Another brilliant comedy from the legend that is Frank Cottrell-Boyce. His books are always a go-to for quirky characters in unexpected situations, and "Noah's Gold" is no exception. Poor Noah finds himself stowed-away on his sister's geography field trip, plunged into danger (and hilarity) when the sat-nav steers them VERY wrong.
"Noah's Gold" is a great combination of comedy, mystery and sheer adventure, with characters you really root for and genuine surprises along the away. Frank's books are always a safe bet for that middle-grade audience, with plenty of small jokes and references to keep the adults laughing too!

My daughter enjoyed this book. She said it was entertaining. Fun and adventurous. She has now gone on to read more FC which is high praise as it's made her seek out more of his work. Noahs Gold has found you a new fan!

I will definitely be recommending this book to the children in my class! It’s action packed, exciting and lots of fun! The illustrations make it super accessible too! A great book!

The epistolary nature of this fantastic book makes it a quick read, but an immensely satisfying one. Frank Cottrell-Boyce's 'trademark humour shines through every page.

When Noah accidentally stows away on his sister' s school trip, he and the rest of the children get a whole lot more than they bargained for. The characters are vividly painted and brought to life through Noah's missives to his parents. The sibling relationship is beautifully and realistically done and the matter-of-fact way food bank use is discussed is very well done.

A great story that will tempt many a reluctant KS2 reader.

Wonderfully funny ‘trapped on an island’ story for today’s tech-reliant youngsters

Cottrell Boyce does come up with some marvellous concepts. Stolen art, bags of money, children going into space… master of the ‘wow! Gotta try that’ synopsis.

And the latest is one that will certainly capture attention. Technology, islands, treasure. A younger brother stows away on his big sister’s minibus trip with a few of her class. In a confused mess of a Satnav misunderstanding (“we were shipwrecked by Satnav!”), the simple trip to a Amazon-like warehouse actually ends up taking the teacher and inattentive group to an uninhabited island that shortly thereafter becomes inaccessible, inescapable and internet-less

Noah may be younger than the others, but he worries that they’ll find out the internet breaking might be his fault (seems that this island houses some very important cables). His sister is pretending she doesn’t know him, their teacher disappears, nobody knows how to source food without Alexa… and what’s this about a treasure map?

In a series of letters, Noah writes to his parents, pouring out his daily trials and hoping they get them delivered somehow… after all, there is a post-box. But did he really break the whole world’s internet?

Oh, this was just so wonderful. Children the world over will be horrified at the idea of having to survive without the Guidance of Google at their fingertips. It tickled me as an adult who grew up without that (and I’m no Bear Grylls either). Noah’s letters are so heartfelt and revealing – giving up hints about his home life when he mentions the lack of food on the island and the secret sharing, “I’ve seen you do that, Mum… when we’ve been a bit short of food at home.” Readers will understand subtly the family situation and sympathise with the good-hearted Noah.

Then they will laugh at the adventures of the children struggling on using only their own wiles and brains: “I don’t know how Henry VIII died. I don’t know what those birds are called. I didn’t know you were supposed to put a message in the bottle. I won’t know anything until the phones work again!”

Oh boy is there a lesson here! And that’s before we get to Noah’s actual – gold. This is such a funny book, genuinely charmingly funny. You do laugh at the children (who won’t believe the potatoes they’ve dug up are real because they don’t have labels on them). But you also feel a great deal of empathy for their situation and their generation who have been brought up reliant on something that, once taken away, leaves them stranded in more than just a physical sense.

But will Cottrell Boyce show us just what they can do when self-reliant? Read it and find out. And laugh, as I did.

For ages 8-12. With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

In some ways, the book felt like an episode of Seinfeld. It's frequently laugh-out-loud funny, but apart from the dramatic events that bookend the story, not much actually happens. Told through exchanged letters between the main character and his parents (think Chocolate Milk, X-Ray Specs & Me), the novel is about a boy called Noah stowing away on a school field trip. They finish up on an island, which is where the remainder of the story unfolds. The thing about Noah's Gold is that it doesn't need frenetic chases and scenes of peril. It's not about drama. If anything, the book is about hope. Noah offers hope to the other children on the island, and shows that, actually, children can cope perfectly well without Internet access, thank you very much.

