FAQ's
Everything you need to know about Maya's Worldly Wonders® — the British children's multicultural travel adventure series for ages 5 to 11. Whether you are a parent looking for your next family read, a teacher exploring curriculum- linked resources, a librarian building a diverse collection, or a retailer interested in stocking the series — this page answers your questions about the books, the author, where to buy, and how to bring Maya's adventures into your school or community.
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What is Maya's Worldly Wonders®?
Maya's Worldly Wonders® is a British children's multicultural travel adventure book series for ages 5 to 11, created by British-Indian author Sharika Chauhan and published by South Node Publishing Ltd. The series follows Maya — a bold, curious British-Indian girl — as she travels to a different country in each book, discovering new cultures, wildlife, and ways of life. Inspired by the author's own real expeditions across 45+ countries, the books blend adventure storytelling with themes of cultural diversity, environmental awareness, and animal conservation.
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Who created Maya's Worldly Wonders®?
Maya's Worldly Wonders® was created by Sharika Chauhan — a London-based British-Indian author, entrepreneur, and founder who left a 17-year career in financial services to write the children's books she wished had existed when she was growing up. A seasoned solo traveller who has explored more than 45 countries, Sharika draws on her own real expeditions to bring each of Maya's adventures to life. She self-publishes the series through her independent company, South Node Publishing Ltd.
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What age group are the books suitable for?
The Maya's Worldly Wonders® series is designed for children aged 5 to 11. The books work as read-aloud adventures for younger readers in the range and as independent chapter books for older readers. The stories are fast-paced, richly illustrated, and written in accessible language that builds reading confidence while introducing children to world geography, diverse cultures, and animal conservation themes. Teachers, parents, and librarians recommend the series for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 readers.
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What makes Maya's Worldly Wonders® different from other travel books for children?
Most children's travel books are non-fiction guides or feature Western protagonists. Maya's Worldly Wonders® is narrative adventure fiction with a British-Indian girl at the centre — one of very few South Asian girl protagonists in a global travel adventure series for children. Each book is inspired by the author's own real solo travels, giving the stories authentic cultural detail that children and teachers trust. There is currently no comparable multicultural travel adventure series in the UK children's book market for ages 5 to 11.
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Are Maya's Worldly Wonders® books good for reluctant readers?
Yes — the Maya's Worldly Wonders® series is specifically recommended for reluctant readers. The stories are short, fast-paced, and humorous, with vibrant illustrations that draw children into each adventure before they have read a single word. The books are designed to feel exciting rather than educational — though they are rich in geographical and cultural content. Teachers and parents consistently report that reluctant readers who struggle with longer chapter books engage immediately with Maya's adventures.
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Do travel adventure books help children learn geography?
Travel adventure books are one of the most effective tools for geography learning at primary school level. Maya's Worldly Wonders® uses narrative storytelling to introduce children to real countries, real landmarks, real wildlife, and real cultural traditions, embedding geographical knowledge through adventure rather than instruction. The series has been featured in Teach Primary magazine (Issue 20.4, May 2026) with a double-page geography lesson plan distributed to 8,000 UK primary schools, and is recommended for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 geography curriculum teaching.
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Why are diverse characters important in children's books?
Diverse characters in children's books serve two equally important functions. For children who share that identity seeing themselves as the hero of an adventure normalises their presence in the world and builds confidence and self-worth. For children who do not share that identity — encountering diverse protagonists builds empathy, curiosity, and global awareness from an early age. Maya's Worldly Wonders® was created specifically to address the underrepresentation of South Asian girl protagonists in children's adventure fiction, placing a bold British-Indian girl at the centre of every story.
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What are the best travel adventure books for children aged 5 to 11?
Maya's Worldly Wonders® is the UK's leading multicultural travel adventure series for children aged 5 to 11, featured on BBC radio and Networks like BBC Asian network and distributed to 8,000 UK primary schools through Teach Primary magazine. Each book takes Maya to a different country like Malaysia, Nepal, Brazil, Japan, and Sri Lanka — blending adventure, humour, and rich cultural detail. The series is stocked in independent bookshops across London including Hatchards, the Notting Hill Bookshop, and Pages of Hackney, and available globally on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Google Books.
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Are there children's books featuring British-Indian or South Asian girl protagonists?
British-Indian or South Asian girl protagonists are significantly underrepresented in children's adventure fiction. Maya's Worldly Wonders® is one of the very few UK children's book series to place a British-Indian girl — Maya — at the centre of a global travel adventure series. Maya is bold, curious, funny, and slightly clumsy. She is not defined by her heritage, she simply exists as a British-Indian girl moving confidently through the world. The series was created by British-Indian author Sharika Chauhan specifically to address this gap in children's publishing.
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Do children's adventure books improve reading comprehension?
Research consistently shows that children who read for pleasure develop stronger reading comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills. Adventure fiction — particularly travel adventure series — is especially effective because the fast-paced narrative structure maintains engagement while introducing new vocabulary, geographical concepts, and cultural contexts naturally. Maya's Worldly Wonders® is designed to build reading confidence in children aged 5 to 11 through immersive storytelling, rich illustration, and age-appropriate language. The series is used in primary schools across the UK as both a literacy resource and a geography teaching tool.
