Sabotage on the Solar Express (Adventures on Trains Book 5)

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We are over the moon with how neat and tidy the job was and felt really involved with all the decisions with the locations and installations of the panels and the inverter and battery. Each book in the series dabbles in a different genre alongside the discovery of a new train and country. Where book 4, ‘Danger at Dead Man’s Pass’, follows a steam train on a haunting journey of traditions and superstition, ‘Sabotage on the Solar Express’ carves a more modern route through book 5. Echoing the fast-paced adventure of an action film, the story jets through Australia’s sacred lands while Harrison and the reader are enlightened by scientific knowledge and ground-breaking advancements in transport technology. But she is....and she's worried about something. She tries to tell Hal why she is worried but he thinks it is nothing. When they meet Boaz they are surprised to find he's a 14 year old Aboriginal boy who is concerned about Australia and it's environment. Hence his design... A thrilling and hugely entertaining adventure story' – David Walliams on The Highland Falcon Thief, the first book in the series. A high-speed train journey worth catching . . .The best yet' – The Times on Murder on the Safari Star

This story is honestly so much fun, exciting technology, sabotage, and a runaway train. What more could you possibly want? I raved about the new art style in DANGER, how it reflected the book, and it happens here too! It's a more comic-like style, with boxes and insets and comments. Hal remembers Marianne likes creating comics, so decides to give it a try. It's just another way these books are keeping that fresh, exciting feel. Moving the action to Australia, the by now slightly famous boy sleuth Hal and his caring - slightly mysterious (and for me, inappropriately crushworthy) Uncle Nat are taking a VIP inaugural test trip on a special hydrogen powered test train. Hal will need all of his wits and bravery to figure out who wants the train to fail - and possibly kill everyone on board! The authors have given so much adventure and so many twists to support the very likeable characters, and yes, that includes Marianne. Boaz comes across as a down to earth young man who is very aware of the eco message that all young children are aware of. Can Uncle Nat keep Hal safe? He doesn't seem to have much choice but to go along with teh children's adventures! The Nottinghill Carnival takes central stage in this story about families, memories and the power of dance and festivals. Author Yaba Badoe tells...

M. G. Leonard, Sam Sedgman Press Reviews

The style as always is clear, and readable, with the characters well drawn (literally and narratively) with an interesting central mystery - although as I mentioned there is more action here, so there is more reacting than discovering than in previous entries. MG Leonard and Sam Sedgman certainly keep you on the edge of your seat! Just when you think each book can't be beaten, along comes the next! Sabotage on the Solar Express is the best one yet!

We’ve had our solar panels installed for a few days now. The initial process was so easy. Oliver Russchen was who looked after us from the beginning and was really helpful, giving us all the information we needed to make a completely informed decision with no pressure at all. It took me an embarrassingly long time to realise that all the chapter titles are names of movies, which added to the fun. If you haven’t yet hopped onto this train ride, I urge you to do so. These are brilliant adventures for readers young and old.Hal and Uncle Nat are in Australia to travel on the first voyage of the Solar Express. The Solar Express is billed as teh train of the future, a train to save the planet from our reliance on fossil fuels. They are to be guests of the man that has bankrolled the train (and the competition to design it) August Reza. Nobody has met the designer, Boaz Tudawali yet but he'd designed a hybrid train to protect Australia. I loved all the science bits, and the idea of a train that runs on solar power and water, essentially. Boaz is a great character, he’s enthusiastic and knowledgeable. I loved him so much. I love his family too, they’re supportive, but also down to earth. Sabotage on the Solar Express can be read as a stand-alone novel, or enjoyed as part of the Adventures on Trains series. Join Hal and Uncle Nat on more stops in this thrilling series with: The Highland Falcon Thief, Kidnap on the California Comet, Murder on the Safari Star, and Danger at Dead Man's Pass. The book also has a strong focus on STEM. Boaz is keen to share lots of information about his invention and, in doing so, there’s ample opportunity for discussions about solar energy, how we currently power vehicles—especially public transport—and what the future might look like, without it all coming across as just endless exposition. There are even diagrams, although the authors do warn against trying any of these experiments yourself because they have the potential to be dangerous. I really appreciated that Boaz was indigenous without his personality being focused entirely on stereotypical elements. Boaz is a true twenty-first-century science nerd and proud of it while also being aware of his heritage and the cultural and spiritual importance of the land around him. I live in Australia and found the depiction of our country, indigenous culture, landscapes and customs to be accurate. Hal and Nate even managed to travel on two of our most famous real train – the Ghan and Puffing Billy. The science and eco-friendly technology took this book to another level as well.

The setting was so enjoyable too. Both the train itself, and Australia. I loved the descriptions of the landscape and so on, it really made me feel like I was there, without in any way interrupting the flow of the story. I highly recommend this series, Adventures on Trains - each book contains so much excitement! If you enjoy books full of mystery, suspense, twists and turns, these books are ideal for you! I love that every book has a different setting. Each one extremely difficult to put down until you have solved the mystery (or tried to!).In this story of hope and endurance, we follow a scientist and her team during their search for the elusive 'Giant Arctic Jellyfish'. Sabotage on the Solar Express can be read as a stand-alone novel, or enjoyed as part of the Adventures on Trains series. Join Hal and Uncle Nat on more stops in this thrilling series with: The Highland Falcon Thief, Kidnap on the California Comet, and Murder on the Safari Star. Keeping you guessing until the very end, the story is absorbing with many nail biting moments. ‘Solar Express’ would make an excellent read aloud - sure to keep a class hanging on your every word- without needing to have read the previous books. It would also make a brilliant guided reading text, offering plenty to discuss and explore along the way. Sabotage on the Solar Express is set in Australia and concerns a train driven by hydrogen and solar power, an invention from the mind of a brilliant child genius. But not everybody is happy with this and, as the journey unfolds, so does the sabotage. Accompanied by Elisa Paganelli's delicious artwork, so precise and clean with detail, Sabotage on the Solar Express rolls on with utter aplomb.

The Adventures on Trains series is one of my favourite discoveries of the past few years. I really cannot stress enough how brilliant they are. I really thought that they couldn’t possibly get any better, but Sabotage on the Solar Express somehow managed it!

Whenever anyone asks for chapter book recommendations for independent readers, M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman’s marvellous ‘Adventures on Trains’ series is my absolute list topper. I love that this winning team of authors have created exciting, accessible and non-gender divisive reads for the next generation of bookworms who are hungry for compelling reads but not quite ready for the darkness of the later Harry Potter or Nevermoor books. A thrilling and hugely entertaining adventure story’ – David Walliams on The Highland Falcon Thief, the first book in the series. A mysterious letter from an old friend asks Hal and Uncle Nat to help investigate a spooky supernatural mystery. Legend has it the Kratzensteins, a family of rich and powerful railway tycoons, are cursed, but there is no such thing as a curse, is there . . .? There are new characters, of course. The best is Boaz. A science-whizz-kid is always a win in my book (I am a Physicist, after all!) But a whizz-kid with a green invention and the ability to invent from limited supplies under stress?! (Big DO NOT DO WHAT THEY DO IN THE BOOK warnings here!)