a well-constructed fantasy world with its own haunting mythology that really does immerse the reader from the start.

Ellie Lancaster is a feisty young inventor who lives in the last city to survive in a world that has been almost entirely drowned by a fear-inducing god known as the Enemy. The city sits upon a steep mountain that juts out above sea level, and one day washed up on one of its rooftops appears a whale, out of which emerges a mysterious boy whose origins are unknown. It doesn’t take long for rumours to accrue – rumours that suggest the boy is the Enemy himself returning to the city to cause destruction. Only Ellie seems convinced of his innocence and when the boy is caught and sentenced to death by the city’s Inquisitors, Ellie finds herself on a whirlwind of an adventure to keep the boy from being wrongly harmed.

The story is full of edge-of-your-seat danger and has its fair share of scary parts while also tenderly exploring themes of friendship, loyalty, forgiveness and grief. The twists and turns in the plot are delightful, with secrets, surprises and delicious ‘penny drop’ moments that kept me turning pages late into the night.

here’s already a buzz around Orphans of the Tide and it’s easy to see it finding a lot of fans in the coming year, especially readers who have enjoyed Philip Pullman, Suzanne Collins and Vashti Hardy. For me, it’s a gripping middle-grade fantasy that ticks all the right boxes as an exceptionally enjoyable read.

Nominated for “Favourite Books of 2020” by: Alison Leach (founder of BooksForTopics)

Alison says, “Original and enticing, this is one of the best fantasy stories I have read for a long time. There’s a mix of peril and intrigue in all the right proportions, a strong female lead and a well-constructed fantasy world with its own haunting mythology that really does immerse the reader from the start. The twists and turns in the plot are delightful, with secrets, surprises and delicious ‘penny drop’ moments that kept me turning pages late into the night.”