I’m a huge fan of A.M. Howell’s historical adventures and was so excited when I discovered that there was a fourth which, I must admit, might just be my favourite.  The Secret of the Treasure Keepers is a brilliantly absorbing, intriguing historical adventure which builds a sense of mystery so masterfully that I absolutely had to keep reading.  This is not only a gripping mystery, it is also a window into the past, and into the lives of characters who feel so real that it was a privilege to follow their story. 

It’s 1948, and twelve-year-old Ruth Goodspeed and her mother are adjusting to life in post-war London.  The scars of the war are still with them as damaged buildings surround them, there are shortages of electricity and some foods are still rationed.  More personally, Ruth’s parents’ marriage has not survived the war and they are getting divorced, leaving Ruth in danger of losing her home.  When her mother gets the opportunity to have her volunteer work with the British Museum turned into paid employment, she seizes her chance.  Whilst her mother – an aspiring archaeologist – is being interviewed by the stern curator, Mr Knight, Ruth is unable to ignore the persistent ringing of a telephone in his office.

Mrs Mary Sterne, the owner of Rook Farm in the Fens, tells her that she may have found ancient treasure in one of her farm fields.  As Mr Knight is both unapproachable and busy with another excavation, Mary convinces her mother to journey to Rook Farm to investigate the treasure with the hope that her mother can prove herself to Mr Knight and gain the paid employment which has been denied her. 

When they arrive at the isolated Farm, they are welcomed by everyone except for Mrs Sterne’s son, Joe, who wants them to leave.  The family have hit hard times after the death of Joe’s Dad and are struggling financially, so they are keen to discover if they have buried treasure on their land.  After seeing the Roman artefacts which had been found when ploughing, Ruth and her Mum are keen to excavate the site to discover more.  Further treasure is uncovered, treasure that Ruth’s Mum wants to discuss with Mr Knight in London, leaving Ruth behind to help on the farm until her return. 

Ruth is convinced that there are family secrets -as well as treasure – buried at the Farm, and she is determined to uncover them.  What is Joe hiding about the treasure?  When disaster strikes, and the treasure is stolen, will Ruth and Joe be able to work together to find both stolen and hidden treasure, and save both their homes? 

This is such a cleverly layered mystery that completely engrossed me as I pieced together clues and followed the twists and turns with bated breath to discover the truth behind the farm’s treasures.  There is a real sense of urgency as time runs out, and Ruth and Joe race to find the truth behind the treasure.  It is never entirely clear who is a help and who is a hindrance, so characters’ motives really kept me guessing!  I loved that this wasn’t just a mystery about buried treasure, but also a mystery about the secrets which people bury and keep from each other.  I found the unravelling of these secrets both tender and poignant, and filled with hope for the future.

Ruth is an incredibly sympathetic young girl who is naturally curious, kind-hearted and determined.  She is also impulsive and, in her eagerness to find answers, doesn’t always make the best choices, but does take responsibility for her choices, which makes her even more likeable and ‘real’.  She is able to empathise with Joe which helps them develop a firm friendship, where they really open up to each other, which I really enjoyed seeing grow throughout the story. 

This is a story of family, of friendship, of secrets and of change.  I enjoyed the parallels between the experiences of both families in post-war Britain despite one living in London and the other on an isolated farm in the Fens.  They have lived through a War that has deeply affected their families and are living under the continued restrictions after it; both have financial difficulties; they have dealt with loss or separation; and they are living through a period of change such as the infancy of the NHS, the beginnings of supermarkets and the modernisation of farm machinery.

Delve into The Secret of the Treasure Keepers to be guaranteed a treasure trove of intrigue, adventure and excitement, perfect for readers of 9+.

Thank you to Fritha Lindqvist and Usborne for an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

The March theme for Six for Sunday, hosted by A Little But a Lot is Springing into life and today’s prompt is for Characters with floral names. I took ‘floral’ to also include herbs and trees!

Here are my six books:

• Murder Most Unladylike Mystery series: Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong
• Locked Out Lily: Lily
• Starfell series: Willow Moss
• Bloom: Sorrel Fallowfield
• Where the World Turns Wild: Juniper Green
• Snowglobe: Clementine

Have you read any of these? Do you any floral character names you can add?

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

• Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
• Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
• Finally… reveal the book!

Upon a snowy winter’s night, in an old Northern town called SorrowbytheMoor, a door appeared where it had not been before. Most doors have the courtesy to attach themselves to a house, or a school, or a museum, but this door was not nearly so well-mannered.

Any ideas?

I’m currently half way through this, and am absolutely loving it. It’s an incredibly heart-warming, magical story which is exactly what I need at the moment.

