Charly in Space by Tim and Cathy Walker #BookReview

 

Schoolgirl Charly Holmes has an out-of-this-world experience!
Charly in Space is an adventure story for young readers involving British schoolgirl, Charlotte Holmes (called ‘Charly’ by her friends). 13-year-old Charly and her friend Jenny must raise money by washing cars if they want to go on a school trip to the European Space Agency in France. With Dad’s help, they hit their fundraising target and embark on the trip of a lifetime that soon becomes the adventure of a lifetime for wannabe detective, Charly. 
Charly’s inquisitive nature soon gets her into trouble, and leads her to another exciting adventure. But this time it is the ultimate adventure of going into space and visiting the International Space Station. Not only does she go to Space, but she has the opportunity to prove that her theory about alien dogs is true! 
Find out how this situation comes about, and what happens to the curious schoolgirl when she is discovered and returns to planet Earth. Experience the expanse of Space and life on the Space Station through the eyes of a schoolgirl and gasp in wonder at the adventure that unravels before her.
Charly in Space is a story of imagination and thrilling adventure that treads the border between scientific possibility and sheer fantasy, seen through the sharp eyes of a thirteen-year-old schoolgirl.
This book is suitable reading for children aged 9+ and is the third book in a series, following on from The Adventures of Charly Holmes and Charly & The Superheroes.

It's my pleasure to be sharing my review of Charly in Space today and I'd like to thank Tim Walker and his daughter, Cathy and wish them a very happy publication day.

Charly in Space is the third book to feature the irrepressible Charly but each story is a separate adventure so readers can enjoy this one without having read the first two in the series.

I could tell from the start that I was going to like Charly - she has a real sense of fun about her and I'm sure she will appeal to young readers who want believable, relatable characters in their stories. I also really loved that the adventurous main character is a girl and that she is a bit of a rule-breaker and risk-taker. The reason why she ends up on the International Space Station is entirely down to her inquisitive nature but fortunately she joins a remarkably patient and forgiving team of astronauts!

Charly in Space is only a short book but she has a few exciting experiences, including an important spacewalk and a momentous  - and well-timed  - canine encounter.  The vivid descriptions of the European Space Agency and the International Space Station will fascinate children, and the astronauts on board the ISS are both men and women who are equally intelligent and courageous. Charly in Space would be an ideal book to encourage imaginative discussions about space in schools or at home. Even though Charly is a teenager and although described as being suitable for readers aged 9+, I feel this delightful little book would be most enjoyed by children in the 7-11 year old bracket and even younger space fans would surely enjoy having it read aloud to them. 

Charly in Space can be purchased on Kindle or in paperback, The previous books can be purchased here.

About the Author

Tim Walker is an independent author living near Windsor in the UK. He grew up in Liverpool where he began his working life as a trainee reporter on a local newspaper. He then studied for and attained a degree in Communication studies and moved to London where he worked in the newspaper publishing industry for ten years before relocating to Zambia where, following a period of voluntary work with VSO, he set up his own marketing and publishing business.

His creative writing journey began in earnest in 2013, as a therapeutic activity whilst undergoing and recovering from cancer treatment. He began writing an historical fiction series, A Light in the Dark Ages, in 2014, following a visit to the near-by site of a former Roman town. The aim of the series is to connect the end of Roman Britain to elements of the Arthurian legend, presenting an imagined history of Britain in the fifth and early sixth centuries.

His new book, published in June 2020, is Arthur, Rex Brittonum, a re-imagining of the story of King Arthur (book five in the series). It follows on from 2019’s Arthur Dux Bellorum, the story of young Arthur (book four in the series), that received recognition from two sources in 2019 - One Stop Fiction Book of the Month in April, and an honourable mention in the Coffee Pot Book Club Book of the Year (Historical Fiction) Awards. The series starts with Abandoned (second edition, 2018); followed by Ambrosius: Last of the Romans (2017); and book three, Uther's Destiny (2018). Series book covers are designed by Canadian graphic artist, Cathy Walker. Tim is self-published under his brand name, timwalkerwrites.

Tim has also written two books of short stories, Thames Valley Tales (2015), and Postcards from London (2017); a dystopian thriller, Devil Gate Dawn (2016); Perverse (verse and short fiction, 2020); and two children's books, co-authored with his daughter, Cathy - The Adventures of Charly Holmes (2017) and Charly & The Superheroes (2018) with a third in the pipeline – Charly in Space.

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