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Buckland Gap

Charles Stanley Wiltshire

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Being a hard geezer on the Buckland estate ain't easy, but David has the crown. He's got the girls,...

Elders & Fyffes: A Photographic History

Campbell McCutcheon

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Ubiquitous in every supermarket and corner shop, it is hard to imagine a world without bananas. But...

Deborah (162 KP) rated Belinda Goes to Bath (Travelling Matchmaker, #2) in Books

Dec 21, 2018

Belinda Goes to Bath is the second in the Travelling Matchmaker series. I really enjoyed the first, Emily Goes to Exeter, but I think I actually have to give the preference overall to this second volume. Emily was quite difficult to like to start with but Belinda is much nicer, although the second hero isn't perhaps quite so dashing...

The cartoon-style covers of these new editions really suit the tone of the books I think. They are fun and lighthearted and some of the characters a bit too 'larger than life' to be real - the unpleasant Penelope in this book really is rather horrid!

This book has a bit of everything; romance adventure, out-and-out villany and of course a mad aunt who really does have bats in her belfry; great stuff!

Now I'm off to Portsmouth with Penelope (not the one from this volume, fortunately!) and Miss Hannah Pym!

Kudos

Sussex Steam

Michael Hymans

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Packed with rare and unpublished images, Sussex Steam takes the reader on a journey around...

Kayleigh (12 KP) rated Mudlark in Books

Jan 2, 2019

Mudlark

John Sedden | 2005

10.0

(1 Ratings)

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Although mudlarks were also found in London, diving for pennies in the Thames mudbanks, this book is set in Portsmouth, so I was really enthusiastic to read this, hoping I’d know where the characters were larking about. Going to stay with my grandparents every half term means I know the area fairly well. Sure enough, most of the time I knew where the characters were, which added to my enjoyment of the book. In general, though, Sedden describes the scenes well enough that anyone could pick the book up and become immersed in its landscape.

Jimmy and Reg, the first-person protagonist and his best friend, were really realistic too – there were things like Reg having a stutter, the number of dead-arms the boys give each other (!) and the sense of guilt Jimmy feels when he realises he’s in the wrong, which made the boys really 3D, relatable characters.

I loved that the book brought to life a picture of not only mudlarking, but the start of the First World War and everyday people’s reactions to it. The twists that take place in the book can’t be guessed from the blurb, and I found myself surprised a lot of the time. The solution to the mystery had to be explained to me just as much as it did to Jimmy and Reg, which is rare, as I can usually guess what’s coming from at least a couple of pages before. PLUS, the solution was historically accurate. Double tick!

I reckon this book will appeal to boys (and probably girls too!) around 11-14, especially those with a love of history. Mind you, once I get the book back I’ll be sending it to my grandpa, who I’m sure will love it. It’s his old stomping ground, after all, although he’s never been as nasty as the policemen in the book!

If you liked this review, I also went into some of the history of mudlarking in Portsmouth on my <a href="http://www.a-worldofwords.com/2013/05/mudlark-by-john-sedden.html">blog</a>;; please feel free to check it out!