Alex and Ruby are back and this time the mirror in their Aunt Joanna's house is taking them back to 1947. Dressed in their new school uniforms, they arrive in a freezing cold Applecott House in post-war Britain to find Colin, Janet and Sheila who are enduring the coldest winter for 300 years. Things are tough, with food still being rationed and electricity only being used at certain times of the day. The siblings quickly discover that they need to help the children find a missing piece of jewellery in order to help the children's father (who is still in Japan after the war) clear his name. Unfortunately, this will involve a perilous hut through the ice and snow.
I have loved each of the previous books in The Time-Seekers series so I was looking forward to reading A Secret in Time when Nosy Crow sent it my way (huge thanks for that). The series is a great way to get children interested in different periods in history and also weaves in information that may not always be included in non-fiction books; the stories bring the time-periods to life and make them feel real. A Secret In Time allows children to step into post-war Britain to see just how much people were still suffering the effects of the war - rationing was clearly still in place and things like the condition of the children's clothes (as well as the amount of clothes children had then) will be a surprise to many children.
The plot is fast-paced and gets straight to the action, which I like, and the illustrations help to add an extra dimension to the book. Alex and Ruby are fearless in their adventures and I'm looking forward to seeing where they head next.
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