Publication Date: 17 May 2018

Starting secondary school is nerve wracking enough without being late, but that’s exactly what happens on Nora, Stef and Jacob’s first day at Nomed Academy. The three children find themselves stood outside the assembly hall staring at a room full of statuesque students and their Headteacher, who looks nowhere near as friendly as he did when they came to visit the school back in Year 6.

As they realise it’s not just detention they need to avoid, they begin a daring adventure to solve ancient mysteries and break the curse that threatens the life of everyone at Nomed Academy. Can three strangers learn to trust in themselves and each other, before it’s too late?

B.B. Taylor has done a wonderful job of bringing The Whizz Writers (from Four Dwellings Academy) idea to life, creating a fabulously fun, fast-paced adventure that entrances from the very first page. It’s Goonies meets The Mummy, as Nora, Stef and Jacob discover that friendship and self-belief are what they need to survive, and flourish, in a secondary school where Ancient Egyptian curses and monsters threaten to end their time at Nomed Academy before it’s really started.

Their nerves at starting secondary are something every child (and adult) reading will understand and empathise with. As their adventure continues, we learn more about their hopes, fears and talents, and that new friendships can be found around every corner.

Holly Bushnell’s illustrations bring the characters to life, adding an extra layer of depth and humour to the book.

And, I definitely want to visit the library at Nomed Academy – sounds like a place I’d feel right at home in!

Make sure you check out my Year 6’s Interview with B.B. Taylor about all things Curse Of The Nomed and moving to secondary school.

You can find out all about the project to raise money and awareness for the amazing and vital work that Partnership for Children do in supporting positive mental health in children around the world, and the people who brought Curse Of The Nomed to our bookshelves at lookatourbook.co.uk.