Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk

I absolutely loved Lauren's first book 'Wolf Hollow', and this second book is almost as good, but for me hasn't quite pipped the post, but is still a joy to read. Lauren is such a beautiful writer - she is an award-winning poet, and this definitely comes through in her writing. You just have to savour every single sentence, because each word is chosen so carefully and fits so perfectly. The writing is magical and the storyline and characters are magical too. Crow is a young girl living on a tiny island with her guardian, Osh. As a baby, she was wrapped up and put in a tiny boat and sent off from one island and landed on Osh's, where he found her and has brought her up as his own. Now Crow is older, she starts wondering about the island she was cast adrift from - an old leper colony - and of her real parents. Will her curiosity spoil the wonderfully simple life she leads with Osh? Is danger lurking close by, threatening her, Osh and their close friend Maggie?

Lauren Wolk is a true talent and I very much look forward to her next book.

The Mysterious Misadventures of Clemency Wrigglesworth by Julia Lee

The Mysterious Misadventures of Clemency Wrigglesworth
by Julia Lee

I really enjoyed this fun, quirky adventure story of a brave young orphan, Clemency Wrigglesworth, who travels alone from India to England, not knowing where she is going or who will look after her. She is taken under the wing of Mrs Potchard and her son Gully, and his aunt Mrs Marvel and her children Whitby and Leicester. An advertisement is put in The Times newspaper announcing the arrival of Miss Wrigglesworth and her location, but unfortunately the mysterious lady who comes to whisk Clemency away may not have her best intentions at heart. Gully and Whitby set out on a daring rescue mission, while Clemency uses her fearlessness and bravado to attempt to find out the truth about her real family.

If you like this, also try The Thornthwaite Inheritance or The Considine Curse by Gareth P Jones and Wilma Tenderfoot and The Case of the Frozen Hearts by Emma Kennedy