Title: The Children of the King
Author: Sonya Hartnett
Summary: Cecily and Jeremy are two young siblings growing up during WWII. As the war breaks out and becomes harsher, Cecily, Jeremy, and their mother are sent off to Uncle Peregrine's house in the English countryside. Along with an English refugee girl they adopt, May, the family travels there and begins to live in the mansion. Cecily and May do not get along well, but both girls make a haunting discovery in the woods behind the castle, and the story that Uncle Peregrine is telling them each night, may just be a clue as to what the discovery really is.
Comments: This was book was so beautiful. When I heard that it had won the Astrid Lindgren award, I could not pass up the chance to read it, because Pippi Longstocking is one of my favorite stories. The cover really drew me in as well. Covers have the ability to do that, don't they?
The book itself was nicely written, but I found it a bit hard to finish at the end, because I had guessed the little mystery of the discovered castle about halfway through the story, so there wasn't really anything left to spark my interest, except for the characters sorting out the mystery themselves.
It would be suitable for any readers really, I think. In fact, my sisters enjoyed it as a bedtime story. It is a great read-aloud, in my opinion.
Honestly, none of the characters are very likeable. Cecily is whiny and annoying and quite harsh with May and others around her. Jeremy tries to act older than he is, and instead of coming off as mature, he comes off as even more immature than at the beginning of the book. May does have an excuse to be upset, but I found her to be a little harsh and too quiet. However, May is hands-down the most likeable of the children, if you ask me.
The book is definitely worth a read, and there are even some interesting tales and history woven through the pages, which is always a bonus.
Rating: 4 stars
Comments: This was book was so beautiful. When I heard that it had won the Astrid Lindgren award, I could not pass up the chance to read it, because Pippi Longstocking is one of my favorite stories. The cover really drew me in as well. Covers have the ability to do that, don't they?
The book itself was nicely written, but I found it a bit hard to finish at the end, because I had guessed the little mystery of the discovered castle about halfway through the story, so there wasn't really anything left to spark my interest, except for the characters sorting out the mystery themselves.
It would be suitable for any readers really, I think. In fact, my sisters enjoyed it as a bedtime story. It is a great read-aloud, in my opinion.
Honestly, none of the characters are very likeable. Cecily is whiny and annoying and quite harsh with May and others around her. Jeremy tries to act older than he is, and instead of coming off as mature, he comes off as even more immature than at the beginning of the book. May does have an excuse to be upset, but I found her to be a little harsh and too quiet. However, May is hands-down the most likeable of the children, if you ask me.
The book is definitely worth a read, and there are even some interesting tales and history woven through the pages, which is always a bonus.
Rating: 4 stars
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