This tale has a spellbinding cast of characters that will delight children and adults alike. I bought it for my nine year old but couldn’t resist reading it myself. It has all the ingredients of a magical adventure but is also well-grounded in real life values. It teaches children the importance of caring for the environment, respecting nature and working together to achieve a greater goal. The main character Issie is a likeable ordinary, yet extraordinary girl and her relationship with her little brother is one that most children will relate to. The vivid descriptions of the setting bring the story to life, enabling the reader join Issie on a quest to save the pond and all its inhabitants. This is not just a tale of rescuing pond creatures though, it is a race against time to solve the mystery of her father’s disappearance. Issie never loses hope and as she undergoes her own voyage of self discovery, you know she won’t give up. The surprise ending gives a satisfactory closure to this story and opens up a brand new adventure. I can’t wait to find out what happens next. This is a brilliant debut novel by Patricia M Ahern
The Blurb
Issie Hartford’s dad has been missing for three years, yet she clings to the hope that he will return. Her family are forced to move to Meadowstream Manor, her dad’s family home, after a very peculiar meeting at Newton and Roach solicitors. Finding an old map and book sets Issie on a journey of discovery which leads her, her brother and three friends to Meadowstream Pond. They find themselves drawn into the mystical world of Pondlife and a battle against time to save the pond and its inhabitants. Will they be in time? Hope is all she has…
You can buy Pondlife: Blue Moon Eclipse on Kindle and in paperback.
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