Kate Witch and the Stolen Sceptre

A fantasy adventure to introduce kids to the magic of reading and science.

Kate Witch is the first in a series and
combines a science set with a fantasy fiction.

It's designed to be inclusive, flexible, easy for parents or teachers, full STEAM, and low cost.

Below you can find more information about the thinking behind the product.

Kate Witch, The Story...

  • My daughter wanted a science set for Christmas, and as an engineer working in education technology I thought fantastic, let’s get cooking!

    I went and bought the full-monty with test tubes, burner and beakers plus about 30 different chemicals.

    We couldn’t have been more disappointed. The experiments were bland, none of us had fun.

    The entire experience shouted that science was DULL.

  • The girls did find some excitement. They mixed potions in the kitchen.

    They’d take food colour, glitter, oils, spices, in fact anything, and play magic school.

    One day we mixed vinegar and baking soda into a concoction and whoosh the magic came to life.

    This was my aha moment.

    I realised that by combining a fantasy story with a science set, I could create a new and exciting science education experience.

    Kate Witch was born.

  • Kate Witch is a fantasy fiction combined with a science set and allows kids starting from 7+ to explore science at their own pace, all while reading a rollicking magical adventure.

    What’s truly different about Kate Witch is that at the end of most chapters, the readers will find fun, safe science experiments to do, using the accompanying science set, that mimic the magic Kate is learning as she battles the intrigues at PopeBears.

    If Kate makes crystals or a lie detector, so can our readers.

    The experiments are linked to the narrative, and explore chemistry, basic electronics, scientific theory & method, and ethics.

  • Kate Witch includes both the book and the science set, providing the equipment needed to do the 20 related experiments.

    The story has characters that reference a wide range of related topics for children to explore at their own pace (e.g. Kate’s cat is called Schrodinger).

    Inside the science set, readers will find parts to make a floating magic orb, drum pad, basic lie detector, various potions (that actually do something), and much more.

    Kate Witch has been written and designed to make science education more interesting for girls and get boys reading earlier.

    It tackles issues of gender bias head-on, and is a welcome alternative to the use of robots, which are expensive and require significant teacher expertise.

    The education is built around great stories, providing a powerful tool for increasing engagement in learning.