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Young Discoverers: True Tales of Kids Who Made Incredible Discoveries by Stephen Davies ill. Violaine Leroy

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 12 Feb 2026

Publisher: WideEyed
ISBN: 9780711298293

See also:
Norse Myths, Monsters and Viking Voyages [ACHUKA Book of the Day 23 Sep 2025]

I was obsessed with reading about explorers and discoverers when I was a young reader and this is exactly the type of book I would have borrowed from the library and pored over until it needed to be returned. Public libraries and schools alike should have this on their purchase list and it would make a handsome birthday gift for any curious child to add to their bedroom bookcase.

From fossilised creatures and ancient treasures to mysterious scrolls and glimmering gems, Young Discoverers is a thrilling collection of real-life tales about some of the most astonishing discoveries ever made and the young people who made them.

Travel through time and across continents to uncover:

  • A prehistoric monster hidden in the cliffs of England
  • The boy who uncovered the first step to the tomb of Tutankhamun, leading to one of the most famous archaeological discoveries of all time
  • A glittering gold nugget that sparked America’s first gold rush – found by twelve-year-old Conrad
  • A Viking Sword pulled from a lake in Sweden by an eight-year-old girl
  • The world’s biggest star sapphire, once used as a doorstop in Australia!

In each of the twelve tales, you meet the young person at the heart of the discovery, following them through the twists and the turns of their adventure. The children and teenagers you meet may have come from different places and lived at different times in history, but they all have something in common—a curiosity for the world around them.

Some saw something that seemed out of the ordinary and went to take a closer look, while others felt something strange with their fingers or toes or heard an unexpected sound. One even followed his nose all the way to an incredible find.

See some inside pages in this post from the French illustrator based in Strasbourg:

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Violaine Leroy (@violaine.leroy)