OK--it's not earth-shaking and it's not going to change your life, but it is witty, warm, and a scream. There are some simple undercurrents that reinforce the values of friendship and what home really means. Also, I love stories that walk me around London. I've got to go back and read the 1st book now, then the 3rd. BTW, the "incorrigibles" are not bad children. It's just that they were raised by wolves in the forest and tend to end a lot of words in "a-rooooo." Now that I've finished two, I see that this is a series similar to the Lemony Snicket series. You have to read (or in my case listen to) them all to reach the conclusion. I very much would have enjoyed reading these with my kids when they were in second grade. The narrator is external and frequently explains terms and differences between the present and the story setting, which is Victorian England, making the stories quite educational and filled with vocabulary while being very entertaining. I definitely would have appreciated that as a parent. Meanwhile, I am trying to figure out the mystery of the wolf children, their relationship to their guardian (why is he preoccupied with the phases of the moon? is he really a werewolf?), their governess Penelope (is she somehow related since her hair is the same color?), and where does Agatha Swanborne, who founded the school that trained Penelope, fit in? I just hope that the answer to all these questions is already published. I may have started something I won't be able to finish for a few years. Definitely makes going to the Y more entertaining!
What do You think about The Hidden Gallery (2011)?
These books are like popcorn--ironic, fun, silly-yet-smart popcorn.
—annaiskool
