This year the twins and I have a visit
To Bletchley Park on our bucket list
The twins turn 13 in the summer
And so we are planning some
Special days out for their special birthday
As soon as I saw the cover of I, Spy
A Bletchley Park Mystery
I knew that we had to read it
This is a brilliant World War II story
And a fantastic way to
Introduce children to Bletchley Park
And it’s role in the second world war
And in the birth of the modern computer
William is especially interested in
Military history and computer science
So visiting Bletchley will be brilliant for him
I think after reading Rhian Tracey’s
Inspiring historical mystery adventure
Esther will get just as much from the visit too
I, Spy tells the tale of Robyn
A young girl who lives at Bletchley Park
We meet her in 1939 when her life
Is about to change forever
As Britain finds itself at war with Germany
Bletchley Park
September 1939
For Robyn, wartime means
No more climbing trees and
No more swimming in the lake
She finds herself stuck
In a place full of grown-ups
Rules and secrets
No longer allowed to leave the estate
Robyn can no longer attend school
Instead she is given a job
Doing her bit for the war effort
Helping Mr Samuels
In the pigeon loft
This is not before Robyn
Lands herself in trouble
And finds herself
Signing the Official Secrets Act
With a gun before her!
Robyn is convinced that
There is something sinister
Going on at Bletchley Park
Together with her friends
Mary and Ned
She sets out to solve the mystery
Before it is too late …
This is such a fast paced
Character led story
Rhian draws readers in to
The thick of the action
Alongside the children
Trying to solve the mystery
For me this story has echoes of
Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five
This story offers a wonderful way
To explore World War Two
With young readers from a
Different point of view
It is a perfect read for
Women’s History Month
As it shines a light on the
Many women who worked
At Bletchley Park through
The Second World War
I have found myself
So intrigued by this story
I had to keep googling
While reading to find
The historical facts
I have changed all our plans
This week to explore
Bletchley and code breaking
With my children
And to read about
The jobs women and animals had
Through World War II
I also rewatched
The Imitation Game
And read about Alan Turing
While also reading I, Spy
I love a book that makes me
Want to read around the subject
And find out more about a
Particular place and time
As well as the historical setting
I also loved the nature in this story
I loved how being outside in nature
Helped to calm and inspire Robyn
I loved how much she loved animals
And the affinity she had with birds
I really related to Robyn’s love of the wild
And I think lots of young readers would too
I loved reading about the
National Pigeon Service and
I am excited to explore that further
With my children this week
I, Spy is a story of secrecy and intrigue
Of spies and secret codes
Of hidden tunnels
And unexplained goings on
The children try to piece together clues
To find out what is going on
At Bletchley Park
Everyone has a secret
No one is sure who to trust
And as a reader you are swept along
With the children’s curiosity
Plotting and planning
I loved the ending of this story
After the mystery is solved
I loved the famous names
That appear in the story
Perfect for children to research
To find out who they were
And what role they played at
Bletchley Park during the war
This story offers a way to talk
To children about the dangers of war
To explore what the Second World War
Was like for women and children
It is a perfect read for
Women’s History Month and
International Women’s Day
This story celebrates
Feisty mighty girls
Robyn and Mary are definitely
Bonafide members of the
Strong Girls Club
This story
A mystery
An adventure
A stunning piece of historical fiction
Is a story of friendship
And all that entails
Through the good and the bad
A brilliant and beautiful book
One for KS2 classrooms
Libraries and homes
“A bird of the air shall carry the voice and
That which hath wings shall tell the matter.”