Two New Barrington Stoke Titles!

Let me introduce you to two of the latest titles from Barrington Stoke…

‘Ravencave’ by Marcus Sedgwick

While mucking about in the ruins of an old farm while on holiday in Yorkshire, James hears strange laughter echoing around the walls. The ghost of a young girl appears to him and urges James to follow her, but at first he’s too afraid.

When she appears again, this time James follows. But will he able able to face the terrible truth she reveals…?

I don’t quite know how Marcus Sedgwick manages to pack quite so much plot and characterisation into such a short novel, but this little book is full of intrigue and mystery, with rather a massive twist towards the end.

James is a strange yet very likeable protagonist. He’s ignored by his family, and his brother seems to be permanently annoyed with him, a set-up that I’m sure many younger readers will be familiar with. There’s something not quite right though, and I’m sure that readers will delight in figuring out what that is before it’s revealed.

My Year 8 pupils love reading Sedgwick’s ‘My Swordhand is Singing’ in lessons, and ‘Wrath’, which was published last year by Barrington Stoke has gone down a treat in our independent reading sessions. I am sure that ‘Ravencave’ will be equally enjoyed. Dark and intriguing – I can’t wait to share this one with them.

This dyslexia-friendly title has a reading age of 8 and an interest age of 11+. As with all titles from this publication, it contains all of the plot and less of the description. At just 113 pages, it’s a quick read and a highly-accessible title for a wide range of students.

‘Little Women’, retold by Laura Wood

When you’re one of four sisters, it can be difficult to find your own identify. But that’s never the case for the March girls – sweet Meg, tomboyish Jo, shy Beth and precious Amy.

With their father away at war and their mother working long hours, the sisters have to look out for each other and make their own entertainment. Although disagreements arise, their strong bond, vivid imaginations and infectious sense of fun see them through the darkest of days in this timeless coming-of-age story.

This retelling of Louisa May Alcott’s ‘Little Women’ is a wonderful new accessible version for younger readers. this version has all of the charm and quaintness of the original and will allow the reader to get the feel of reading a whole classic novel without needing to negotiate all of the lengthy descriptions and nineteenth century language. There are no pictures to make it feel childish, although the gorgeous cover will certainly make it pop on the school library shelf.

You know that your in a safe pair of hands with one of Laura Woods’ retellings, as her version of ‘Pride and Prejudice’, also published by Barrington Stoke, has proved a hit in our school library.

This dyslexia-friendly title has a reading age of 9 and an interest age of 11+. It is 116 pages in length.

Thank you to Poppy McLean at Barrington Stoke for these ARCs of ‘Ravencave’ and ‘Little Women’ in exchange for my honest reviews.