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katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
Time-slip story with a difference.
4.5 stars. There are plenty of stories about time travel for children, the one this reminds me of most is Tom's Midnight Garden, as the majority of this is set within the confines of one house, and also takes the characters to a similar time period, there is also a good deal of interaction with other characters of the period.
Alex and Ruby are in their great-aunt's house, that she is soon to have to leave, when they notice strange people inside the old mirror. Without warning, the siblings are pulled through into the house they see in the mirror, and into their family of 1912...
Able to blend in a little, with a family wedding coming up and guests around, Alex and Ruby spend time with the Edwardian children who must be relatives of theirs, and find themselves caught up in a gentle crime/mystery.
It's easy to get caught up in the story, Alex and Ruby make numerous observations about life in the past, the clothes and cars, behaviour and language - it's the sorts of things we'd all ask about. The other characters they meet are charismatic (nice to have an unusual occupation like 'anthropologist' make an appearance too, a field authentically popular at the time).
The crime/mystery story moves quickly, the children play a large role in solving the issues, and the time-slip itself is never explained but left in a way that means future episodes are possible.
I liked the way the two time periods connected, with family members and the house, and hopefully the two will intersect again. I can imagine that children aged around 8-11 will find this an accessible story that moves quickly, contains boys and girls they will identify with, gives an enjoyable look at the past.
I'll look out for Nicholls' next in the series.
4.5 stars. There are plenty of stories about time travel for children, the one this reminds me of most is Tom's Midnight Garden, as the majority of this is set within the confines of one house, and also takes the characters to a similar time period, there is also a good deal of interaction with other characters of the period.
Alex and Ruby are in their great-aunt's house, that she is soon to have to leave, when they notice strange people inside the old mirror. Without warning, the siblings are pulled through into the house they see in the mirror, and into their family of 1912...
Able to blend in a little, with a family wedding coming up and guests around, Alex and Ruby spend time with the Edwardian children who must be relatives of theirs, and find themselves caught up in a gentle crime/mystery.
It's easy to get caught up in the story, Alex and Ruby make numerous observations about life in the past, the clothes and cars, behaviour and language - it's the sorts of things we'd all ask about. The other characters they meet are charismatic (nice to have an unusual occupation like 'anthropologist' make an appearance too, a field authentically popular at the time).
The crime/mystery story moves quickly, the children play a large role in solving the issues, and the time-slip itself is never explained but left in a way that means future episodes are possible.
I liked the way the two time periods connected, with family members and the house, and hopefully the two will intersect again. I can imagine that children aged around 8-11 will find this an accessible story that moves quickly, contains boys and girls they will identify with, gives an enjoyable look at the past.
I'll look out for Nicholls' next in the series.
rooftop_rabbit's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Fun and short read. The adventure in the past was short and sweet and i'm left with questions about the cup, how much it fetched , but i guess its up to the second book to answer.
ems747's review
adventurous
funny
informative
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
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