The letter-writing conceit generally works well, and the only time I was pulled out of the story was when the events in Letter #13 continued into Letter #14 when there was no clear reason why Letter #13 didn't simply continue. Perhaps I missed it, but it did make me stop and think why it had happened (other than as a natural chapter break). At another point, I thought I'd spotted a hiccup in the timeline: at the end of one letter, Noah learned that he had received a letter from his family; we were then presented immediately with said letter, which talked about events which had only just happened. I wondered how on earth they could have read about them and responded so quickly. However, to my delight, this was accounted for and explained later (spoilers!) (also, plus points for understated but excellent twist).

On the whole, then, an enjoyable book. The characters are engaging and believeable (although I maintain they're younger than we're told), and the story bobs along nicely. Noah is a wonderful narrator, and if you're after an easy read that will give you plenty of giggles, you could do a lot worse.

Noah's Gold is story-telling at its best! Frank Cottrell-Boyce has produced an absolutely terrific book for middle-grade readers of aged 9 plus, that's entertaining, attention grabbing from the start, humorous and one fabulous adventure and mystery!

I love that the chapters become letters, this is ingenious! This book will feed right into children's imaginations as they join a rip-roaring adventure, that starts as a normal school trip, but there's so many issues with the sat-nav and all starts to go wrong.
Meet Noah, Ryland, Lola, Dario and Ada as they unexpectedly end up on an uninhabited island. Mr Merriman, the teacher, then mysteriously disappears!
The characters wild imaginations take hold of them and their theories are most entertaining. There's also the issue of there being no phone signal, which would be the stuff of nightmares for children.
There's some neat references to faeries and Katie Morag and Paddington 2 that come into play, as they work out what to do next, to resolve their mysterious predicament. There's also commaraderie amongst the class and some team work as they pull together to create and light a fire and more... as they try to survive together. The book may be thought-provoking to children, who may turn their attentions to what they may do if they found themselves in a similar situation. For all that, it's a sparky tale, full of energy and wit.

There's also the fun discovery of a treasure map, with clues that are found in the most curious of places as they magically appear as they go on this further adventure to try and find the gold and then to find out where Mr Merriman can be.

The book is the opposite to Lord of the Flies, which has its merits, which are still important for today, Noah's Gold has humour and also shows children coming together and pulling all their knowledge and resources together in a positive way. It also puts me in mind of a modern Famous Five or Secret Seven in some ways, and has a bit of a nod to Roald Dahl too, which is so wonderful in this riveting adventure.

The book is fully illustrated in black and white pictures that make it all accessible for children who are still into pictures in their books. I was impressed by the artistic nature of the writing too, as tunnels are found, the colours of the text changed. There's even a recipe for children who like to bake. The book has absolutely everything! 

Children can read this themselves and it would also work well in a class situation, being read out loud.

What a fabulous, funny, silly and full of meaning book this is.
First; my proof copy had some illustrations, but not everything. I can't wait to get my hands on a finished copy and look at them properly. The ones I saw were amazing, full of humour and perfectly matched to the text.

Second; this is a brilliant story. It's told mostly in letters from Noah to his parents (and grandmother? I was unclear about that.) with a few replies from them and a couple of other items thrown in as well. Noah's a great narrator, funny and serious with a wonderful eye for detail. (Golden Fury! I'll be calling it that forever. My grandchildren will think I'm crazy, but I will persist.)

I loved the overall message here; yes, you miss things if you spend all your time buried in the internet, but it is useful for things as well. And that ending...leading us to a sequel, maybe, Mr Cottrell-Boyce? I do hope so! I'd love to spend some more time with these characters.

Brilliant. Get your hands on a copy as soon as you can.

I loved this and will definitely buy it for my children.

Noah finds himself caught up on his big sister's geography field trip, where 6 children are stranded without an adult on a remote island. They have to work out a way to survive and escape without access to the internet or other forms of communication, will they be able to work out a way out? The story is told in a series of letters written from Noah to his parents and is wonderfully illustrated by Steven Lenton.

