After teaching French, Latin, and Classical Studies for almost twenty years, Wendy’s career took a new direction when she turned to her first love – books – and decided to devote herself to writing children’s fiction. With the old adage “Write about what you know” in mind, when she first came up with the idea for her series of time-travel adventures, she jumped head-first into the ancient world of classical history and mythology which formed the backdrop for her first three books. As the series moves forward in time, she sets each story in historical periods that have always fascinated her. Although no longer in the classroom, she seeks to entertain her young readers, to engage them, to foster a love of reading, but also to educate. As she takes them on a thrilling journey into the past alongside her three young time-travellers and their talking cat, Wendy hopes that her love of history, myth and legend will rub off on them along the way.
WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:
Website: https://www.wendy-leighton-porter.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WLP_author
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WendyLeightonPorterWriter
1.
This is the first book in a time-travel
series for Middle Grade readers, and the first step in an epic journey through
the pages of history.
2.
The story features three
children – 10-year-old twins, Jemima and Joe Lancelot, and their next-door
neighbour, Charlie… but my favourite character is the Lancelots’ cat, Max.
3.
Max, short for Maximus, is a
large and handsome Tonkinese cat who has an important role to play in the
story.
4.
The twins have lost their
parents in mysterious circumstances and nobody knows what has happened to them…
apart from Max, the sole witness to their disappearance. During the course of
the book, the children’s journey into the past becomes the start of a quest to
find the missing adults.
5.
A strange old book (Shadows
from the Past) which belonged to the twins’ father is a portal that
transports people back through time. One rainy day, the children discover its
magic for themselves.
6.
A special key and four golden
owl charms turn out to be vital items for the young time-travellers.
7.
The children (and Max) know
about the fate of Atlantis and realise they must try to warn the inhabitants of
the impending disaster.
8.
Max falls in love with an
Atlantean cat!
9.
Adventure and education go hand-in-hand
in this story. There is plenty of history for young readers to learn and there
is also a section at the end of the book where they can find out more
information.
10. The
tale of the lost city of Atlantis is often presented as nothing more than a myth,
but the alternative explanation for this enduring legend places it more firmly
in history. This book leans more to the historical side, with the young
time-travellers visiting what was once a real place, inhabited by real people,
before a natural catastrophe caused its destruction.
Title: THE SHADOW OF ATLANTIS
Author: Wendy Leighton-Porter
Publisher: Silver Quill Publishing
Pages: 128
Genre: Middle Grade Literature / Time Travel / Adventure
BOOK BLURB:
James and Isabel Lancelot have disappeared in mysterious circumstances, leaving behind their children, 10-year-old twins Jemima and Joe. Nobody has a clue what’s happened to them, except for the family cat who was the sole witness to their disappearance. Using the portal of an old book – Shadows from the Past – the couple have travelled back in time but, having left behind the key to bring them home, they are now trapped somewhere in the past. With their parents missing, the twins are sent to live with their Uncle Richard, a professor of ancient history and archaeology, where they soon befriend their new next-door-neighbour, Charlie, a super-brainy boy who is the same age as them.
At the start of the school summer holidays, the three children decide to investigate the old book that had belonged to the twins’ father. Finding the book locked, they’re unable to open it until Jemima discovers she has the key. It was on her mother’s necklace, left abandoned on the attic floor after their parents’ disappearance. And there’s more… The children find a small pouch inside the wooden chest that contained the book and, inside the pouch are four golden charms shaped like owls.
With the book unlocked, an astonishing series of events begins to unfold. The youngsters hear whispering voices carried by a strong breeze that comes out of nowhere and then, a strange cloud fills the room. Through the mist, they see tantalising glimpses of an ancient city. Joe is the first to discover that if they step inside this cloud it will take them to another place. Jemima is surprised to hear her mother’s voice calling to her, reminding her to pick up the all-important key. Then, holding Max, her beloved Tonkinese cat, in her arms, Jemima follows the two boys into the mist. Arriving in the lost city of Atlantis, the children are astounded to find that it was no myth, but a real, historical place. And so their adventures begin…
It doesn’t take them long to realise the owl charms are mini translation tools, enabling them to communicate with the Atlanteans, but when Jemima attaches one to Max’s collar, the large cat begins to speak. The children can’t believe their ears, especially when Max tells them the truth about their parents’ disappearance. The twins are overjoyed to learn that their parents aren’t dead but simply lost in time, and now their quest begins in earnest. They must find and rescue James and Isabel, searching throughout the pages of history. But, first, the youngsters have an important mission – to warn the people of Atlantis about the disaster that will soon destroy their city. Will they succeed? And can they find their way back to the safety of their own time before it’s too late?
PRAISE
“Author Wendy Leighton-Porter’s Shadows from the Past children’s series is an outstanding collection of books that would make an excellent addition to any home or school library. Written in an engaging style with characters that will have great appeal to young readers, this page-turning collection will be as enticing to avid book enthusiasts as it will be for reluctant readers.” CHILDREN’S LITERARY CLASSICS BOOK AWARDS
“The Shadows from the Past series is perfect for a rainy day and a must-have for a child’s shelves.” READERS’ FAVORITE BOOK REVIEWS
“The Shadow of Atlantis is a well-written story with a collection of likable main characters, a solid plot line, snippets of educational facts about a historically important location and event, and, is filled with mystery, magic, and suspense. This book grabbed me at the prologue and had me hooked until the end.” MOTHER DAUGHTER BOOK REVIEWS
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