As I’ve chatted more and more about books on Twitter with other like-minded individuals, the broader the range of genres I’ve been introduced to, and the broader the range of authors and publishers. Living as I do in a small market town, my options for buying books used to be heavily influenced by what was available to me – either in my lovely local indie, or by what Waterstones had to offer if I made a trip to Norwich or Bury St Edmunds. Admittedly, I have read some great books over the years, but I have also missed out on a great many from smaller publishers or less well-known writers as their books are either not stocked or are hidden away on the shelves and I’ve missed seeing them. When I was offered the chance to read and review this new title, I jumped at it. Having seen the title which precedes this one receiving rave reviews from readers whose opinions I greatly respect, and failing to take the hint, I was delighted when this landed on the doormat and bumped it straight to the top of my TBR pile. After reading this over the past few evenings, I can tell you that this is a title which in places is quite shocking in the issues it covers, but one which deserves a place in my little library as a book which not only educates the reader, but entertains them too. The hero of our story is Rick Mundair, a child who – like so many – is determined to live life his own way but whose father is equally determined that he should do well in school to give him a head start in the adult world. After receiving a school report he knows won’t go down well at home, Ash ends up in the local park where he bumps into some other kids and makes a mistake which will further infuriate his dad when he finds out, Sure enough, when he gets home he finds himself on the wrong end of yet another lecture about how hard his father’s youth had been and what a disappointment he is and finds himself feeling very resentful as a result. A few days later, Ash goes to catch the train to school with his friends Nadia, Tomma and Jess but their normal transportation is replaced with an old-fashioned steam engine – a sight familiar to them from previous adventures and which they know is there to transport them back in time to a previous year at school. With a growing sense of unease, Ash climbs onboard and finds himself back in the 1970s, where almost immediately he is made to feel unwelcome. As Ash and his friends try to work out just when exactly they have arrived, he starts to realise that his dad’s life was not as easy as he believed it to be and finds himself discovering that even Hickley School is not the safe haven with which he is familiar. What will travelling back in time teach Ash about his family’s past, and – more importantly – what will he learn about its present? At the start of the book is a short foreword to explain to the reader the context of the story and before that a warning about some of the language included, the aim of which is to highlight the difficulties faced by the British Asian community at the time most of the story is set. Although I am only too well aware of the most offensive word which is used several times throughout the story, I found its inclusion both extremely powerful and shocking – more shocking than I would the use of foul language in the adult literature I read. No doubt there will be debate around the word being used here, and – being white – I am not the best person to judge whether or not it should, but as someone who teaches in a predominantly white British area, this story will go a long way to demonstrating to our children how badly treated some groups were – and, sadly, still are – in our society. For many children, living up to the expectations of their parents or guardians is something that they feel is beyond them, for a whole variety of reasons. Here, Ash makes mistakes but comes to realise that while his father does not want the same for him as he does himself, he has those aspirations with the best of intentions because he loves him dearly – something not always obvious to children who usually feel they are the best judge of what is right for them. I hope that as well as ensuring our children are more tolerant than previous generations, this story will encourage young readers to have discussions with their families about their own unique family histories. A great read for Year 5 upwards, enormous thanks must go to author Nikki Young for my gifted book, a copy of which your local independent bookshop will be delighted to get hold of for you when it is published on 1st November.