The Children of Castle Rock

After her mother died, Alice Mistlethwaite has become increasingly withdrawn, constantly reading and writing stories only Barney, her father, is allowed to read. As he is an actor and often away from home, Aunt Patience decides it would be best to sell their home, Cherry Grange, and send Alice to a boarding school in Scotland. Although Alice protests, she finds herself arriving at Stormy Loch, a school with very different ideas about education. 

When she receives a mysterious package from her father with strict instructions not to open it, but to take it to a remote island, Alice seizes the opportunity the Great Orienteering Challenge offers to deliver it...

An adventure story in the tradition of boarding school favourites, 'The Children of Castle Rock' is a great read with lots of action and interesting characters. Stormy Loch offers the perfect setting for the children to escape the adult presence and allows the adventure to develop in the wilds of remote Scotland- beautifully described, leaving the reader longing to visit!

Although an adventure, the story is really focused on relationships- those between children and those with parents. Alice adores her father, choosing to ignore his shadier side and the choices he makes until events force her to realise that he should act like the grown up in their relationship and put her well being above his. Fergus, an extremely clever boy who Alice has become friendly with, is struggling with his parent's acrimonious divorce and Jesse, another friend, feels over shadowed by his older brothers whose confidence and talents make him feel inadequate. There are also some interesting moments in the relationships between these very different friends as the story progresses. 

'The Children of Castle Rock' has much to recommend it for children moving on to more challenging reads. Natasha Farrant has allowed her children to swear in the story as they most likely would do, but has chosen to use asterisks to make this more palatable for adults! (It is very obvious what they would be saying!) A great story with great characters and an unusual ending- what more could you ask for!

The Children of Castle Rock    Natasha Farrant 

Faber      ISBN: 978-0571323562

Voyage of the Sparrowhawk

Having started life in an orphanage, Ben is delighted when kindly Nathan adopts him and fellow orphan, Sam. Together, they live a happy life on the Sparrowhawk, Nathan’s barge, until Sam is wounded fighting in WWI and Nathan is killed when he travels to be with him. Threatened with the prospect of having to return to the orphanage, Ben is determined to find his ‘brother’. Lotti has plenty of reasons to to be unhappy. After her loving parents were killed in an accident, her ghastly uncle and aunt have moved in to her home and are making her life misery.

Their lives collide when Lotti rescues a badly treated dog by stealing it and hides on the Sparrowhawk. As events unfold, they hatch a plan to sail across the channel to France to search for Sam and so their adventure begins…

This is classic storytelling, offering plenty of tension, lots of adventure with love, friendship and laughter mixed in. I loved every page!

Lotti and Ben are wonderful characters- so different, but balancing each other perfectly. Their friendship develops as the story progresses and they know that they can rely on one another. Their dogs are also well rounded characters, adding plenty of humour and pathos! Many other characters add to the flavour of the story as they help or hinder the children on their quest- Lotti’s uncle is up there with the most despicable baddies whilst Frank is wonderful!

The courage and determination of these children is a joy to read about, coming to a satisfying conclusion. The devastating impact of war is felt as the children travel though France, but they face each challenge together and show that family can be created in any form where love, trust and companionship are found.

‘Voyage of the Sparrowhawk’ is a stunning read, beautifully told. Extremely satisfying, it’s a must read!

Voyage of the Sparrowhawk Natasha Farrant

Faber ISBN: 978-0571348763

The Pear Affair

Penelope (Nell) Magnificent might be surrounded by a life of luxury, but it seems to her that they don’t even really like her. Constantly criticising her, ignoring her and even forgetting her, they seem to value the handbag she was named for more than they do her. Still, when they decide to go to Paris on a business trip, Nell surprises them by pleading to go with them. Paris is where Nell’s old au pair, Perrine or Pear as Nell affectionately calls her, lives and Nell is determined to find her because recently Pear has stopped writing to her.

Once in Paris, Nell sets off on her mission to locate Pear which leads her to explore Paris, makes friends and discover the underground world of the catacombs beneath the city. But there is another mystery to solve as a strange virus starts affecting the bakeries and patisseries of Paris.

Judith Eagle has captured Paris beautifully in this wonderful novel. Her attention to detail and vivid descriptions make the city come to life, both above and beneath ground level. And set against this beautiful backdrop is a very satisfying, pacy read which is full of action and excitement.

Nell is a fabulous character! Determined and independent, her loyalty and devotion to Pear enable her to face her fears and overcome the many challenges set in her way. As the story is set in the 60s, there are no mobile phones for her to rely on and she and her new friends have to rely on their own resourcefulness in the face of danger and adversity.

There are many threads to this story, all gathering to a final solution which is satisfying and unexpected. Each mystery merges with the other as Nell and her friends realise just what is going on and decide to take action to prevent it.

‘The Pear Affair’ is a real must read. The storytelling, the description, the characters… all elements combine to make this a stunning story. I hope there will be more adventures for Nell and her friends very soon!

The Pear Affair Judith Eagle

Faber and Faber ISBN: 978-0571346851