Very much in the "classic" Perils of Pauline style. Uses words that are of the period which could make it a bit inaccessible to children. ( )

Scintillating start to a wonderful series. I am hooked on this series and am looking forward to reading the rest of it. ( )

I thoroughly enjoyed The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken as part of the British Author Challenge. This book is really part of the reason I look at the challenges: I had not encountered Aiken and would not have without BAC. So, thank you to the curators of these challenges.

This was an adventure series featuring two girls who encounter what I could only think of as a series of unfortunate events (all due respect to Lemony Snickett). Adults are not what they seem and they are forced to rely on their own talents and resources to save themselves and their families. ( )

Delightfully spooky and mysterious. Full of orphans, evil schoolmistresses and geese. While many of the themes are unoriginal, the writing is delightful and the characters sweet, brave, and endearing. It wraps up a bit too neatly, which maybe should be expected for a tween novel. ( )

Wicked wolves and a grim governess threaten Bonnie and her cousin Sylvia when Bonnie's parents leave Willoughby Chase for a sea voyage. Left in the care of the cruel Miss Slighcarp, the girls can hardly believe what is happening to their once happy home. The servants are dismissed, the furniture is sold, and Bonnie and Sylvia are sent to a prison-like orphan school. It seems as if the endless hours of drudgery will never cease.

With the help of Simon the gooseboy and his flock, they escape. But how will they ever get Willoughby Chase free from the clutches of the evil Miss Slighcarp?