Goodreads synopsis:

Yesterday Crumb is no ordinary girl. She was born with fox ears that have cursed her to a lonely life working in the circus and her origins are a complete mystery. But she is about to escape into the adventure of a lifetime when she learns that she’s a strangeling who’s lost her magic. Taken in by Miss Dumpling the flamboyant tea witch, Yesterday is introduced to a magical, walking teashop filled with fantastical customers, a flying teapot turtle called Pascal and powerful spells in every teacup! Yesterday starts to rediscover her magic and to feel a sense of belonging. But a mysterious figure of darkness is working hard to ensure her new life comes crashing down – and it all starts with a deadly shard of ice in Yesterday’s heart… But there’s nothing that can’t be solved with a pot of tea, a slice of cake and a BIG dash of magic!

I’m really loving listening to Death in the Spotlight. I’m so glad I stuck with this series as it is getting better and better. I have the next two requested on Borrowbox! I’m almost finished Mort which is different to anything I’ve read before, but is one I’m really loving.

Strictly speaking, I finished A Spoonful of Murder last week, but I forgot to include it in my WWW Wednesday last week! I’ve also read The Rewilders which is a wonderful story of unlikely friendships and re-wilding a beautiful lynx in the Highlands. I will be posting my review as part of the Blog Tour later in the month.

I’ve loved A M Howell’s last three books historical mysteries, so I’m really looking forward to reading this one next.

Have you read any of these? What are you reading?

Thank you so much to Chicken House for inviting me to be part of the Blog Tour for this exciting adventure , and for providing me with an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Boy in the Post is a charming, heart-warming and humorous fantasy adventure that took me aboard an enthralling venture brimming with excitement, daring and danger.

At the start of their summer holiday, siblings Orinthia, Séafra and Taber spot an advertisement for paid work, so decide to apply.  When they arrive at Tupenny Mill, they are met by the brilliantly eccentric, and utterly wonderful, Grandy Brock.  Grandy, and his crew of adopted orphans, are creating a postal service with a difference:  a postal service staffed by animal posties!  I absolutely loved meeting the fascinating assortment of animails from baboons franking envelopes to toucans transporting postcards and Sphynx cats licking stamps to – my favourite –snakes spelling out postcodes, and insults!  Just magical!  Grandy offers the children a job training Geronimo the pelican and her son Gungho to deliver mail, a job which the children readily accept.  Who could resist?

The youngest Shalloo sibling, six-year-old Taber, has a real affinity with Geronimo and begins training her; however, when she does not return from her first international voyage to New York, Taber is incredibly upset.  He is determined to find his new friend and leaves a note for Orinthia and Séafra to tell them that he is posting himself to New York to search for Geronimo.

Orinthia and Séafra are determined to rescue their young brother, so decide to follow his lead by posting themselves to New York.  And so begins a fantastically fast-paced, action-packed adventure across land, over sea and through air, as the siblings steal a stamp from the local Post Office and use it to have themselves posted to New York in a freight crate.  Will they be able to keep themselves from being discovered aboard the Royal Mail Steamship sailing across the Atlantic?  Will they find their young brother and his new friend if they make it to New York in time? Could danger be following them from home?

I don’t want to say too much for fear of spoilers; suffice to say that there are some first-class and unexpected twists and turns which kept me on the edge-of-my-seat.  This is such a thrilling adventure with the sense of anticipation and danger increasing as the plot unfolds, but there are also some wonderful moments of humour.

One cannot discover new oceans unless one has the

courage to lose sight of the shore

The Shalloo siblings are incredibly likeable children.  They have quite different personalities, but have a wonderfully natural and honest sibling bond.  Orinthia wants to be an explorer like her heroine, Ophelia Pearcart, and has a real sense of adventure.  Her brother, Séafra is more cautious and a worrier, yet he shows strength and courage as he faces his fears.  Youngest brother Taber is a nature- lover who has a natural affinity with animals.   All three children are resilient and resourceful, attributes which help them on their incredible adventure.   

An enchanting, exhilarating adventure with courage, friendship and family at its heart, perfect for readers of 9+.

Please do check out the other stops on the Blog Tour.

The March theme for Six for Sunday, hosted by A Little But a Lot is Springing into life and today’s prompt is for Books with green covers. I took this opportunity to look through my bookshelves and find some books with green covers that are still on my TBR.

Here are the first six I found:

Have you read any of these? What would you recommend?

I have just started listening to Death in the Spotlight. I am about half way through Mort. Why haven’t I read this before? I’m absolutely loving this, and will definitely be picking up more.

