This is an excellent Victorian period mystery-thriller, very well written, highly recommend for any 8-12 y.o. (though the girls will probably enjoy it more, due to the hero being a young girl). Read with daughter, and she states that she cannot wait for the next one to come out. ( )

Stella vive con sus tres estrictas tías en un hotel balneario en la localidad costera de Withering-by-Sea. Vigilada por sus familiares y su doncella, pasa los días aburrida y un poco desesperada. Sin embargo, todo cambia cuando una noche es testigo de algo inesperado.

Acompáñala en su emocionante aventura.

Fantasy für Kinder in der viktorianischen Zeit. ( )

I loved this book - I only wish it had been around when I was younger! beautifully illustrated and presented - hardcover, with many illustrated pages, and a ribbon bookmark (how I loved a ribbon bookmark in a book!). Think a slightly older Madeleine meeting The Railway Children in an English sea-resort in Victorian times.
This would make an excellent present for a good reader from 7-8 years up, I'd say. Stella is a thoughtful, reserved, but brave and observant child, with just a hint of magic about her. The cast of Victorian-era characters is masterful, and Stella's adventures keep the pages turning (without engendering too many nightmares). Highly recommended! ( )

Stella is an eleven-year-old orphan living with her three aunts in a boring, seaside mansion, the Hotel Majestic, where elderly people come to partake of the healthful waters. Her life suddenly becomes way too interesting when she witnesses a murder and finds herself on the run from the evil professor/magician Starke and his gang of men who desperately want the tiny magic bottle that has been strangely entrusted to her. She quite literally bumps into kind Signor Capelli and his musical cats where she finds companionship and help. With eccentric, interesting characters this tween novel is a fun, intriguing blend of mystery, adventure and magic that kids will eagerly eat up. A sequel may be in the future since this novel hints at unanswered questions about Stella’s ancestry.

Sharyn H. / Marathon County Public Library
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