The Extraordinary Voyage of Katy Willacott by Sharon Gosling

The Extraordinary Voyage of Katy Willacott celebrates extraordinary women doing extraordinary things. Constantly underestimated by her father and told she can’t do things just because she’s a girl, Katy dreams of a life where she isn’t treated differently than her older brother and is able to explore, discover and make a real difference in the world.

Katy has inherited her parents’ scientific minds. Her father works as a naturalist for the British Museum while her mother is a botanical taxonomist at Kew Gardens.

When a meteorite lands in Brazil, there is nothing Katy wants more than to sail across the sea to search for it. Her only option is to disguise herself as a boy and try to gain a place as a cabin boy on the expedition. In this thrilling adventure, she is tested beyond her limits with wild storms at sea, the depths of the rainforest, heartless hunters and a high-ranking naturalist with a blatant disregard for women. If she’s found out, any hope of the future she desires will be lost.

The combination of an adventurous young girl, risks to the rainforest, respect for native civilisations and the wonder of space create a story that will interest so many different readers. Having stood outside in the dark to try to spot the Perseid meteor shower myself this week, I was immediately attracted to Katy’s passion for the natural world and desire to learn more. Her determination and ability to truly be extraordinary drew me in and kept me reading. She is a role model, not only for girls, but for all children who want to explore beyond their ordinary lives. Katy didn’t wait for adventure to come to her, she went looking for it and found far more than she ever imagined!

The Extraordinary Voyage of Katy Willacott would be a fantastic class read for Year 4+. There is so much to discuss and children will be gripped by each stage of Katy’s adventure.

Thank you to Little Tiger for this outstanding book!

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