I’ve just spent the past day reading this thrilling Arctic adventure and wanted to share it with you.

“After millennia, mammoths have returned, brought back by scientists to help combat climate change. 

Ash Grimes, born and raised at the Arctic research centre responsible, dreams of becoming a Mammoth Rider, just like her dad. But mammoths are wild animals and it isn’t easy to earn their trust.

So when Ash meets a white mammoth calf, the first of its kind, she’s determined to do anything to protect her new friend. With a trophy hunter threatening the safety of the herd, Ash, along with best friends Ruby and Jack, must race across the tundra to save their families, the rare calf, and the very future of the mammoths.”

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What made this story stand out for me (besides being a gripping adventure) was the thought-provoking theme of ‘de-extinction’ and the potential environmental gains of this.

The premise of the novel is that mammoths have been brought back from extinction through cloning with the intention of slowing the thawing of the permafrost and preventing the leaking of gases into the atmosphere which would speed up global warming. I think this combination of environmental and scientific themes will intrigue younger readers and promote some interesting conversations.

Alongside the scientific themes, children will relate to the bold main character, Ash. Her struggles with her school work and her tricky relationship with her father give the story its heart. Whilst her almost spiritual connection to the mammoths lend the tale an almost magical edge.

Just as Ash finds reading and maths difficult, so too does the author of the book. Poynton wanted to ensure that her lived experiences as a neurodiverse person were reflected in her main character to show that these characteristics were part of her but didn’t define her. The publishers also used the National Dyslexia Association guidelines for typesetting to ensure the font, spacing and text sizing were as accessible as a possible.

I loved this and would recommend it for anyone aged 9+

Jo.

*Many thanks to Simon & Schuster for sending me this title to review*