I Witnessed: The Great Train Robbery of 1963: A Graphic Novel

I Witnessed Graphic Novels

by Andrea Debbink, Crystal Jayme (Illustrator)

Aspiring investigative reporter Marilyn witnesses one of the greatest money heists in history…but will she be able to collect enough evidence for anyone to believe what she saw? For fans of I Survived and Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales but with a true crime twist, read about the Great Train Robbery of 1963 in this I Witnessed graphic novel.
Marilyn is in for an unforgettable trip when she sneaks aboard a Royal Mail train from Glasgow to London on the night of August 7, 1963. While Marilyn’s focused on her writing portfolio and convincing Dad not to ship her to boarding school, the night takes a turn when she witnesses more than a dozen masked men board the train. What Marilyn didn’t know when she snuck aboard was that this Mail Train was transporting over £2 million in cash. The robbers detain the crewmen, seize control of the train, and then abscond into the night with their bounty…but thanks to Marilyn, they won’t make it out scot-free. Inspired the true events, Marilyn’s story offers a fictional kid POV rooted in historical facts about the heist and the subsequent trial. Case fact sidebars offer additional nonfiction elements to the story.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Historical Fiction, Comics, Historical, Middle Grade, Action, Crime

208 pages, Paperback

First published March 17, 2026

About the author

I'm a writer, editor, and habitual daydreamer. Before I became a full-time author, I spent nearly a decade as an editor at American Girl where I specialized in creating imaginative nonfiction content. Today I write books for children and adults. I believe that a good book can change a life—and the world.

Reviews

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have young readers who’ve enjoyed the I Survived series, this takes that idea to a whole new level. This graphic novel highlights that true story of a train robbery in 1963, with the addition of a fictionalized character who witnessed the entire experience. I was totally mesmerized (and had never heard about this historical theft!) and if I couldn’t put it down. I’m sure our middle grade and upper middle grade readers might feel the same.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC Provided by Netgalley

Between 1955 and 1963, there was a 36 book series of historical fiction called WE WERE THERE. These were usually from the point of view of two children, often a brother and sister, who had a small role in different historical events. These I Witnessed graphic novels (the first being I Witnessed: The Lizzie Borden Story: A Graphic Novel – A True Crime Mystery About the 1892 Murder Trial for Kids by Jeramey Kraatz (who also wrote The Cloak Society and Space Runners series) feel very much like those books to me.

Marilyn runs away from her home in Scotland in 1963 because she has an argument with her mother, who wants to pull her out of her school and send her to a remote boarding school because her behavior is bad. She heads to London, where her father works as a newspaper reporter, since she has journalistic aspirations herself. Since she can't afford a train ticket, she stows away on a mail train. Unfortunately, the train is carrying a lot of money and is robbed. Marilyn has a list of suspects, and sends this to the police anonymously, and later identifies the remaining robber who eluded authorities. She grows up to become a reporter herself.

This was rather cleverly done, and an author's note at the end explains that while most of the characters and events in the book are based off the real 1963 robbery, Marilyn is a fictional character used to explain how anonymous information was turned in to the police.

The illustrations have a retro feel and are all in green, which makes us think of money in the US, even though pound notes were probably a variety of colors.

Great choice for readers who liked Tom Sullivan's Unsolved Case Files.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Witnessed is a graphic novel series for fans of I Survived and other historical fiction. Spirited main character, Marilyn, has a mother who is fed up with her shenanigans and has threatened to send her off to boarding school. As a last ditch effort Marilyn stows away on a mail train, hoping to get to London to convince her reporter father to argue on her behalf. She had no idea she would end up witnessing one of the most legendary robberies of all time. Marilyn is a budding reporter so she collects evidence, takes photographs, and makes notes as she spies on the criminals and tries to avoid getting caught. The story begins with Marilyn, having found her way to London, trying to get the story she's written to an editor who might actually publish it; then the narration jumps back in time to show her adventure.

"Case Fact" boxes throughout the text highlight some of the specific elements we know to be true about the 1963 event. The images are primarily rendered in black, white, and various shades of green. There's a sharpness to the illustrations that reflects gritty aspects of the narrative. The story moves quickly and readers will appreciate Marilyn's tenacity and spunk. A note at the end of the book highlights which elements of the story are true and which are fiction, including the true detail that gave the inspiration for sliding Marilyn's character into the story. Readers looking for a taste of true crime will find this right up their alley.

Recommended for readers in grades 4-7.

