The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place Bk 3 The Unseen Guest by Maryrose Wood. Pub. Balzar & Bray, Imprint HarperCollins, 2012.
This book is a brilliant piece of writing. School Library Journal called it “Jane Eyre meets lemony Snicket”, but it is better than that because of it’s humour and savage satire of the Aristocracy in Britain in Victorian times and perhaps even today.
Not that children will notice this as they read, they will be caught up in the incredible story of the children Beowolf, Alexander and sister Cassiopeia, the Incorrigible children. Incorrigible in this instance means you cannot change their true nature.
The children were brought up by wolves in the forest on the estate of Lady and Lord Ashton, and they howl and bark from time to time. The Ashton’s take them on as a social duty and hire a kindly, intelligent young governess called Penelope Lumley. The children and Penelope have something in common as neither know who their parents were. This is one of the mysteries of the series.
Into the story comes the widow Ashton who like Lady Ashton is a complete airhead. Widow Ashton brings with her a suitor in the form of Admiral Faucet (pronounced Fawsay). He is a complete schister who does everything for personal gain unless he is forced to do otherwise.
There are wolves in it and an ostrich called Bertha. It is brilliant fun from start to finish and ideal reading for those who like lemony Snicket and shaggy dog stories.
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. Pub. Scholastic New York 2009.
This is first and foremost a romance, a love story between Grace and Sam. It is also a story about werewolves but not in the horror movie sense. There is no blood and gore in this book.
At the age of 11, Grace was dragged off her swing by wolves while reading a book, and is saved from death by a wolf with distinctive yellow eyes. She is bitten and mauled by the wolves and this normally means that she will change into a werewolf. She doesn’t, but will she change in the future?
Sam was bitten as a child of 7 and has made the transition from human to wolf every year till his current age of about 17. Sam was the wolf that saved Grace from the wolves who attacked her when she was 7 and he has watched her from the forest ever since.
Unknown to Sam, Grace has watched him and photographed him and one day he lets her touch him. You can feel the sparks fly.
When Sam is shot as a wolf after an attack on humans by other wolves, he changes into Sam the human and is found by Grace. What follows is the growing romance between them.
Maggie Stiefvater starts every chapter with the outside temperture in degrees Farenheit . There is a reason for this that the reader needs to solve.
It is a long novel and at times dwells on the romance without much action. But there is action and tension among the wolves and amongst the humans, that will keep the reader hanging out for the ending.
This novel is not quite Mills & Boon with wolves but it is close, and this is not a criticism. Will appeal to teenagers.
I enjoyed it and I’m a big burly lad.
Little Wolf’s Book of Badness by Ian Whybrow. Pub. HarperCollins, 1995.
This is the first of a series of stories aimed at younger readers that will have them rolling in the aisles.
This book introduces Little Wolf whose parents have sent him to Cunning College to learn Uncle Bigbad’s 9 Rules of Badness. His parents have decided that he is not bad enough because he brushes his teeth and combs his fur. Big Bad Wolves just don’t do this.
What follows is a number of letters from Little Wolf to his parents pleading to return home and an account of his adventures on the way to his uncle’s Cunning College.
Even for a big kid like me this had appeal. I would read it to my children if they were young enough.
Will appeal to children from ages 7 – 10. Have a look at them