I’ve read The Tide Singer which is a wonderfully atmospheric novella that I really enjoyed. I also finished Sisters of the Lost Marsh. This is an utterly mesmerising read that kept me utterly gripped.  There is a real sense of danger, brilliantly tense scenes and an eerily atmospheric portrayal of the marshland.   It is a story of the strength and bonds within female relationships, between sisters and Grandmother and of the sacrifices they make for each other. I also finished The Boy in the Post and will be posting my review next week as part of the Blog Tour.

I’m hoping to read The Rewilders next.

Have you read any of these? What are you reading?

February came with a much-needed half-term break which has re-charged my batteries, ready for next term. I’ve read about the same this month as last, and have managed to keep to my resolution to read at least one adult book each month!

Books I’ve read:

I’ve read 11 books this month, 9 physical copies and 2 audiobooks – exactly the same as January! My adult book this month was an audiobook: The Lamplighters.

NetGalley:

My Feedback Ratio is at 96%. I’m edging closer to my 100 Book Reviews Bade, having reviewed 77 books now. I’m still waiting to see if I get approved for While The Storm Rages but no luck yet! I have been approved to read the final book in The Strangeworlds Travel Agency series, The Secrets of the Stormforest which I’m really excited to read.

Books sent by publishers:

I have been lucky enough to have been sent these books by publishers this month. I have reviewed two of them, Nisha’s War and Carnival of the Lost. I have read The Boy in the Post.

Books bought:

I’ve bought 8 books this month and have managed to read one of them so far!

How has your reading month been? Have you read any of these? Have you any of them on your TBR?

Thank you to Bethany Carter and Faber Children’s for inviting me to be part of the Blog Tour for Carnival of the Lost. Today, I’ll be sharing my review and an exciting writing prompt from Kieran which I couldn’t resist having a go at doing!

Review

Carnival of the Lost is a dark, richly atmospheric and thrilling mystery set in a shadowy Victorian London that completely gripped me, and took me on an incredible action-packed adventure brimming with danger, excitement and intrigue. 

Sheba the Wolf Girl spends the majority of her time locked in a cage at a seaside curiosity show on the South Coast having been bought from an orphanage, and put on display for customers.  When she is sold to Plumpscuttle, she finds herself welcomed by an extraordinary group of performers – Gigantus, Sister Moon, Pyewacket and Mama Rat – and taken to the East End of London as part of her new owner’s carnival troupe.

On her first night at the Carnival of the Lost, she meets a young mudlark, Till, who shows her kindness, so when she discovers that Till has gone missing, she is determined to find her, and the other young mudlarks who have also been taken.  Could their disappearance have anything to do with sightings of a strange mechanical monster?

Together with her found family, Sheba begins a search, a search that will take them from the mudbanks of the River Thames, to a workshop aboard a warship to the Crystal Palace.  This brave, resourceful and unique group will face grave danger, make incredible discoveries and uncover a macabre plan … will they be able to solve the mystery and save the lost children that have been forgotten by all but their parents?

This is a real page-turner that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout as I was taken on a rollercoaster of emotions; swept into the fast-paced, rapidly flowing action, and becoming completely invested in what happened to the troupe and the missing children.  With elements of gothic horror, a vivid portrayal of the murkier side of Victorian Society and terrifying villains, I was completely engrossed in this mystery.

This adventure has lots of important messages relating to how the poor lived and were treated in Victorian London; forms of mass entertainment; popular culture; the effects of industrialisation; and, the interest in anthropology and technology. This really immerses the reader in this period of history and gives plenty of opportunity for discussion. 

But you really shouldn’t judge people by how they look, …

Those better off should always try to help the less fortunate.

At the heart of this story for me are the carnival troupe.  They are a fiercely loyal family who readily accept each other’s uniqueness.  They are talented, resourceful and have such a wonderful camaraderie.  I especially enjoyed Pyewacket’s sharp sense of humour.  Although, they are judged by society to be misfits, treated like monsters and forced by cruel owners to perform for entertainment and profit, this courageous family are a lesson to others in what it means to not judge by appearance, to accept difference, to be empathetic and to be true to yourself.  They turn a mirror on society:  who are the real monsters? 

The full-page, grayscale illustrations are absolutely stunning and complement the mood of the story perfectly.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:  Kieran Larwood is a master storyteller.  He draws the reader wholeheartedly into the world he creates, and makes them care so much for the heroes he brings to life as he takes them on a heart-pounding adventure that brings danger, twists and hope.  I can’t wait to continue this remarkable adventure with this wonderful family who I’ve taken into my heart. 

WRITING PROMPT from Kieran Larwood

Think of a character with a unique ability, trapped in a Victorian sideshow. What powers do they have and how can they use them to escape? What sights, scenes (and smells) from Victorian London would your character experience?