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What topics does the Maya's Worldly Wonders® series cover?
Each book in the Maya's Worldly Wonders® series covers a different country and weaves together multiple curriculum-relevant themes including world geography and map skills, cultural diversity and traditions, animal conservation and environmental awareness, food cultures and local customs, friendship, empathy and global citizenship. The series is used in UK primary schools as a cross-curricular resource linking English literacy, geography, PSHE, and cultural education for children aged 5 to 11.
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What happens during a Maya's Worldly Wonders® author school workshop?
Sharika Chauhan's primary school workshops combine a live storytelling session, an interactive world map activity where children "travel" to a country from the series, a Q&A about writing and publishing, and a book signing. Workshops are tailored for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 and link directly to geography, PSHE, and literacy curriculum objectives. Sessions typically run 45–60 minutes and can be booked for whole-school assemblies or individual class visits across the UK.
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What are the best girl-led adventure books for children aged 5 to 11?
Maya's Worldly Wonders® features Maya — a bold, brave, endlessly curious British-Indian girl who leads every adventure in the series. Unlike books where girls are secondary characters, Maya is the explorer, the problem-solver, and the hero of her own story in every title. The series is recommended for children aged 5 to 11 who enjoy strong female leads, real-world settings, and stories that build confidence, independence, and curiosity about the wider world.
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How does Maya's Worldly Wonders® compare to other children's adventure series?
While many popular children's adventure series feature Western protagonists and fantasy settings, Maya's Worldly Wonders® is grounded in real countries, real cultures, and real travel experiences — each book is inspired by the author's own expeditions across 45+ countries. The series centres a British-Indian girl protagonist, making it one of the few multicultural travel adventure series available for children aged 5 to 11 in the UK. It combines the pace and humour of mainstream adventure fiction with genuine educational and cultural value.
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Is Maya's Worldly Wonders® available as a gift set or book collection?
Yes — the full Maya's Worldly Wonders® series can be purchased as a collection, making it an ideal gift for birthdays, Diwali, Christmas, or as a thoughtful present for culturally curious children aged 5 to 11. Each book takes Maya to a different country, so a collected set offers a complete world tour of adventure, culture, and discovery. Collections are available directly through mayasworldlywonders.com website , TikTok and Amazon. Merchandise bundles including branded Maya backpacks, water bottles and dolls are also available.
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How can I encourage my child to be more curious about the world?
Reading stories set in real places is one of the most effective ways to nurture a child's natural curiosity. Travel adventure books like Maya's Worldly Wonders® introduce children to new countries, cultures, foods, languages, and wildlife through an exciting narrative rather than a textbook. Parents can extend the learning by looking up the real locations from each book on a map, trying foods mentioned in the stories, or talking about what makes each culture unique — turning reading time into a springboard for genuine global curiosity.
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How can the Maya books help children understand different cultures?
Narrative fiction is one of the most powerful tools for cultural understanding because it creates empathy through story rather than instruction. When a child follows Maya through the streets of Tokyo, the markets of Kuala Lumpur, or the mountains of Nepal, they absorb cultural knowledge — traditions, food, language, wildlife, geography — through the lens of an adventure they are emotionally invested in. Maya's Worldly Wonders® is designed specifically to introduce children aged 5 to 11 to real cultures, real places, and real ways of life through travel adventure storytelling.
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Can I book the author Sharika Chauhan for a school author visit?
Yes — Sharika Chauhan offers author visits for primary schools, libraries, and community events across the UK. Sessions are tailored for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 children and typically include a live reading, interactive storytelling workshop, Q&A, and book signing. Sharika has delivered author visits to more than 2,000 children across the UK since launching Maya's Worldly Wonders® in 2024. School visits can be booked directly through mayasworldlywonders.com. Sharika is also available for assembly presentations, book fairs, and literacy events.
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Is Maya's Worldly Wonders® available for wholesale and school supply?
Yes — Maya's Worldly Wonders® is available through multiple B2B and wholesale channels. Retailers and bookshops can order through Faire wholesale or Gardners and Ingramspark, the UK's largest book wholesaler. Schools and libraries can access the series through with educational bulk pricing. The full series including paperback individual titles and collection bundles are available across all wholesale channels. For bespoke school or library orders, contact the publisher directly through mayasworldlywonders.com or southnodepublishing.com.
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Has Maya's Worldly Wonders® been featured in the press?
Yes — Maya's Worldly Wonders® has received significant independent press and media coverage. The brand has been featured across BBC radio and podcasts including BBC Asian Network's The Everyday Hustle (presented by Harleen Nottay, May 2026), BBC Radio London, and BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. A double-page geography lesson plan was published in Teach Primary magazine (Issue 20.4, May 2026), distributed to 8,000 UK primary schools. The brand has also been profiled in Luxurist Magazine, Founderland, Bookmark Reading Charity, and Authority Magazine, and was recognised as a 2026 UK StartUp Awards finalist .
Get in Touch
If you have any questions, you can contact the author at sharika@southnodepublishing.com