What I’m reading
Summer is insane. The kids are here, there are camps to go to, meals to prep, family to visit, cookouts to attend, beaches to swim in, etc etc. Life is good, but oh boy, in summer, there is nothing lazy-dazy about our days.
The kids and I are of course big fans of the library, and at one of our many many visits I discovered the middle-grade series The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood. I feel a little late to the party, since the first book was published in 2009, but I've made up for lost time and have read each of the 5 books this summer. (The final book, #6, comes out in December.)
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place follows the adventures of the young and spunky governess Miss Penelope Lumley (recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females), and her charges - Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia Incorrigible (who were raised by wolves and found running wild in the forests of Ashton Place). Set in Victorian-era Great Britain, the books are charming and funny, each solving a mystery that leads to more mysteries, and peppered with invaluable quotes from the esteemed Agatha Swanburne... "To be kept waiting is unfortunate, but to kept waiting with nothing interesting to read is a tragedy of Greek proportions".
I initially picked up the first book The Mysterious Howl, as it is illustrated by Jon Klassen, and of course I judge books by their covers! In book 4 The Interrupted Tale, the interior art is done by Eliza Wheeler who takes over the cover art as well in book 5 The Unmapped Sea. Both Jon's and Eliza's artwork is gorgeous, and help bring the story alive.
I won't spoil anything, but I've fallen in love with the Incorrigible children, the way they speak and howl (being raised by wolves, there is a lot of woofs, "awhoo"s, and canine behavior), and am very much looking forward to the conclusion and answering all the questions that have been raised! How did the children find themselves in the forests of Ashton Place? What happened to the long-lost Lumleys? What is Judge Quinzy hiding? How are Penny and Miss Mortimer connected?