As a teacher, I love writing with my class, so couldn’t resist having a go at this prompt. After half-term, I’m keen for my class to have a go too!

Fear choked Meera as she was thrown roughly into the cage, the door slamming viciously against her scarred back, drawing flecks of blood through the scales.  Just half an hour before, she had been close to snitching a loaf of bread, but had felt a sudden sharp sting in her neck, and now she was trapped in this prison. 

An overpowering stench of stale sweat assaulted her as someone approached the cage, the sound of a stick tap, tap, tapping irritably against the cobbles.

“’Tis a stroke of luck that I found ye.  Ne’er thought I’d see the like. Ye’ll fetch me a pretty penny when I shows ye.” 

Thick, grubby fingers, with a blackened thumbnail, grasped the bars and cold, grey eyes stared greedily.  The man pulled something from his pocket, and flung it into the cage. Like a frightened colt, Meera scrabbled to the back and sank to her knees, trembling uncontrollably. 

“Suit yerself.  I’ll not be givin’ ye anymore ‘til that’s gone!”

As he turned and left, Graspernin kicked a pail over, a stream of water flowing into the cage. 

Twisting her head slightly to the side, Meera saw what had been thrown:  a lump of stale bread with a pool of mould beginning to form on its tiny craters.  Hunger forced her fingers toward the bread, and hunger demanded that she eat.

She had to be gone before her captor returned.  How could he have known that in knocking the pail over, he had given her just what she needed to escape.  She inched towards the damp straw, lowering her back into its soothing coolness, feeling her scales smoothen and her limbs soften.  Crawling to the door of the cage, Meera grasped the bars, twisted her shoulder sideways and forced her arm through, feeling her bones melt and flow as she slowly and carefully twisted and turned, as fluidly as a ballerina, until she was no longer inside.  She sank to the ground and waited; as her skin dried, her scales returned and her bones solidified.   Tiredness overcame her.

A sudden tapping brought her to instant wakefulness.  Meera sprang to her feet, stretched her limbs and took off towards her home:  the sewers.

Do check out the other stops of the Blog Tour:

This is my weekly meme celebrating amazing middle-grade books, now with a re-vamped banner!

How to take part:

• Post a picture of the front cover of a middle-grade book which you have read and would recommend to others with details of the author, illustrator and publisher.
• Open the book to page 11 and share your favourite sentence. 
• Write three words to describe the book.
• Either share why you would recommend this book, or link to your review.

This week, I’m celebrating …

Favourite Sentence from Page 11:

“You mean you know him?” he stammered at last, as if to say, what’s a nice young widow like you doing with a stinking gutter thief like him? “But he’s a roll-pincher, ma’am.”

This book in three words:

ADVENTURE, MYSTERY, HEART-WARMING

The Misadventures of Nicholas Nabb is a wonderfully action-packed, heart-warming historical adventure sprinkled with lots of humour, plenty of danger and a cast of brilliant characters.

 
Nicholas Nabb lives in the sewers of Victorian London after having run away from the orphanage where he was left as a baby.  In order to survive, he is not averse to a little food theft but, of course, this is frowned upon by the law.  When Nicholas is caught re-handing stealing a bread roll, he is rescued by the most unlikely person:  a kind-hearted, veiled widow who seems to know who he is!  The mystery deepens when Annie presents him with a locket but, unfortunately, before he can unearth the truth, she disappears, leaving him determined to find her, and the answers to his questions.
 
When trying to discover the whereabouts of Annie, Nicholas finds himself entangled in a mystery, and meeting a rather intriguing boy, Edwin, who is not at all what he seems … 

Together these two new friends embark on a mission to find Annie which leads them into danger, into uncovering dark secrets and into the promise of a new life for each of them.
 
This is an utterly wonderful, fast-paced, thrilling adventure with plenty of twists, humour and peril which will be thoroughly enjoyed by older middle-grade readers.  Nicholas is an incredibly sympathetic young boy – courageous, resilient and astute – who is desperate to find love and family and, once he feels that these might be within his grasp, he is determined to chase his dreams, no matter what …
 
There is lots of opportunity to open discussion around the treatment of those with physiological differences through the Victorian institution of the freak show which became part of popular culture; Victorian entertainment; and, the lives of children in Victorian times. 
 
Overall, this is a thoroughly enjoyable, fast-paced adventure that is perfect for fans of historical fiction and mystery, wrapped up in a good sprinkling of humour.

Thank you to Toppsta and the Publisher for a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’d love if anyone who wants to give this meme a go would comment in the comments box and include a link to your post so I can visit, comment and find some great middle-grade recommendations. If you do create a post and are on Twitter, and would like to share your post, please use the hashtag  #MGTakesOnThursday so I can find it, read it and share it!