Marsbound

Description

Marsbound: The Archer Family and the Secret Beneath the Red Planet follows an ordinary family from North Yorkshire whose lives change when they are selected for an extraordinary mission connected to the first permanent international settlement on Mars. Cassie, Ravi and Tilly, together with their parents and their mischievous cockapoo Bramble, face competitions, training challenges, difficult decisions, mysterious signals and unexpected dangers as they prepare for life far beyond Earth.

The book is designed as a novel first and a learning resource second, so the educational content is woven naturally into the story rather than interrupting the adventure. Each chapter introduces a set of mission words that readers are encouraged to understand from context before checking the glossary. The story contains 360 useful vocabulary words, including 100 statutory Year 5 and Year 6 spelling-list words, plus 260 additional words selected to support vocabulary, verbal reasoning and comprehension practice. 

The book also includes structured comprehension practice, with chapter quizzes featuring multiple-choice and written-response questions, an alphabetical vocabulary glossary, a complete answer key, a reading tracker and an 11+ Reading Toolkit covering techniques such as inference, identifying key information, explaining answers, comparing ideas, summarising and evaluating. 

Suitable for readers aged 8–12, Marsbound is ideal for children who enjoy adventure, space and mystery while also building confidence in reading comprehension, vocabulary and 11+ English skills.