[Teresa Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

The concept of this book, potential book series, is clever, though not fully developed. Hopefully as the books continue story setup and flow will improve.
Teenager Marilyn, wants to be a journalist. As she sneaks off to London to see her dad, she stumbles upon The Great Train Robbery of 1963. The author proceeds to tell a fictionalized version of an historic event. There is some suspense, many facts of the case sprinkled in, and overall it is an interesting story. The illustration style is pretty good too. One complaint is that the start of the book drops the reader into a point in time near the end of the story so you don't quite know what is going on. It leaves you trying to figure things out instead of getting immediately immersed in the story. I almost put the book down because of it. Despite its lack of polish, I liked the book and think this type of "based on fact" book series could be a winner with mid-grade readers.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fictional account (by a fictional character) about a real event--explains some mysterious details by creating a person who could have done certain unexplained actions.
This robbery of a Uk mail train involving LOTS of money transfixed the nation; eventually most of the criminals were caught, but most of the money was not recovered.
Aspiring reporter hangs out at hideout for a few days, trying to gather enough evidence to make her story credible--photos and artifacts. Almost caught several times.
At times it was hard to determine exactly what was happening. This was distracting from the generally propulsive plotting.
Great idea.
Author also did: I Witnessed: The Lizzie Borden Story

[H. Woodward · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great historical fiction graphic novel for middle school readers. The plot moves quickly and will keep readers interested. I like how simple, but effective, the art work is. The recounting of real events is well done from the perspective of a teenager, who actually thinks and acts like a teenager. The author’s note points out what is fact and fiction, as well as how she got the idea for the main character, Marilyn. This makes it very useful in ELA classes, where why someone writes is a big question. I definitely will be adding this to my classroom library.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just okay for me. An introductory page in the beginning would have been helpful (as I’d never heard of this event beforehand) and I was confused throughout as to whether the main character was real or fictional. When I read the endnote stating she was fictional it felt like a letdown for the entire story.

I liked the random facts thrown in throughout, and I did like the idea of the young female junior reporter.

[Pat · Rating 2 out of 5]

A mix of truth (history)and fiction. An event I remember reading a lot about in my youth but I couldn't really engage with this story. Partly the issue is the art which felt far too manga like for real events and the over similarity between faces. Plus the inclusion of Marilyn who made it feel overly childish with overly easy escapes and no sense of tension. It could have been good but maybe I was just the wrong audience.

[Ron Baumer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story and illustration. The author does a great job in bringing out the story and working in how it was all witnessed by a young adult. The artwork was well-done and does a great job in complementing the story. A good read for all.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fictionalized account of the famous British mail train robbery, retold to star a teenaged protagonist. This book will probably appeal most to upper middle grade readers, and I thought it was a lot more readable than it's predecessor. Readers who like the I Survived books will probably like these as well.

Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy!

[That One Witchy Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know that there was a true crime version of I Survived for kids. This story highlights a true train robbery in 1963 but told in the perspective of a fictional character. The plot is engaging and fast which will keep their readers interested. I enjoyed this and will be looking more into the "I Witnessed" Series.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marilyn, an aspiring investigative journalist, chose the wrong (or maybe the right?) train to stowaway on. She chose the mail train from Glasgow to London that happened to be transporting a lot of cash – the very same train that was famously robbed in 1963. While the theft was real, Marliyn’s role in investigating the crime is fictional. Readers will love this plucky heroine!

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whereas I appreciate that the author has a section after the story acknowledging that this story is fictional, it’s only 1 page. More information on the facts not the thoughts behind fictional elements such as the protagonist would have been beneficial for readers.

[Dolores · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fictional account of a real-life crime told through the eyes of a kid--who just happened to be present. Lots of information about the actual crime and a fun story.

[el (celestialbronz) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Ginny Wiesneski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really really good. Rate it a million. I love this book. Read it as soon as you get it, if you get it.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspired by a true story
Sympathetic characters
Much more of a gentle read than anticipated

Recommended by publisher for ages 8-12

[Diana of Shelved by Strand · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I Witnessed: The Great Train Robbery of 1963" is a graphic novel that gives middle-grade readers a front seat to the astounding 1963 robbery of almost 2 million pounds in cash from a moving train. The robbers make it to their hideout with their riches, but they're eventually captured thanks to Marilyn, our fictitious narrator.

The blurb compares this title to the Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series, but this "eyewitness" account blurs the lines much more than the NHHT series. The narrators in those are clearly fictitious, but Marilyn, an aspiring journalist desperate for her father's approval, is instrumental in solving the crime.

Some of my students will like this accessible approach to an actual event, but I know that others will be annoyed by the blurry line between fact and fiction. These will probably be the same readers who don't appreciate the monotone palette. The green gives a 1960s mod appeal, but full-color graphic novels are always more popular in my classroom library.

Many thanks to HarperAlley and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Haruka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy reading this one so much!! There some real facts of the real case written. So it tells me a lot about this case. The story is so engaging and i couldn't stop reading it. Love the art style as well!!! Really a great story. I enjoy it so much!!! Hooe there more story like this!!
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Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me a chance to read this book in advanced!!