Guest Post - Sarah Baker - Eloise Undercover - UK Blog (5) Tour - MORSE CODE (Catnip)

ELOISE UNDERCOVER

France, 1944. 12-year-old Eloise’s father has not come home in over a week, and she is getting worried that something might be badly wrong. When the Germans occupy Eloise’s town, and the Nazi Kommandant moves into Maison de la Noyer, things start falling apart. Through a chance meeting, Eloise volunteers to join the Resistance. Suspense, secrecy and danger follow her as, inspired by her favourite detective fiction books, she tries to find her father. A hidden passage behind a tapestry, a deportation list and a race against time... Will Eloise find her father? And what other secrets will she reveal?

Read an extract from the book.

Published by Catnip Paperback, £6.99, 9 + year olds, ISBN: 9781910611135- OUT NOW.

--- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . 

Do you know that this says? 

It says Morse Code! 

(Pinterest photo credit) 


Morse Code is a series of dots and dashes used to send individual letters of the alphabet. If you use it over a short wave radio the long and short tones are referred to as dits and dahs. You could also use a torch!

(link to photo credit): http://histclo.com/essay/war/ww2/code/ei/w2-ei.html 


Morse code was used during WW2 because it was the simplest, most recognizable and understandable signal to send. Online encoding didn’t exist yet, so the safest way of making sure your message was secure was to encrypt it yourself, then send it. Someone at the other end would write down your message, feed it through the same manual decoding system in reverse and… voila! 


Could you be a covert code breaker? 


Here’s an example of a substitution cipher. Each letter of the alphabet has been substituted with a code letter. 

HINT: Sometimes it helps to work on the short words first (notice how NBY is repeated several times!) 


Here’s a question for you written in code. Can you crack it? 
QBUN QUM NBY ZCLMN MUNYFFCNY NI ILVCN NBY YULNB? 


Here’s the alphabet to help you. 
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 

Got it? If so, congrats, you’re on your way to becoming a spy! If not, here’s the key: 


Question: 
QBUN QUM NBY ZCLMN MUNYFFCNY NI ILVCN NBY YULNB? 

Key: 
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 
GHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZABCDEF 

You can use random orders and patterns, but in this case the alphabet has simply shifted 6 places to the right. 


Question: 
QBUN QUM NBY ZCLMN MUNYFFCNY NI ILVCN 
WHAT WAS THE FIRST SATELLITE TO ORBIT 
NBY YULNB? 
THE EARTH? 

Answer: 
Sputnik 1 


If this was far too easy, try a harder cipher HERE or you can find out how much more you need to learn about being a spy by booking one of my school workshops HERE 



Big thanks to Education.com for the Code Breaker resources.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sarah Baker is a children’s writer based in London. Her previous book, Through the Mirror Door, has been very well received by bloggers, bookshops, and readers. Sarah has worked extensively in film, with roles at Aardman Features, the Bermuda Film Festival and as Story Editor at Celador Films. She writes guest features for a number of online magazines and blogs, including the popular #vintage baker finds pieces for Bristol Vintage. ELOISE UNDERCOVER is Sarah’s second novel.

Find out more at bysarahbaker.com<http://bysarahbaker.com/>  and follow Sarah on Instagram and twitter @bysarahbaker

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Middle-Grade Book Picks (9-12yrs) September 2017 - UK Post One

R . M . Romero - The Dollmaker of Krakow - Published by Walker Books (5 Oct. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1406375633

A timeless fantasy set in the Second World War that weaves together magic, folklore and history, perfect for fans of The Book Thief, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and Goodnight Mister Tom. 

One night a little doll named Karolina comes to life in a toyshop in Krakow, Poland, in 1939 and changes the life of the gruff, broken-hearted Dollmaker. And when the darkness of the Nazi occupation sweeps over the city, Karolina and the Dollmaker must bravely use their magic to save their Jewish friends from a terrible danger, no matter what the risks. This powerful story is about finding friendship in the darkest of places and the importance of love in times of great pain.

