The secret of the Black Moon moth by John Fardell

When we read we often need to suspend disbelief. I am usually very happy to do this but I think John Fardell may have taken things a little too far with his long lost civilization of people from a different species especially when he gave them clothes, a better set of morals than humans and skills to make very sophisticated technology.

This is the third adventure for this group of Scottish children and their Professor friends. This time they meet a man with a strange skull which appears to be from an early human species. This book is quite up to date because they mention Homo Floresiensis or the Hobbit person who was found in Indonesia only in the last decade. (My cousin was one of the team involved with this project)

The children and adults make the long journey across the world using their flying boats to reach the island of Pulau Gigi Naga. It is in a cave on this island that the skull and carving were found. I think by far the best part of this book is the Prologue where we read about a mysterious crime involving a book which is ripped in half as it is being stolen. If you have read the first two books in this series – The Seven Professors of the far North and The Flight of the Silver Turtle you will be keen to read this third book but for me it was not quite as exciting as the first two. Once again, though, these resourceful kids have to work together and outwit a dangerous enemy all without the help of the adults.

Look here if you want to read a little more about the plot of The Secret of the Black Moon Moth.