Harklights

Product Information

What’s more Wick sees how families operate and realises love and loyalty, values in poor supply at Harklights. Wick, the orphan, were forced to make matches in Harklights, the orphanage, run by the horrible, greedy lady, Old Ma Bogey. I see the appeal, driving the plot forward to the big reveals, and I see the difficulty in balancing mature plot development with writing for this particular agew group. When the story started nearing it's end, I still didn't feel connected to the Hobs because we'd been there for so little time, yet Wick acted as if he'd been there for months.

But it is not only about that, it is also about friendship and family, and about courage when you are standing with fear and feel small.The themes of nature, conservation and family weave effortlessly through the novel, with stunning illustrations to bring this organic adventure to life. Old ma bogey and her father end up penniless and she swears to get revenge by destroying their homes and enslaving them once again. Thank you to the author and his publisher for allowing me to read a proof of this novel in advance of publication. I was at my last school for 4 years and we had ********* book fairs every term – and every term, I was disappointed by the narrow range of books.

A book that will spark younger readers imaginations, and I loved the little guides at the back with information about habitats and things they can do to help etc, carrying on the story in their own ways I really thought that was great! The author has cleverly made use of familiar tropes to not only drive through an ecological message but to acknowledge the anxieties that youngsters often feel regarding family, friends, self-worth and potential. With this there is a sudden spark of intrigue and magic that then continues to build with Wick’s discovery of a tiny acorn, which is in fact a beautifully made cradle with a tiny live baby inside! Winner of the Joan Aiken Future Classics Prize, Harklights is a magical story celebrating family, friendship and the natural world, filled with a message of hope for our times.

Your selection was perfect for our children and what really made the difference was your ability to engage with each child, discuss their interests and help them to choose a suitable book based on your extensive knowledge of the books you were selling. This review was written by Kelly Ashley With over 20 years of education experience in both the US and the UK, Kelly Ashley currently works as an independent consultant, providing training and support for primary schools across the UK. This experience has been fantastic primarily for the children, the school and also for me (professionally).