Brightstorm is everything a proper children’s adventure story should be: it’s exciting, funny and surprising, and stars two young people who show real courage, loyalty and resilience. Twins Maudie and Arthur Brightstorm are left alone in the world when their explorer father dies on a daring expedition to the unchartered territory South Polaris. Worse news follows when he is accused of breaking the explorer’s code. Not only is he disgraced, but his property is forfeit leaving the children destitute. The twins are determined to clear his name and run away to join the crew of the sky-ship Aurora, also setting off for South Polaris. Under Captain Harriet Culpepper, they’ll explore strange lands, meet some extraordinary people, and learn more about themselves, as well as their father. A terrific read, this is one to recommend to fans of Abi Elphinstone and Katherine Rundell.
March 2018 Debut of the Month | In a nutshell: thrilling, original adventure story
Readers who enjoy Brightstorm should read Sinead O’Hart’s The Eye of the North too.
Arthur and Maudie Brightstorm receive devastating news: their famous explorer father has died in a failed attempt to reach South Polaris. To make matters worse, the Lontown Geographical Society finds Ernest Brightstorm guilty of sabotaging the expedition of his competitor, Eudora Vane. But a mysterious clue leads the twins to question the story they've been told—and to uncover the truth, they must undertake the journey of a lifetime. Joining the ragtag crew of a homemade sky-ship captained by the intrepid Harriet Culpepper, Arthur and Maudie race to South Polaris to salvage their family's reputation and find out what really happened on their father's doomed expedition. Brightstorm is a propulsive and compelling fantasy adventure set among the vibrant landscapes and dynamic characters of Vashti Hardy's vividly imagined world.
Vashti Hardy was a primary school teacher for several years and has always had a keen interest in children’s writing, leading to her MA in Creative Writing from the University of Chichester. Vashti is an alumni member and writing buddy of The Golden Egg Academy, and her books Brightstorm and the award-winning Wildspark are critically acclaimed. Vashti lives near Brighton in Sussex.
