The Clockwork Crow

Product Information

Catherine's new adventures for 7 up are The Clockwork Crow, The Velvet Fox, and The Midnight Swan, published by Firefly Press. But what she gets is a drab and lonely existence—the young boy of the house has been missing for a year and everyone but a few servants has abandoned the house. Das Kinderbuch ist perfekt für herbstliche Lesestunden im Schein des Kaminfeuers mit einem wärmenden Heißgetränk und einer kuscheligen Decke. If you love stories with a gothic flair, lots of magic and adventure, this series, one of our best magical and fantasy series for readers aged 9 and 10, will not disappoint. Thank you Catherine Fisher, I have one wish for you, that a successful tv series comes of these books, and brings you the rewards you deserve, for sharing your magic with children.

The book was all a bit of a mystery as you don't find out what has happened at the massive mansion until you are a few chapters from the end. But while at the train station she meets a man who gets a little nervous when he hears a strange noise. Es ist eine schöne leicht gruselige Geschichte, bei der ich mich gerne in eine warme Decke gehüllt habe, denn es ist dort bitterkalter Winter, der auch nicht vor dem Haus halt macht. Looked after by two house servants, the girl is left to wonder about the mysteries surrounding the house. When a very tall stranger entrusts her with a strange parcel wrapped in newspaper, tied in string, Seren is confused.We talked about the clues through the book and how some of them led to dead ends and about what the world of The Fair Family might be like. And Tomos…well, a boy could be a companion for adventures, or perhaps more like an annoying little brother. This sounds very tempting … the library I use online doesn’t have it but I could try recommending it.

Your selection was perfect for our children and what really made the difference was your ability to engage with each child, discuss their interests and help them to choose a suitable book based on your extensive knowledge of the books you were selling.

Vor allem ab dem Moment, wenn wir gemeinsam mit unserer Romanheldin Stella in ihrem neuen Zuhause im verschneiten Wales ankommen, habe ich das Ambiente richtig geliebt. Wedi’i harfogi ag aderyn sy’n siarad ond nad ydyw, o bosib, yn dweud y gwir; glôb eira hudol, a’i dewrder anorchfygol hi ei hun, cychwynna Seren ar daith beryglus ganol nos i fyd cyfareddol o eira a sêr er mwyn dod â hapusrwydd yn ôl i Blas-y-Frân. The Clockwork Crow is a gripping Christmas tale of families and belonging set in snowy Wales from a master storyteller. She is excited, picturing the home of her dreams, with “a huge tree full of shining candles, and a goose to eat, plum pudding and maybe oranges. Booklover Jo 'A novel filled with atmosphere and charm, The Clockwork Crow will leave you spellbound.

A story of death, magic and the afterlife told by Marinka, who is desperate not to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps and wants to find her own destiny. Villiers sounds angry and choppy, like the housekeeper in The Sound of Music, while all the characters in Plas-y-Fran have varying Welsh accents. The format is nothing new, a lot of children’s books play on the orphan or downtrodden child who suffers, faces the situation head on and comes out on top. When I want a tough read, I will pick up an adult book, or even a fiction fantasy written by Raymond E Feist….

Von dem wunderhübschen Cover habe ich mich wie magisch angezogen angefühlt, es war Liebe auf den ersten Blick, und auch der Klappentext sprach mich direkt an. It started off slowly but was intriguing with the parcel given to the girl at the station with the warning not to open it, and then it quickly warmed up and became exciting and I couldn’t put it down! Seren's fairies are of the darker variety, meant to entrap you with their lulling voice and who's frail snowy like hands grasp at your hair refusing to let you leave. She’s allowed to stay in their home with the caretakers, but they give her no information about when the family will be back or why they aren’t there. I feel like all my reviews lately start with some "by the way I'm still not able to function as a normal reader," but you know what?

In meinen Augen hat die britische Autorin Catherine Fisher mit „Stella und der Mondscheinvogel“ ein bezauberndes Wintermärchen aufs Papier gebracht, in welchem sie uns Leser*innen in eine fantasievolle Welt voller frostiger Winterkälte, Mysterien und Magie mitnimmt. She puts the pieces of the strange puzzle together and discovers it is a crow…a tattered crow made of clockworks. I liked the feel of the book, but the only downside of it being short was that we didn’t really get a feel for Seren. But it only lasted for a little bit, then Great-aunt Grace died, and Seren knew she’d be sent back to the dreary confines of the orphanage. With the train departing and the man nowhere to be found, she makes a split-second decision to take the parcel with her.

In the end, half of the kids liked the story, and half of us didn't (simply, as I say, for bad editing).