Nate Yu's Blast from the Past
Age 9 +
12 June 2025Imprint: Piccadilly Press
Synopsis
A bighearted tale of family, forgotten stories and the search for belonging, from award-winning author Maisie Chan. Perfect for fans of Benjamin Dean, Jenny Pearson and Helen Rutter.
'A firecracker of a book - packed with sparks and surprises' - Frank Cottrell-Boyce
'Truly captivating' - Jen Carney
'An absolute delight' - Clare Weze
'Tender, funny and heartfelt' - Nazima Pathan
Nate Yu Riley loves three things: his Switch, his ant farm (especially Betsy, queen of the colony) and his family.
He's not so sure about some other things, like moving to a big city, starting a new school, and his parents making him do Chinese stuff. They're always trying to get him to embrace his heritage, but Nate can't speak Chinese, and he doesn't know anything about Chinese customs.
But when Nate comes across an old shell casing engraved with a Chinese dragon, he can't stop thinking about it. And when he touches the shell, someone extraordinary appears. A ghost from long ago. Someone who needs Nate's help - and Nate might just need his, too ...
'A firecracker of a book - packed with sparks and surprises' - Frank Cottrell-Boyce
'Truly captivating' - Jen Carney
'An absolute delight' - Clare Weze
'Tender, funny and heartfelt' - Nazima Pathan
Nate Yu Riley loves three things: his Switch, his ant farm (especially Betsy, queen of the colony) and his family.
He's not so sure about some other things, like moving to a big city, starting a new school, and his parents making him do Chinese stuff. They're always trying to get him to embrace his heritage, but Nate can't speak Chinese, and he doesn't know anything about Chinese customs.
But when Nate comes across an old shell casing engraved with a Chinese dragon, he can't stop thinking about it. And when he touches the shell, someone extraordinary appears. A ghost from long ago. Someone who needs Nate's help - and Nate might just need his, too ...
Details
12 June 2025256 pages
9781800787896Imprint: Piccadilly Press
Reviews
A truly captivating story that explores identity, friendship, family and belonging. Told with bags of heart and humour, it was a delight to read.Jen Carney (author of The Accidental Diary of B.U.G)
A firecracker of a book - packed with sparks and surprisesFrank Cottrell-Boyce, UK Children's Laureate
A heartwarming and funny journey of self-discovery, rich with culture, history, family, and the occasional ghostly surprise. Full of charm, and unforgettable characters - it's a blast of a book! Betsy the queen ant would definitely recommend!'Jenny Pearson (author of THE SUPER-MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF FREDDIE YATES)
Nate Yu's Blast From the Past has all the trademarks of a Maisie Chan book - warmth, heart and humour! The world of ants and the realities of the Chinese Labour Corps combine to form a riveting story which will tug at your heartstrings and keep you guessing right until the very end!Liu Sit (author of The Lucky House Detective Agency)