Isabel Williams (Is for short) is something of a challenge, even for her best friend Robert. As a new girl at a 1970s comprehensive she seems vulnerable, but she soon starts putting her teachers in their place with her amazing knowledge of science, bridges and the great Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Robert soon finds himself dodging school to visit antiquated lift shafts and getting lost in the science museum in a bid to keep up with his mercurial fellow pupil, who at times actually appears to believe she is Bunel reincarnated. But then, after a showdown in school — over Brunel — Is goes missing and only Robert sets knows where she could have gone…This new children's novel by Derek Webb aims to engage girls in particular with science and engineering, as well as introducing younger readers to Key Stage 2 science principles, and the history of Brunel, while at the same time offering them a fun and adventurous read.
