Illustrated by Amy Willcox
Published by QuestFriendz
SuperQuesters: The Case of the Stolen Sun is the first in a fun new interactive STEM series, aimed at children aged 4-8.
Children take part in a series of engaging, interactive and fun quests, each of which encourages the development of a range of STEM skills from pattern recognition and problem-solving to algorithms and coding. There is a really helpful glossary of Stem Skills included at the end of the book.
The story starts with a science problem which Lilli and her two best friends, Bea and Leo, need to work on together to solve. After holding hands and closing their eyes for some hard thinking, they find themselves in Questland which has had its sun stolen. Can they track down the culprits, Lord Grumble and his Snapettes, and return daytime to Questland? Will they learn the answer to their science problem whilst exploring Questland?
So begins a series of eight quests where the reader is actively engaged in helping the new superheroes fulfil their quests by completing STEM-linked activities and games for each one. Each activity is clearly introduced and there are stickers at the back of the book to use to complete each activity.
When a quest is finished, a sticker can be placed on the Reward Chart at the start of the book. I can imagine the solving of each quest to be a wonderful opportunity for both collaborative and independent learning although I imagine each child in a group will want their own copy of the book!
SuperQuesters has a wonderfully unique format with a fun fantasy adventure story interspersed with a range of appealing games and activities to take the reader to the next quest. The illustrations are gorgeous and I really liked how the background changes from darker to lighter as the quest is followed. Each quest is made up of the adventure on one page and the STEM activity on the other (often with helpful notes or warnings) which makes it clear to follow.
I can definitely see this appealing to young readers who will enjoy working through the quests with an adult, in a collaborative group, or independently if they are slightly older. This is a truly fantastic way to encourage a love of STEM skills in a really imaginative and engaging way, and is perfect for both home and school.
Thank you to Fritha Lindqvist and QuestFriendz for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Book Craic 