Mission: Microraptor

By Author / Illustrator

Philip Kavvadias

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

Publisher

Chicken House

ISBN

9781915026941

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

11-04-2024

Synopsis

Two boys and a microraptor. A dark, mysterious forest. And a squad of army-trained mercenaries searching for them. What could possibly go wrong?

Falling behind their classmates on a school trip to the Alps, Finn and Milo stumble upon an egg buried in ice. Later that night it hatches and a 65-million-year-old baby is born: Arty is a microraptor brought back from extinction. But keeping her safe proves harder. Wicked scientists will do anything to get their hands on her, and soon Finn and Milo must run for their lives...

The first in an thrilling new series of all-action environmental adventures - with added dinosaurs! A super-cool debut voice in middle-grade; think Jurassic Park meets Wimpy Kid with a dash of Alex Rider. Packed full of humour, action and adventure - with survival skills and a dinosaur friend called Arty! Features brilliantly charming illustrations from Euan Cook throughout

PRAISE FOR MISSION: MICRORAPTOR: '. . . brace yourselves for a bright new comedy voice. . . When Finn and Milo accidentally unearth a dinosaur on a school trip, an epic adventure ensues. Fast, funny and fabulous.' MAZ EVANS, AUTHOR OF WHO LET THE GODS OUT?

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Reviews

Finn doesn't want to be in the Alps on a school residential. He wants to be on his sofa, gaming and eating pizza. Instead, he is walking! And to top it all he's been paired with Milo - or The Professor - as Finn calls him. The brainbox full of useless information. Two misfits thrown together. This is not Finn's idea of fun. Then, a random selfie moment, by the edge of the cliff. A trip and a tumble into ice cold water. Milo screaming his name as Finn plummets to the freezing depths. It could have been over there and then for Finn…but this isn't his ending, this is just the beginning. Because there, in the most unlikely of places, Finn sees something gleaming. An egg-like thing that he unearths and tucks in his backpack. An egg-like thing that hatches to reveal a microraptor. A microraptor that bonds to Finn at the very same time that Finn bonds with it. And there starts the biggest adventure of Finn and Milo's lives.

Finding themselves embroiled in the depths of espionage, abseiling out of hotel rooms, hiding in self-made ice holes, trekking for miles through forests, their only plan to save Artemis from getting into the wrong hands. But who can they really trust? And what will their parents think?

Philip Havvadias's Mission Microraptor is a soaring success of an adventure book. Children will love and connect with the main characters, Finn and Milo, laughing at Finn's food exclamations, and revelling in Milo's many facts. Their friendship blossoms as they unite to protect their feathered friend, Artemis. The scrapes and antics are full of fun, yet high risk. A real page-turner of a book. This is likely to be a very popular series.

Curriculum links: friendship, trust, perseverance, determination, belief and love.

256 pages / Reviewed by Donna Burkert, teacher