Book Extract: Dreadnought by Robin Bennett

Published October 20, 2026 | By Laura

I am so excited to be welcoming Robin Bennett to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his book, Dreadnought.

A child sees things she’s sure don’t exist. The adults call it trauma. They’re both wrong.

On a remote Yorkshire headland known as Dreadnought, seven-year-old Cass Delaval begins to glimpse figures and fragments tied to a past that refuses to stay buried.

As the world edges toward conflict, Cass is drawn into a family mystery stretching back to the Second World War: a missing boy, a hidden weapon, and a family secret.

Because whatever has lain dormant on Dreadnought goes deep into our past … and it isn’t finished with us yet.

Dreadnought is a story of loyalty and hope, where the courage of one small girl may be our last defence.

Robin has very kindly shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy.

*****beginning of extract*****

This is a scene early in the book, from the youngest protagonist, Cass Delaval, aged 7. It sums up her personality, presages some of the novel’s mystery surrounding her brother, Bertie, and is the first proper demonstration of the real threat of war that sends the family to North Yorkshire. To Dreadnought.

Cass

‘Good morning Cassandra, I trust you are well?’ Eva’s mum always used words like Cass was a grown-up, but the way she said them, with gaps, sounded like she also thought Cass was stupid.

‘Hello,’ replied Cass solemnly, ignoring the question, then gave a little wave and a smile to Eva who was looking at them out of the car window. Eva was her joint best friend with Julia. ‘I’m already ready,’ she said, closing the front door and walking past Mrs Reicher.

‘Oh,’ Eva’s mum looked a bit put out her next question had been pre-empted as she followed, rather than led, to the car.

It was a lovely sunny day, and the sky went up and up, forever.

‘And so there’s going to be me (of course), you, Julia, Madison, Sian, Molly and Megan.’ The way Eva said the names was a bit like a song. ‘Mum says I don’t have to have some boys, unless I want to, except Jacob because he’s sad.’

Eva was turning eight four months before Cass, and this was the first birthday she didn’t have to invite the whole class.

‘Mum, Mummy, can we go past the horses, today … if we’ve got time?’ Eva, like a lot of people, was a bit scared of her mother. Mrs Reicher didn’t say anything (she was listening to the radio), but she did nod and, a few moments later took the turning that would take them past a row of large white buildings near the park. Cass liked to think her Daddy worked there but she wasn’t sure where he worked and anyway, soon, he was getting on a plane and up into the same sky she was staring at now, flying away somewhere Cass liked to think was hot … she thought about camels.

Then they were going slowly in lots of traffic past the important place. Outside the tall gates, there were men in green and brown uniforms walking about with guns and two horses ridden by men in much nicer red. Best of all were the horses. Their coats shone in the sunlight, as if they had been brushed and looked after like precious things. The black horse stamped its feet, then lowered and shook its head as they crept by, as if he’d noticed the two girls and was saying Good Morning.

‘He’s my favourite,’ declared Eva. ‘Which one’s yours Cass?’

But Cass wasn’t listening just at that moment. High up in the pale blue sky something had flashed, then disappeared. She squinted and pressed her head against the car window. Then there it was again, but much closer. Too close. She had a sudden sense it was rushing towards them and a feeling of danger.

‘Cass?’ But there was no time to say anything, so she just took her friend’s hand in hers, as the whole world around them shattered like a giant mirror made of splintered sound, light that hurt and horses screaming.

Cass felt like she was falling, backwards. Then she landed with a nasty bump. When she opened her eyes, she was in a cave. Everything was very damp. A wind blew in her face from the entrance where she could see it was nearly dark – the rest of the day was now just a blue bit far out over the waves a long way away with some pink.

‘You took ages.’ Cass turned, it sounded like Bertie, but what was he doing here? He hadn’t even been in the car.

The car.

She had been sitting next to Eva holding her hand. She had to get back.

‘Don’t leave me behind,’ said Bertie. But she was already gone.

Cass woke up when they were putting her in the ambulance.

It was then she realised her face was sticky. She cried all the way to the hospital because it really hurt, and she didn’t know where Eva was … but also because she realised she had wet herself.

*****end of extract*****

About Robin Bennett –

Robin Bennett is an author and entrepreneur who has written over twenty-five books for children. He has also written books on the swashbuckling world of business: How to Make a Good Living Running Your Own Business, Kicking the Property Ladder and Start up Smart, all published by Harriman House.

In 2024 Cracking was shortlisted for a Week Junior Book Award and Sunday Times Sports Book of the Year for Children. His YA novel ‘XII’ was shortlised for a British Book Award in 2023 and his very popular Monster Max Series is a Book Trust pick and won Coventry Inspiration Book Awards in 2022. Picus the Thief, won the Writer’s News Indie Published Book of the Year Award in 2012.

When Robin grew up he thought he wanted to be a cavalry officer until everyone else realised that putting him in charge of a tank was a very bad idea. He then became an assistant gravedigger in London. After that he had a career frantically starting businesses (everything from dog-sitting to cigars, tuition to translation)… until finally settling down to write improbable stories to keep his children from killing each other on long car journeys.

When not writing or starting companies, Robin plays most sports. Poorly.

Say hello to Robin on TikTok and Instagram.

Dreadnought was released by Monster Books on 15th October 2026. Click on Amazon UK, Amazon US, Barnes & Noble and Waterstones.