The Incorrible Children of Ashton Place

Dear Readers,

I have started to read a new book series entitled "The Incorrible Children of Ashton Place" by MaryRose Wood.  I have to admit, the first thing that drew me to the book was the cover page illustration (by Jon Klassen).  It reminded me of "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë and that couldn't be a bad thing!

Coincidentally, this story is also about a young and poor governess, Miss Penelope Lumley, who is hired to take charge of three very unusual pupils.  The series consists of 6 volumes but the 6th volume is not released yet.   All the books are written by the same author but the illustrator changed: from books 1-3, it's Jon Klassen and for books 4-5, it's Eliza Wheeler.

I loved reading "Jane Eyre" and so without much hesitation, I bought the first book:

"The Incorrible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling"

I read it in three hours and was instantly hooked! I decided to buy all four remaining volumes!  Each book apparently ends with a cliffhanger so if you don't want to wait for the next delivery, you should buy all of them at once like I did! LOL

The target age range is 8-12 years old (or Grade 3-7) but I think adults can enjoy this book series as well.  The is a lot of humor in the story and Mrs. Wood's writing style is fluid and very likeable.  The story reminded me very much of the 1970 French movie "L'Enfant Sauvage" by François Truffaut which was about a teacher trying to educate a young boy who was apparently raised without or with little contact with human beings.

I found myself rooting for Miss Penelope Lumley and hoping that she would be able to solve the mysteries surrounding the children in her charge and the strange people who gravitate around them.

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own. I was not paid or received gifts to write this or mention any store or website.