Nate Yu's Blast From The Past (boy Meets Ghost In A Tale Of Unlikely Friendship)

By (author) Chan, Maisie
Short description/annotation:
A brand new middle-grade novel from Maisie Chan, author of the award-winning DANNY CHUNG DOES NOT DO MATHS
Description:

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 ...

Review quote:
A truly captivating story that explores identity, friendship, family and belonging. Told with bags of heart and humour, it was a delight to read.
Review quote:
A firecracker of a book - packed with sparks and surprises
Review quote:
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!''
Review quote:
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!
Review quote:
This heartwarming story and its empowering characters is an absolute delight. There were tears in my eyes - sometimes inspired by laughter, but often by the situation of one very unusual and touching character. Irresistible.
Biographical note:

Maisie Chan is a British-born Chinese author. Her debut novel Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths won the Branford Boase Award and the Jhalak Book Prize, and was also shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Awards and the Diverse Book Awards. Maisie also writes the young fiction series Tiger Warrior and is one of the authors in the bestselling The Very Merry Murder Club anthology. She runs the Bubble Tea Writers Network that supports and encourages writers of East and Southeast Asian heritage in the UK. Originally from Birmingham, Maisie now lives with her family in Glasgow.

Instagram and Threads: @maisiechanwrites Blue Sky: @maisiechanwrites X @maisiewrites

Promotional headline:
A brand new middle-grade novel from Maisie Chan, author of the award-winning DANNY CHUNG DOES NOT DO MATHS
Feature:
The riveting story of how an unlikely friendship with the ghost of a Chinese WW1 soldier helps a young boy to embrace his own Chinese roots
Feature:
The new novel from the critically acclaimed and award-winning Maisie Chan, winner of the Branford Boase Award and the Jhalak Book Prize for DANNY CHUNG DOES NOT DO MATHS, which was also shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Awards and the Diverse Book Awards
Feature:
Warmhearted, funny, tender contemporary middle grade for fans of ME, MY DAD AND THE END OF THE RAINBOW by B