Hide and Seek

I was so excited to get this follow up to I Spy . I knew that this would be of the same great standard, an exciting book based on real life events. I love the history and the old fashioned / classic famous five vibe. The children loved it.

I Spy: A Bletchley Park Mystery was one of my top books of 2023 so I was thrilled to find out there was a second book coming in February 2024.

Hide and Seek is a beautifully crafted story of the dangers and hardships faced by those with secrets to keep during the Second World War. Readers are reintroduced to Ned who lives with his parents at Bletchley Park. His father runs the funeral home while his mother spends her days at the brickworks smuggling priceless artwork out of London to somewhere where it will be safe. Ned and his mother have both signed the Official Secrets Act and can't talk about their work to anyone because "careless talk costs lives."

In February 1942, Ned and his mother are sent to Wales where she will restore the art hidden in a quarry inside the mountain. Ned is secretly glad to get away from his angry and overpowering father but has no idea what lies ahead. In the village of Manod, he meets a fascinating group of people. Some are more welcoming than others. Mrs Thomas kindly takes them in but her son Harri, tough on the outside but lonely and afraid on the inside, is suspicious of anyone different. There is a young Austrian girl, Anni, living with them as well. As a Jewish refugee, she faces regular anti-semitism and mistrust. And, of course, we musn't forget Kip - Mrs Thomas's guide dog. A huge golden retriever, Kip is the best friend in any kind of crisis.

Ned is such a lovely character. Full of kindness and empathy, he sees beyond what people try to present to the public and thinks about what they really need. Intelligent and so intuitive, he is a real asset to his mother and the war effort.

Rhian Tracey provides readers with wonderfully detailed descriptions of Welsh life during the 1940s. The reality of rationing and the creativity necessary to make recipes work is clear as Ned experiences cawl, welsh rarebit and other typical dishes. Mrs Thomas provides a cosy home for them all despite her vision loss and her worry about her husband at war. Ned falls in love with the peacefulness of the mountain and all the different shades of green he never realised existed.

Hide and Seek reveals so many issues faced by those on the home front during the war. The children are enthralled by news of US allies with the glamour of the American GI heroes as well as reports that Princess Elizabeth is joining the war effort. However, the true heroes of the war in this small Welsh village are the women who keep the nation running. The strength of women is celebrated throughout the story with Ned's mother standing up to her husband to leave and do her part to save the nation's treasures, the inclusion of Miriam Rothschild (the first woman to serve on the Committee for Conservation of the National Trust and the first woman to become a trustee of the British Museum), Ned's choice for Picture of the Month in artist Lily Delissa Joseph (a Jewish suffragette), and the focus on Welsh artist Gwen John who becomes a symbol of the power and independence of Welsh women.

The wartime setting and focus on great paintings provides teachers with unique opportunities to make links with history and art. Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Turner and so many more will spark readers' interest, encouraging them to find out what these paintings look like and why they are so special. It's inspiring to see how Ned's mother teaches the people of Manod to appreciate the paintings, see the details, and make links to their own lives. A connection with music makes it even more powerful.

On top of all this, Hide and Seek is a brilliant adventure story. Ned and Harri know they must take a huge risk to help his mother and protect a priceless painting. With Kip by their side, the set off on a dangerous journey where they can trust no one. Anyone could be a spy just waiting to find out their secrets!

Thank you to Piccadilly Press and NetGalleyUK for an early read of this fantastic book!

After reading (and loving!) “I, Spy” last year, I couldn’t wait to catch up with Ned and his Bletchley Park friends in this latest instalment. And thanks to the lovely folks at NetGalley for sending me an ARC, I got to read it a little bit sooner.

In this second Bletchley Park mystery, we see Ned and his mum leave their home and head to the Welsh countryside on a vital wartime mission. They have been tasked with protecting the country’s priceless works of art that are being stored in a slate mine in the village of Manor. To keep these national treasures safe from the enemy, it is imperative that their whereabouts are kept secret. But when it appears that someone in the village is trying to reveal the secret, Ned, his mother, and a young Jewish refugee, Anni, are prime suspects. Can Ned and Anni, along with their new friend Harri, prove their loyalty to the mission and keep the secret safe?

Wow - I loved absolutely everything about this book! Although it is the second in the series, you could read this book without having read the first (but I do love a series!). If you’re looking for a gripping wartime adventure story, with a good scoop of mystery and adrenaline thrown in for good measure, then look no further than this glorious, super readable tale.

A great book to recommend for reading for pleasure, but also one that provides so many hooks for studying WW2 at KS2 level - history being an obvious one, but also art - these are just two that spring to mind.

I really hope this isn’t the last we hear from Ned and his friends - fingers crossed, they’ll continue with their adventures. And one last thing… I absolutely love the idea of Miss Eliza’s pony library!

Definitely one to recommend to the small (and not so small!) people at school.

I am a huge fan of historical children's fiction particularly anything set in WW2 so was absolutely delighted to have been given early access to this latest offering from Rhian Tracey. Although part of a series, " The Bletchley Park Mysteries" it is possible to read this book as a stand alone. The story is set in the early part of 1942, and we join Ned (one of the characters from the first book in the series - "I,Spy") and his mum who are working for the National Gallery as part of their role for the war effort. They travel to Wales and Rhian does not fail to ensure that readers are aware of the effort the country had gone to to ensure that the enemy could not find their way should the Germans have successfully invaded Britain. Rhian manages to convey this real threat that faced the country whilst also conveying the 'war spirit' of the nation. There are many references to this throughout and thus making this not only a brilliantly engaging 'read for pleasure' book but also a fantastic text to further develop the Primary History curriculum.
As we read on, we very quickly learn what is being kept hidden in the wilderness of Wales. What follows is a hugely gripping story filled with espionage, adrenalin fuelled chases and truths. I love that this book focuses on an aspect of WW2 that is rarely referenced to, if at all in children's fiction, the protection of the nation's art. Without giving too much away, Ned has to help his mum - he believes she will lose her job if he doesn't - and so he makes a decision about a piece of art and this would provide the perfect opportunity for children to learn about the artists mentioned in the book (some lesser known national treasures) and have a discussion and develop enquiry about a piece of art they would have chosen. There is much scope in this text to not only address requirements in Primary UKS2 English but also other areas of the National Curriculum. This book is going to be a firm favourite on my reader radar and one that I can and will highly recommend. A brilliantly conceived and crafted tale that is pure genius.
Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publishers Bonnier Books Piccadilly Press for an early read in return for an honest review.

Coming from a town that had treasures hidden in its hills during the war, I was excited to read Rhiannon Tracey's latest mystery adventure and it did not disappoint. The central race against time adventure is both thrilling and emotionally engaging as Ned and his new friends speed across country to take a precious cargo to London, evading traitors and not sure who they can trust. The seeds are sown for future mysteries and the activities at Bletchley Park, though in the background in this installment, are cleverly woven into the story. With a deft grasp of the historical setting and an authenticity of voice for all the characters, this is a skillfully written mystery story.

An absolute banger of a KS2 read - great to fit in with WW2 topic or as a very enjoyable pleasure read. Rhian Tracey has got a marvellous range of character flowing from her pen/keyboard that are both relatable and captivating. Brilliant book.