3 Reasons Why You Should Read Ming and Ada Spark the Digital Age by Jackie French

What’s the book about?

Ming Qong is convinced that girls have changed the world throughout history.

History’s sister, the mysterious Herstory, believes that the more you know about the past, the better you can understand the future. And so she now sends Ming to work as a maid in an isolated English mansion to see a girl change the world in 1829.

But which girl? The young mistress of the house is lying in bed, recovering from the measles. Abandoned by her aristocratic mother and family, she may never walk – or even read and write – again.

Ming becomes friends with another scullery maid, Hepzibah, who is desperately teaching herself to read and longs to free slaves, as she and her parents had been. But what hope has a scullery maid?

From one of Australia’s favourite writers comes an inspiring series for all the young people who will, one day, change the world.

Recommended for: 

Ages 8+.

Three reasons to read it: 

1. The novel provides a fascinating insight into the lives of two remarkable individuals, Ming and Ada, who come from vastly different backgrounds but share a passion for mathematics and innovation.
2. Ming’s friendship with Ada explores cultural and social boundaries, emphasizing the values of collaboration and mutual respect. Through the duo’s partnership, French encourages readers to embrace diversity and forge connections across differences.
3. The novel fosters curiosity and problem-solving skills, inviting readers to explore the fascinating world of mathematics and computer science.

Buy a copy of Ming and Ada Spark the Digital Age here.

About the author:

Jackie French AM is an award-winning writer, wombat negotiator, the 2014–2015 Australian Children’s Laureate and the 2015 Senior Australian of the Year. In 2016 Jackie became a Member of the Order of Australia for her contribution to children’s literature and her advocacy for youth literacy. She is regarded as one of Australia’s most popular children’s authors and writes across all genres — from picture books, history, fantasy, ecology and sci-fi to her much loved historical fiction for a variety of age groups. ‘A book can change a child’s life. A book can change the world’ was the primary philosophy behind Jackie’s two-year term as Laureate.