The Mysterious Howling
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Fifteen-year-old Miss Penelope Lumley, a recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, is hired as governess to three young children who have been raised by wolves and must teach them to behave in a civilized manner quickly, in preparation for a Christmas ball.
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Add a QuoteIt would have been pleasant to have parents, of course, or at least parents whom she could more clearly recall....She recalled being told about a mother and father who needed to take a long, dangerous journey and would someday return for her - or perhaps that was something she had read in a book. It was hard to be sure after so many years.
“All this trotting to and fro will be the” - _huff!_ - “death of me!” she wheezed, although, as you already know, regular aerobic exercise was far more likely to improve her cardiovascular fitness than cause her demise.
She had chosen Dante because she found the rhyme scheme pleasingly jaunty, but she realized too late that the _Inferno_’s tale of sinners being cruelly punished in the afterlife was much too bloody and disturbing to be suitable for young minds. Penelope could tell this by the way the children hung on her every word and demanded “More, more!” each time she reached the end of a canto and tried to stop.
Penelope had long ago accepted that a thick mane of glossy, bouncy ringlets was not destined to be hers. However, she had read many books in which girls who start out plain blossom into great beauties, and almost as many in which girls who stay plain are loved all the more for their warm hearts and good common sense. Penelope was confident that one fate or the other would be hers eventually, and so she tried not to give the matter too much thought.
When the impossible becomes merely difficult, that’s when you know you’ve won.
Wearing it gave her more rather than less confidence, and that is precisely what a well-chosen outfit ought to do.
Penelope was left with the impression that titles were more important than profession and land was more important than business, but money was far more important than any other sort of accomplishment.
If you have ever opened a can of worms, boxed yourself into a corner, ended up in hot water, or found yourself in a pretty pickle,you already know that life is rarely (if ever) a bowl of cherries.
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Add a CommentVery fun to read and look at. The illustrations are marvelous. I like the pithy sayings of Agatha Swanburne who was the founder of the Governess Academy that Penelope graduated from. An interesting mystery of the children's origin keeps you engaged and looking for answers.
Hilarious, if you have a dry sense of humour. Should be enjoyable for quite a range of ages. Penny, Alawoo, Beowoo and Cassawoof are wonderfully rendered in this mysterious story.
It was a very funny book to read. I could not put it away, had to finish it. The drawings by Jon Klassen are awesome.
I read this book in one sitting because I couldn't put it down! It is very well written and the characters come clearly across the page. Penelope Lumley is a great role model and this book would work very well for upper elementary/middle grade readers. Can't wait for The Hidden Gallery, book 2 to learn more about the ongoing mystery!
It's been a while since I found a series I really wanted to continue reading. Here's the most recent candidate! Hillllllllarious inside jokes to older/wiser readers, but not so much that it takes away from the main story for the target age group. My kids and I ADORE the three incorrigible children. Must read, and a great read aloud.
At first I was irritated by the narrative tone, wavering as it does between period accuracy and cheerful anachronism. Once I got over that I found it a fun, light read. Unfortunately this is yet another book with a "To Be Continued . . ." ending. I prefer complete plots.
A fun read. I really like how the author explains things, on the side, to the reader. Enough mystery at the end of this book to make me want to read the next one right away...
I really loved this book. Very witty and charming. Can't wait for the next one!
This book has a slow start, but seems to have quite a bit of potential. There are many clever references to classic stories that make the reader feel in on the joke.
Charming and full of mystery. I'm just as attached to the three children as Miss Lumley is! Can't wait for the next