Illustrated by Freda Chiu
Published by Pushkin’s Children’s
There are those that hunt monsters to harm them and there are those that hunt monsters to help them. Which one are you?
The Wrath of the Woolington Wyrm is the first in a new series, Miss Mary-Kate Martin’s Guide to Monsters. It is a wonderfully warm, enchanting adventure that completely captured me with its link to an ancient legend, its endearing protagonists and its monstrous mystery.
For the first time, almost 10-year-old Mary-Kate Martin is accompanying her archaeologist mother on her work trip, a visit to the quaint village of Woolington Well. The Professor has been employed to ascertain whether bones found in an old well are of sufficient historical importance to stop the construction of a new shopping centre on the site.
When they arrive, the village seems very quiet with no-one around and empty shops and cottages, but strangely, there are saucers of milk outside every building, including the Inn where the Martins are staying. It is not long before Mary-Kate meets members of the Wyrm Watch Society and begins to learn about an ancient legend that many in the village believe to be true. With earth tremors and strange noises besetting the village, Mary-Kate decides to investigate the mystery. Could there be truth in this local legend? And, if so, what could have awoken the angry beast to once again terrorise the village?
And so begins a wonderfully exciting, endearing and enchanting adventure as Mary-Kate, together with her new friend, Arabella search for evidence of the beast’s existence, following a trail of clues towards some fascinating discoveries. Can they uncover the truth behind the mystery of the village legend?
I love stories which link to myths, folklore and legend, and loved how the origins of the legend linking to Woolington Well were researched by Mary-Kate and Arabella through historical sources and evidence, as well as hearsay, related to sightings by villagers. I also loved that the library played such a central role!
Both Mary Kate and Arabella are incredibly likeable characters. Mary-Kate likes facts and order and is anxious when there is change. She likes to wear just the right amount of sparkle and use gel pens and her strawberry-scented notebook to record clues and ask questions: perfect for solving a mystery! She is also kind-hearted and braver than she thinks and in need of a friend who she finds in Arabella. She is friendly, chatty and impulsive and proves herself to be a perfect monster-hunting partner to Mary-Kate.
I love a book with a map and this has a gorgeous map of Woolington Well. It also has stunning full-and-partial-page illustrations which really complement the charm and warmth of this story. I haven’t mentioned Pickles, but the illustrations of this adorable pony are just perfect!
I also really liked that each chapter is introduced with an extract from P.K. Mayberry’s Complete Guide to Monsters of the Northern Hemisphere which leads into each chapter with a reference that proves helpful and relevant.
This is a wonderfully warm, magical start to an exciting new series, and is perfect for young adventurers of 8+ who are sure to want to follow Mary-Kate’s monster-hunting mysteries. Luckily, there’s a sneak-peak into her next adventure at the end of this one.
Thank you to Pushkin Children’s books for inviting me to be part of the Blog Tour, and for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Do check out the other stops on the Blog Tour:
Book Craic 