Thanks for the chance to read it

Frank Cottrel Boyce is one of my favourite authors of middle grade books. My favourites of his are 'Cosmic' and 'Framed'. This is another wonderful story, full of humour, thrills and adventure. I loved all the different characters of the children, showing that everyone is different, has their own qualities, and can still all be friends and work together well to get out of tricky situations - of which there are many in this book! Just because you're young doesn't mean you can't survive on a deserted island! Who needs adults?!

I read this with my son we loved guessing where the treasure might be we also discussed what would happen if we got stranded on a dessert island.
Such a funny read we loved it. Fans for those who love Jonny duddle Jolly Rogers series.

Like all of Frank Cottrell-Boyce’s books, this one is a bit odd and quirky! It is written in the format of a series of letters.

After accidentally stowing away on his big sister’s geography field trip, Noah becomes the hero of the story. When the teacher takes them the wrong way, they lose the rest of the class and somehow end up on an uninhabited island. Then the minibus is destroyed and their teacher goes missing. The letters Noah writes home to his parents recount the challenges they face and the actions they take to survive. Add in a treasure hunt and the need to fix the internet and what you end up with is a fast paced, humorous story of survival without the benefits of modern technology.

The book raises some questions about the value of and reliance upon mobile phones and the internet. It also mentions the family’s need to use a food bank and the way the parents make it sound as if they’ve won a competition. I thought this was a lovely touch as it’s the first time I’ve come across this in a children’s book but it wasn’t talked about in a doom and gloom kind of way, nor was it glorified.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Yet another stunning title from Frank Cottrell Boyce. He manages to mix mystery and adventure with a brilliant sense of humour and a young hero that we can't help but like. The plot seems highly unlikely, but given the way that people depend on their Satnav and mobile phone, I am not convinced that this could not happen, at least in the short-term.

Legend frank cottrell boyce strikes again! Swallows&Amazons meets Famous 5 meets Lord of the Flies brought into 2020, where internet=life. Like Framed, Noah's letters narrate the story so authentically. Subtle references to food poverty & family disharmony make for a realistic read. Joyous!

I liked this book a lot. It was immediately engaging and Noah was such a lovely little character. I loved the way the children don't know how to use a phone box - if they'd only known from the start that you don't need coins to make an emergency call, then the story would never have happened. And I love the way that the phone in the phone box is described - how phones used to be until modern phones were invented. This book is a little parable about life without smartphones and the internet.
I loved the idea of the family protecting Noah from realising they had no money - it reminded me a little of the 1997 film Life is Beautiful - parents protecting a child using the power of the imagination. And Noah's big sister Eve is just a lovely big sister!

Courtesy of @Netgalley, I have been lucky enough to get my mitts on the new release by Frank Cottrell Boyce. Yay! One look at this brilliant front cover by Steven Lenton and I was sold on Noah's Gold. But, I was little prepared for the stand-out adventure that awaited me inside...

When eleven year old Noah sneaks onto his sister's geography trip, he has no idea that the six of them are about to be left stranded on a strange and uninhabited island. With little food and no working phones (due to Noah breaking the internet), the gang must work out a way to get home.

But when Noah finds a treasure map that leads them to gold, it is clear that the adventure has only just begun...

I have wanted to read a Frank Cottrell Boyce novel for years but have to admit that I was not quite prepared for the random brilliance of this story. From deserted islands to internet cables to phone boxes to gold bullion to rabbits, I felt so discombobulated by the setting and events that I had no idea what was going to happen on the next page. This, of course, is exactly how I would feel if, like Noah, I was left stranded on an island where strange things are occurring and no explanations are on offer.

The story is simply hilarious. Told by Noah in letter form, it allows us to look at the world through the lens of an eleven year old child. Suddenly, I was back in school uniform, remembering how it felt to be on the edge of a tight-knit group and fantasising about being one of The Famous Five. There are certainly echoes of those stories here and I also felt memories of 'Lord of the Flies' rising to the surface and yet, what I loved most about this novel was how the children, despite their individual differences, remained tight to the end.

