The History Keepers by Damian Dibben

This is the start of a great new series for good 10+ readers.

I suspected that Dibben must have been a teacher in a previous life because his choice of words and phrases throughout are designed to stretch the average child's vocabulary and their understanding of history. But he wasn't and he manages to do this in a way that is not preachy, self-conscious or clunky.

In fact I thoroughly enjoyed this action-packed, exciting romp through history. The characters were likeable and interesting with the occasional odd-ball, rogue and villian (think Harry Potter and co) thrown in. The story was paced well, well constructed and great fun.

You can read the first 2 chapters here.