posted on 27 Nov 2023

Forbidden Classroom by Tony Bradman, illustrated by Dylan Gibson

What child could resist the idea of a secret classroom hidden in their school? The author, Tony Bradman, knows his intended audience very well as he shows us how even the most ordinary looking place might reveal exciting secrets.

‘The Secret’ is the first book in the series of short graphic novels which introduces us to the setting of Rockhead Primary School and the two Year 6 protagonists, Verna Lee and Jamie Ballard. As an ex teacher myself I like the depiction of Mrs Sharma, the over zealous new head teacher who tries hard to impress her unenthusiastic staff about her five year plan for change. As she is determined to make a difference, she is keen to recruit Verna and Jamie who are her most potentially clever and creative pupils.

Caretakers have something of a reputation in cartoon world for being not quite what they seem, after all they always know all the secrets of a building and are also part of an ‘invisible’ team of workers who keep everything ticking along. In this case, Mr Arnold ( presumably a nod to Schwarzenegger) is the mysterious and muscular looking figure who has been at the school for nearly twenty years. When a builder knocks through a wall as part of the plan to modernise and improve the school, a secret classroom is revealed. After doing some research, the two children find out that every other member of staff had been replaced shortly after Mr Arnold started working there. He also has an intriguing device that he carries about everywhere, but they are puzzled about what it could be used for. Soon they find out that Miss Ripley ( another film reference aimed at adults)is part of the mystery and the scene is set for adventure.

It seems that the two adults are members of The Sentinels, a secret force that protects Planet Earth and that the hidden classroom is a portal to another galaxy! But as we all know, portals can be used by either side, which is a big problem.

Having established the potential threat in the first story, ‘The Intruders’ shows us the potential danger to the school when an alien visitor from another world tricks Mrs Cradock, the librarian into installing a new computer programme that helps children to learn more quickly. Her staring eyes and rather stilted manner along with the oddly intense behaviour of the Year 3 children rings some alarm bells. The Head teacher is impressed with their excellent attitude and improved behaviour which has spread to Year 4, but Verna and Jamie are rightly concerned. I am not going to reveal details but the pace of this story steps up and develops into a thrilling stand off. Mrs Sharma is let into the secret of The Sentinels’ and all seems positive until we realise that the alien had passed on crucial and dangerous information to his masters.

‘Friends and Enemies’ has a slightly different tone because by now the school is an acknowledged busy centre of activity with uniformed staff and military vehicles everywhere. The parents are understandably puzzled but fobbed off with the explanation that the school needs better security. I couldn’t help wondering if this was an author comment about current oppressive school atmospheres! Nevertheless the stern secretary does draw a line at helicopter landings in the playground and is increasingly concerned about tanks in the playground in case of an emergency. The fierce Director Keller ( who has a passing resemblance to Hilary Clinton) takes overall control, sacks Arnie and Ripley for incompetence and so begins her urgent mission to save the world. When a seemingly friendly alien called Murlak then comes through the portal, Verna and Jamie suspect the worst. Their fears are realised at a special assembly where Murlak dazzles the children and staff ( including Mrs Sharma) with promises of new technology - they need to act quickly and everything gets pretty scary. As with all the best cliffhangers, I was desperate to know how the next episode would unfold.

‘Battle in the Stars’ opens relatively calmly and it seems that other pupils are now keen to join The Sentinels, especially as it means wearing a cool badge. Yet another special assembly reveals the launch of a new Five Year Plan by Mrs Sharma. The action starts up pretty quickly with another invasion via the portal but Jamie and Verna are now very experienced and confident about playing their part in resistance. The secretary has to phone around for extraordinary parental permission for a school trip to help save the world. This is probably the most action packed book in the series with dramatic and colourful space battles as The Sentinels take on their most challenging mission so far. At the end of this adventure the school has a new designation as ‘Centre for the Study of Invasions by Evil Dictators’. I predict that many young readers would be very keen to attend.

I strongly recommend this series of books that are perfectly designed to engage readers who might be fed up with text heavy stories or those who prefer the visual drama of comics and graphic novels. They are loaded with thrilling plot and interesting characters. Each one also includes focus on some ‘tricky’ new vocabulary as well as some comprehension questions and ideas for related creative activities at the end.

All are published by Hatchette Books as part of their Reading Planet collection and should be available from your local independent bookshop. They will be glad to order these if not on the shelf, or you can order direct from www.risingstars-uk.com.

 

Karen Argent

November 2023