This has everything you could want in an adventure story. Minibuses rolling off cliffs, shark rides, thieves, low-flying planes and really high stakes. Mix in a daily menu, letters to mum and dad and bags and bags of humorous dialogue and you have a gold bullion of a story - gleaming and shiny. However, among the laughs and adventure there is some real heart and thought-provoking themes. I loved the how Eve's stand-offish behaviour with her brother unravelled into something really special and our modern world dependence on the internet was explored in the most original way I could ever imagine.

This is skilful writing and imagination at its best. It takes all the good ingredients of a traditional 'treasure island' story and twists it into something surprising and original. It's a perfect read for anyone who loves adventure and humour...and very inventive menus.

Noah's Gold is available to pre-order and is released on 13th May 2021. A huge thanks to Netgalley and Pan MacMillan for allowing me a review copy.

What a great children's book! A small group of year nines on a geography trip end up stranded on an abandoned island, unable to make contact with the mainland because the world's internet had been broken. It just had every element you might want from this your of story- children having to work together, finding food, having adventures, with a wonderfully described relationship between the younger brother who sneaked along and his sister. A thoroughly modern version of the famous five or Swallows and Amazons. I can't think of a child or class aged 8+ that wouldn't enjoy it. Being by Frank Cottrell Boyce, it also deals lightly and humourously with heavy topics like food poverty, and for a comedic island adventure story it feels surprisingly realistic. Thoroughly recommended.

Any reader who loves a rollicking tale will enjoy this latest book by the natural story teller, Frank Cottrell-Boyce. It tells the story of an unlikely hero Noah, who finds himself on a geography field trip by accident and the adventure that ensues. Written as a series of letters, it draws the reader into the narrative with a format that even reluctant readers would find appealing. I think the use of group-chat text messages would also appeal to its target audience.
A major theme is the way technology has transformed our world, and this leads to some great comedy moments whilst also raising lots of thought provoking issues and discussions. However, there are lots of subtler themes of friendship, family and belonging for example also at play here. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I would recommend this book for upper key stage 2 or lower key stage three, particularly as the characters are younger secondary school pupils.

Noah accidentally gets 'kidnapped' and taken n the Year 9 school trip and that is only the start of his problems. His teacher relies on the satnav to take them to the warehouse, but they end up on an uninhabited island and then the teacher disappears.

While on the island Noah breaks the internet for the whole of Europe and possibly the world. Can he fix it? When Noah and his 'friends' find gold on the island things only get worse.

I really liked how the books was written in letter format between Noah and his parents which made it really easy to read and follow what as happening.

I also liked how the underlying theme was how much we rely on technology today and what would we do if we did not have it anymore? How did the children on the island cope?

Frank Cottrell-Boyce is one of those “gem of an author” who knows how to tap into what young people want to read and enjoy.Cosmic and Billions are classic stories and Noah’ s Gold should be added to this list.
This is an adventure story interwoven with some comical and thought provoking elements. Young Noah accidentally finds himself caught on a geography school trip with his older sister and some fellow year 9 students; through the naivety of their teacher they find themselves stranded on a small island where accidentally young Noah “ switches off “ the internet and thus chaos ensues. They are stranded without communication . What is comical and striking ( and worthy of family and class discussion ) is how the youngsters are so dependent on the internet and social media within their lives for survival, knowledge and communication. When confronted with a dial- up phone box, all sorts of confusion arises. Noah’s creation of a treasure map to distract the group and the subsequent discovery of gold all ads to the adventure.
This book is also about relationships between a brother and sister and a group of friends.
Told through a series of letters, Noah writes to his parents and others describing events and the ensuing outcomes. This is a book full of heart .When the children discover food and make comparisons to their local food bank we know that this isn’t the world of middle class Enid Blyton youngsters but a world of challenge and change that often is dominated by technology and materialism leaving many without.
This is a cross over book - perfect for upper key stage 2 readers but those in key stage 3 not necessarily wanting to venture in to the YA adult section of the library or bookshop.
A true delight for young and old