This is a companion to the other three books about the adventures of the Word Hunters. If you haven’t read this adventure series, you could be a little confused by the secret files. It’s a notebook, or a journal, that contains snippets of information about various words in the English language and how they developed and changed over time. For those of us who are fascinated by words, reading it is enlightening and entertaining. But there are snippets of unfinished stories, which leave the reader bewildered and frustrated. It’s only when this little book is read in conjunction with the other ‘Word Hunters’ books that things really begin to make sense.

If you download a free app to your smartphone, you can scan a symbol found on various pages of the book, which will reveal extra, ‘secret’ knowledge that enlarges the story and make it more user-friendly. The details about how to use the app are on the book’s back cover. There is also an informative website – wordhunters.com.au – that includes helpful tips for teachers.

Reviewed by Wendy Noble
Age guide 10+