A bighearted tale of family, forgotten stories and the search for belonging, from award-winning author Maisie Chan. Perfect for fans of Benjamin Dean, Jenny Pearson and Helen Rutter.

'A firecracker of a book - packed with sparks and surprises' - Frank Cottrell-Boyce
'Truly captivating' - Jen Carney
'An absolute delight' - Clare Weze
'Tender, funny and heartfelt' - Nazima Pathan

Nate Yu Riley loves three things: his Switch, his ant farm (especially Betsy, queen of the colony) and his family.

He's not so sure about some other things, like moving to a big city, starting a new school, and his parents making him do Chinese stuff. They're always trying to get him to embrace his heritage, but Nate can't speak Chinese, and he doesn't know anything about Chinese customs.

But when Nate comes across an old shell casing engraved with a Chinese dragon, he can't stop thinking about it. And when he touches the shell, someone extraordinary appears. A ghost from long ago. Someone who needs Nate's help - and Nate might just need his, too ...

Prizes

Short-listed for Hounslow SLS Junior Book Award.,Long-listed for Peters Children's Book of the Year 2025 (UK)

A funny, heartfelt 8+ story about figuring out your place in the world. -- Imogen Russell-Williams * The Guardian *
A truly captivating story that explores identity, friendship, family and belonging. Told with bags of heart and humour, it was a delight to read. * Jen Carney (author of The Accidental Diary of B.U.G) *
A firecracker of a book - packed with sparks and surprises * Frank Cottrell-Boyce, UK Children's Laureate *
A heartwarming and funny journey of self-discovery, rich with culture, history, family, and the occasional ghostly surprise. Full of charm, and unforgettable characters - it's a blast of a book! Betsy the queen ant would definitely recommend!' * Jenny Pearson (author of THE SUPER-MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF FREDDIE YATES) *
Nate Yu's Blast From the Past has all the trademarks of a Maisie Chan book - warmth, heart and humour! The world of ants and the realities of the Chinese Labour Corps combine to form a riveting story which will tug at your heartstrings and keep you guessing right until the very end! * Lui Sit (author of The Land of the Last Wildcat) *

Maisie Chan is a British-born Chinese author. Her debut novel Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths won the Branford Boase Award and the Jhalak Book Prize, and was also shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Awards and the Diverse Book Awards. She is also the author of Keep Dancing, Lizzie Chu and Nate Yu's Blast from the Past. Maisie also writes the young fiction series Tiger Warrior and is one of the authors in the bestselling The Very Merry Murder Club anthology. She runs the Bubble Tea Writers Network that supports and encourages writers of East and Southeast Asian heritage in the UK. Originally from Birmingham, Maisie now lives with her family in Glasgow.

Instagram and Threads: @maisiechanwrites Blue Sky: @maisiechanwrites X @maisiewrites