Mira Bartok - The Wonderling - Published by Walker Books (28 Sept. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1406370645

In this extraordinary debut novel with its deft nod to Dickensian heroes and rogues, Mira Bartók tells the story of Arthur, a shy, fox-like foundling with only one ear and a desperate desire to belong, as he seeks his destiny.

Welcome to the Home for Wayward and Misbegotten Creatures, an institution run by evil Miss Carbunkle, a cunning villainess who believes her terrified young charges exist only to serve and suffer. Part animal and part human, the groundlings toil in classroom and factory, forbidden to enjoy anything regular children have, most particularly singing and music. For the Wonderling, an innocent-hearted, one-eared, fox-like eleven-year-old with only a number rather than a proper name ― a 13 etched on a medallion around his neck ― it is the only home he has ever known. But unexpected courage leads him to acquire the loyalty of a young bird groundling named Trinket, who gives the Home’s loneliest inhabitant two incredible gifts: a real name ― Arthur, like the good king in the old stories ― and a best friend. Using Trinket’s ingenious invention, the pair escape over the wall and embark on an adventure that will take them out into the wider world and ultimately down the path of sweet Arthur’s true destiny.

Frances Hardinge - A Skinful of Shadows - Published by Macmillan (21 Sept. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1509837540

When a creature dies, its spirit can go looking for somewhere to hide. 

Some people have space inside them, perfect for hiding.

Makepeace, a courageous girl with a mysterious past, defends herself nightly from the ghosts which try to possess her. Then a dreadful event causes her to drop her guard for a moment.

And now there's a ghost inside her.

The spirit is wild, brutish and strong, but it may be her only defence in a time of dark suspicion and fear. As the English Civil War erupts, Makepeace must decide which is worse: possession – or death.

Kim Ventrella (Author), Victoria Assanelli (Illustrator)Skeleton Tree - Published by Macmillan Children's Books (21 Sept. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1509828678

When Stanley Stanwright finds a bone poking out of the earth in his back garden, he is determined to take a picture of it and send it to the Young Discoverer's Competition, thinking it will help bring his dad back home. But the bone begins to grow, reaching up out of the ground until it turns into a skeleton - a skeleton with an unusual interest in his unwell younger sister Miren.

As time wears on, Miren's condition worsens, and the only time she is truly at peace is when she is playing with the skeleton. But Stanley is wary of him, especially when he finally manages to get a picture, and spots a scythe at the skeleton's feet. . .

A whimsical, heartfelt story about a boy who finds a friend in Death with the help of an unusual tree growing in his back garden. With black line illustrations throughout by Victoria Assanelli.

BOOK COVER ALERT - Sarah Baker - Eloise Undercover (Catnip Publishing)

On the 7th September 2017, Catnip will publish the second book by Sarah Baker. Here is a quick peek at the fantastic book-cover art work that has been exclusively revealed today across the social media network.

For any of you who are interested, this time last year I featured a BRILLANT post on the concept design of the first book "Through the Mirror Door". This SHOWED a fascinating insight into the final book-cover that we get to see and love - why not check it out here. 

Eloise is another example of Baker’s strong and memorable female characters. She yet again demonstrates how girls can take the lead as well as examining the very contemporary topics of war, loss and fear. This beautifully written story will be enjoyed by fans of detective fiction and authors Katherine Rundell, Emma Carroll and Robin Stevens.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 
Sarah Baker is a children’s writer based in London. Her previous book, Through the Mirror Door, has been very well received by bloggers, bookshops and readers. Sarah has worked extensively in film, with roles at Aardman Features, the Bermuda Film Festival and as Story Editor at Celador Films. She writes guest features for a number of online magazines and blogs, including the popular #vintage baker finds pieces for Bristol Vintage. ELOISE UNDERCOVER is Sarah’s second novel.

Find out more at bysarahbaker.com  and follow Sarah on Instagram and twitter @bysarahbaker