The River Spirit
Published on 6. June 2024
96 pages
978-0-00-870089-8 (ISBN)
Description
Trapped within the oppresive warrens of the city's chimneys, young sweeper Tom longs for fresh air and freedom in this atmospheric and ghostly Victorian tale from Lucy Strange.
Young chimney sweep Tom has started seeing strange, supernatural things - fairies in the flowers by the river, a soot monster crouching in the darkness of a chimney, and then the mysterious river spirit Elle. Elle joins Tom and the other children apprenticed to cruel master sweep Mister Crow. Together, they shimmy up the town's narrow, filthy chimneys. But Tom has an ominous feeling in his bones, and when he faces his most dangerous job of all, the reason for Elle's magical appearance becomes clear . . .
Young chimney sweep Tom has started seeing strange, supernatural things - fairies in the flowers by the river, a soot monster crouching in the darkness of a chimney, and then the mysterious river spirit Elle. Elle joins Tom and the other children apprenticed to cruel master sweep Mister Crow. Together, they shimmy up the town's narrow, filthy chimneys. But Tom has an ominous feeling in his bones, and when he faces his most dangerous job of all, the reason for Elle's magical appearance becomes clear . . .
Reviews / Votes
"Combining fascinating and important history with the magical and supernatural, this captivating, beautiful and tragic story is sure to become essential reading for Upper Key Stage 2 children learning about the Industrial Revolution and the plight of those involved in child labour." - Kate Heap, Scope for Imagination "The plight of young chimney sweeps in Victorian Britain springs to vivid life in a ghostly and stunningly ethereal historical tale ... Juxtaposing the heartbreaking cruelty of a boy sweep's ordeals with all the fairy-tale magic of Charles Kingsley's classic book, The Water-Babies, Strange brings us a dazzling, tear-jerking story that resonates long after the last page has turned ... succeeds in never losing sight of the shining light of hope, friendship and courage ... Brought to life by the beautiful worldly and other-worldly illustration of Julia Moscardo, this is another stunning piece of storytelling." - Lancashire Post "The third in an historical trilogy for Barrington Stoke, all of which successfully blend myth and mystery with snippets of history and all reveal elements of the exploitation of child labour in the industrial revolution. As such they are a huge asset to the classroom for study of that period ... More than that, they are atmospheric and mesmerising reads ... An impactful and memorable read." - Books for Keeps "A brilliant combination of the supernatural and historical fiction. Perfect for a history topic on the Industrial Revolution." - Father Teacher Reader "This beautifully written book with equally beautiful illustrations had us immersed from the first page ... We were really drawn to the kindness of the characters and the warm and happy ending of this beautiful, evocative book." - Bentley Heath PS Book ClubMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Target group
Children/juvenile
Reading Age: 8 years
Product notice
Reflowable
Illustrations
14 b/w, illus
File size
16,94 MB
ISBN-13
978-0-00-870089-8 (9780008700898)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Persons
Lucy Strange is the best-selling children's author of titles including The Secret of Nightingale Wood, a Waterstones Children's Book of the Month, and Our Castle by the Sea, which was nominated for the Carnegie Medal, shortlisted for the Waterstones Book Prize 2020, and was the first Independent Booksellers' Children's Book of the Month.
