Swanfall

Pip lives with his family at Keeper’s Cottage on the wetlands where his mum works on environmental conservation. He particularly enjoys the swanfall every autumn where Arctic swans return home and watches out for his three favourites who he has named Midnight, Silver and Moonshadow.

At school, Pip is not so happy as he struggles to focus, but he enjoys their class visits to the Book Bus. When Mrs de Plume from the old manor house donates a trunk of old books, he finds himself drawn to an old book, one which Mrs de Plume seems determined to retrieve. The mysterious book, the missing swans and Mrs de Pume’s increasingly odd behaviour lead Pip and his friends into an adventure full of legend, mystery and magic.

‘The Children of Lir’, which inspired ‘Swanfall’, is one of my favourite Irish legends so I was very keen to read this book and I was not disappointed. Sophie Kirtley has skilfully woven this ancient story into one of her own, creating a wonderfully atmospheric and gripping read.

Pip is an extremely relatable young lad whose passion for the swans and the annual swanfall represents all those children with interests and hobbies lie outside the boundaries of the traditional school curriculum. He feels cut off from the other children, except for his best friend, Tommo in whose non-judgmental, easy company Pip feels at ease. However, the inclusion of classmates, Erin and Hanif, into this friendship leaves Pip feeling threatened, particularly by Hanif who is popular and effortlessly amazing at everything. As the story progresses, Pip learns that people are not always what they appear at first glance and he comes to value Erin and Hanif and their loyalty and courage, as much as he does Tommo, finding his flock to fly with just as the swans find theirs.

Hauntingly beautiful, evocative writing celebrates the beauties- and perils- of the natural world as well as the light and dark of human nature. Tense and intense in places, ‘Swanfall’ is perfect for offering readers something special and different which might lead them to ‘The Children of Lir’ and other Irish myths as well as sparking an interest in the Arctic swans so lovingly described in these pages.

A fabulous read!

Swanfall

Sophie Kirtley

Bloomsbury ISBN: 978-1526642820

Ghosts in the Walls

‘Ghosts in the Walls’ is a collection of eleven scary stories, each written by a different author and each inspired by a Royal Palace. Greatly enhanced by Pam Smy’s atmospheric illustrations, it offers gripping tales with the added benefit of piquing interest in some of the country’s most iconic buildings.

A note from each author can be found at the end of the book, allowing readers to share their inspiration and the development of their ideas. There are many ghosts stories associated with the palaces and although this is a collection of new tales, they are inspired by real people, places and/ or events and are often rich in historical detail.

One of my favourites is ‘Children of the Maze’ by Sam Sedgman. Deliciously sinister, it uses the famous maze at Hampton Court Palace (one of my favourite places!) as the setting for a story which is the stuff of nightmares. Another equally enjoyable story based at Hampton Court is ‘The Prince in the Painting’ by E L Norry- readers will never look at portraits the same way again, but are also sure to be inspired to seek out the painting which features in the story, just to check..!

The setting for Sophie Kirtley’s contribution, ‘In this Still Place’ has made me really want to go and visit Hillsborough Castle and Gardens and explore the Walled Garden… and these stories are sure to have the same effect on other readers, leading them to explore some of these fabulous locations and, no doubt, finding their own imaginations igniting with possibilities for storytelling!

Definitely spooky and not for the faint hearted, this is a collection for the brave and curious!

Historic Royal Palaces: Ghosts in the Walls

Spooky Stories inspired by Real History

Various authors, illustrated by Pam Smy

Bloomsbury ISBN: 978-1526671196