- Chapter Books
- Ages 9–12
- Science Fiction
The Monkey Who Fell From The Future
Part of the Ross Welford universeOpen the collection
A breathless time-travel adventure that ricochets between present-day England and a rewilded Earth 400 years in the future, where humanity clings on after a meteor strike. Welford stitches a genuine 24-hour countdown to a clever, warm-hearted sci-fi puzzle.
- Best for9–12
- FormatChapter
- Length320 pp
- Read aloud~4 hr30 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
Tone
- Exciting
- Suspenseful
- Thought provoking
- Funny
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
In the year 2425, centuries after a catastrophic meteor collision let nature reclaim the Earth, young Ocean Mooney and the monkey-owning Duke Smiff dig up a 400-year-old tablet computer in what was once England. Meanwhile, in the present day, Thomas Reeve and his genius cousin Kylie have built the Time Tablet – a device they hope will let them talk to the future. But when it malfunctions live on television, Thomas and Kylie are hurled forward to 2425, Ocean is flung back to the present, and everyone has just twenty-four hours to get home and save the future of humanity. Ross Welford's trademark blend of huge sci-fi idea, cliffhanger pacing and ordinary, funny kids drives a race-against-time adventure that also asks big questions about the planet we're leaving behind. Inventive, propulsive and clever, it rewards readers who like their adventures with a real scientific spark.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
Pitched at 9–12s reading independently, with pace and cliffhangers that carry confident younger readers and enough scientific and environmental substance to hold older ones. Works well read aloud a chapter at a time.
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- Best fit · 9–12
- Read aloud · 9–12
- Independent · 9–12
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
Low
Reluctant-reader friendly
Workable
Read-aloud quality
Workable
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
3 / 5 · Mostly fine
Graphic intensity
2 / 5 · Mild
Best for
- Time travel
- Sci fi adventure
- Fast paced
Avoid if
- Wants gentle bedtime
Particularly good for children who are…
- Interested in science
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
A tablet computer that flings kids 400 years into a wild, rewilded future is pure catnip, and the countdown to get everyone home barely lets you breathe. The monkey, the twin timelines and the clever science keep readers hooked to the last page.
- Time travel
- Adventure and freedom
- Surviving danger
- Making a difference
Why parents love it
Welford builds a genuine scientific puzzle into a page-turner, then slips in real questions about the planet we hand the next generation. It's the kind of smart, fast adventure that hooks reluctant readers and sparks conversation.
- Conversation starter
About the author
Ross Welford.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
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