- Chapter Books
- Ages 9–12
- Science Fiction
Time Travelling with a Tortoise
Part of the Ross Welford universeOpen the collection
The long-awaited return to the world of Time Travelling with a Hamster: Al Chaudhury travels through time once more to rescue a friend stranded in another dimension and to save his beloved Grandpa Byron. A warm, twisty adventure with real emotional weight beneath the sci-fi.
- Best for9–12
- FormatChapter
- Length272 pp
- Read aloud~3 hr50 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
Tone
- Exciting
- Suspenseful
- Heartwarming
- Bittersweet
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Al Chaudhury once travelled back in time to save his father's life – and it worked. His dad is alive again, and life is back to how it should be. But when an accident nearly kills his beloved Grandpa Byron and forces Al back in time once more, he leaves someone behind, trapped in another dimension forever. Now Al must journey through time yet again: not only to rescue his friend from the past, but to save Grandpa Byron's life and make sure there's still a future waiting for them all. This standalone-friendly sequel to the bestselling Time Travelling with a Hamster brings back Ross Welford's clever time-machine logic, his ticking-clock tension and his gift for characters you truly care about. Beneath the paradoxes and the pace runs a tender story about family, memory and the people we can't bear to lose – funny and thrilling, but with a genuine ache at its heart.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
Best for 9–12s reading independently. The time-travel plot carries confident younger readers, while the thread of a grandparent's near-death and real grief gives it weight for older ones. A gentle read-aloud for families ready for those themes.
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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
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: grief, death of character.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
3 / 5 · Mostly fine
Graphic intensity
2 / 5 · Mild
Best for
- Time travel
- Emotional adventure
- Family story
Avoid if
- Sensitive to bereavement
- Wants light read
Particularly good for children who are…
- Bereavement
- Interested in science
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Al's homemade time machine, the rescue of a friend trapped in another dimension and the race to save Grandpa Byron make for a genuinely gripping adventure. The clever time-travel rules reward readers who love a good paradox.
- Time travel
- Surviving danger
- Making a difference
- Having a wise mentor
Why parents love it
The long-awaited follow-up to Time Travelling with a Hamster pairs Welford's twisty time-machine logic with a moving story about family, memory and loss. It handles grief with warmth and honesty, and reads beautifully aloud.
- Conversation starter
About the author
Ross Welford.
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Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
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