Author: Rai, Bali

Interest age: from c 8 years

Published on 1 August 2024 by Scholastic in the United Kingdom as part of ‘the Voices’ series.

Paperback | 192 pages
196 x 129 x 14 | 142g

In this fascinating true story based on the life of Hardit

Singh Malik, discover the adventures of WWI’s first Indian

pilot.

Hardit, who flew into battle high above the trenches of Passchendaele

on the hunt for the Red Baron, arrived in England at the

age of 14 to attend school.

Young Hardit was a devout Sikh and quick to defend himself when

anyone interfered with his turban. He went on to study at Balliol

College, Oxford, and played county cricket for Sussex.

When he tried to join up to help in the war effort, he was only

permitted to drive ambulances at the front. Instead he planned

to join the French air force before a former teacher intervened and

the Royal Flying Corps gave Hardit an ‘honorary’ commission as

a 2nd lieutenant flying Sopwith Camels.

About the series:

A thrilling series showcasing some of the UKs finest

writers for young people Voices reflects the authentic,

unsung stories of our past Each shows

that, even in times of great upheaval, a myriad of people have

arrived on this island and made a home for themselves – from Roman

times to the present day Perfect for teaching

children about inclusivity and diversity.

Praise for other books in the series:

Diver’s Daughter

‘a thrilling tale, with the expertly described Tudor world

brought to hideous, harsh life’BookTrust

‘a uniquely fascinating perspective into life in Tudor times.’

Books For Topics

‘engaging and insightful’Aisha, Historical

Association UK

‘exciting and full of tension’Damian, Historical

Association UK

Son of the Circus

‘E. L. Norry’s Son of the Circus

is perfect for children with an itch to run away to spit and sawdust

and rearing horses, in a fictionalised account of Pablo Fanque,

the first black circus proprietor in Victorian Britain. A joy

of a book: exciting and brilliantly vivid.’ Katherine

Rundell