Author: Lawrence, Iszi
Interest age: from c 7 years
Published on 28 August 2025 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (Bloomsbury Education) in the United Kingdom as part of 'The Time Machine Next Door' series.
Paperback | 160 pages
198 x 130 x 14 | 140g
A page-turning, laugh-out-loud historical adventure by comedian and broadcaster Iszi Lawrence (as seen on Netflix and Sky History), perfect for fans of Horrible Histories.
When Sunil and his scientist neighbour Alex almost fall out over a game of Monopoly, Alex jumps in her time machine to settle the rules once and for all – by asking none other than Elizabeth Magie, the inventor of Monopoly itself. When Elizabeth is horrified to learn that her anti-capitalist game is now a bestselling pastime, Alex starts to wonder if other inventors are happy with their work. On their mission for answers, Sunil and Alex meet Leonardo Da Vinci, inventor of the life raft Maria Beasely and the father of mathematics, Archimedes.
The Time Machine Next Door is an exciting new series of quirky historical chapter books for readers aged 7-9, to be enjoyed as a series or as standalone stories. The series brings lesser-known parts of history to life with hilarious plots, real-life characters, fascinating facts and fantastic illustrations.