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The River Spirit
- Author
- Lucy Strange
- Narrator
- Louis Hill
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date
- 6 June 2024
- Run Time
- 51 minutes
- Format
- x-book®
- Genre
- Children’s / Teenage fiction: Horror and ghost stories, chillers, or other scary supernatural stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Historical fantasy, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Friendship stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Action and adventure stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Magical realism / Magical fantasy, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Dark fantasy
What to expect
Trapped within the oppresive warrens of the city’s chimneys, young sweeper Tom longs for fresh air and freedom in this atmospheric and ghostly Victorian tale from Lucy Strange.
Young chimney sweep Tom has started seeing strange, supernatural things – fairies in the flowers by the river, a soot monster crouching in the darkness of a chimney, and then the mysterious river spirit Elle. Elle joins Tom and the other children apprenticed to cruel master sweep Mister Crow. Together, they shimmy up the town's narrow, filthy chimneys. But Tom has an ominous feeling in his bones, and when he faces his most dangerous job of all, the reason for Elle's magical appearance becomes clear . . .
Critics Review
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"Combining fascinating and important history with the magical and supernatural, this captivating, beautiful and tragic story is sure to become essential reading for Upper Key Stage 2 children learning about the Industrial Revolution and the plight of those involved in child labour." – Kate Heap, Scope for Imagination
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"The plight of young chimney sweeps in Victorian Britain springs to vivid life in a ghostly and stunningly ethereal historical tale … Juxtaposing the heartbreaking cruelty of a boy sweep’s ordeals with all the fairy-tale magic of Charles Kingsley’s classic book, The Water-Babies, Strange brings us a dazzling, tear-jerking story that resonates long after the last page has turned … succeeds in never losing sight of the shining light of hope, friendship and courage … Brought to life by the beautiful worldly and other-worldly illustration of Júlia Moscardó, this is another stunning piece of storytelling." – Lancashire Post
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"The third in an historical trilogy for Barrington Stoke, all of which successfully blend myth and mystery with snippets of history and all reveal elements of the exploitation of child labour in the industrial revolution. As such they are a huge asset to the classroom for study of that period … More than that, they are atmospheric and mesmerising reads … An impactful and memorable read." – Books for Keeps
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"A brilliant combination of the supernatural and historical fiction. Perfect for a history topic on the Industrial Revolution." – Father Teacher Reader
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"This beautifully written book with equally beautiful illustrations had us immersed from the first page … We were really drawn to the kindness of the characters and the warm and happy ending of this beautiful, evocative book." – Bentley Heath PS Book Club
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Details
- Author
- Lucy Strange
- Narrator
- Louis Hill
- Duration
- 51 minutes
- Release Date
- 6 June 2024
- ISBN
- 9780008700904
- Format
- x-book®
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Genre
- Children’s / Teenage fiction: Horror and ghost stories, chillers, or other scary supernatural stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Historical fantasy, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Friendship stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Action and adventure stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Magical realism / Magical fantasy, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Dark fantasy
Synopsis
Trapped within the oppresive warrens of the city’s chimneys, young sweeper Tom longs for fresh air and freedom in this atmospheric and ghostly Victorian tale from Lucy Strange. Young chimney sweep Tom has started seeing strange, supernatural things – fairies in the flowers by the river, a soot monster crouching in the darkness of a chimney, and then the mysterious river spirit Elle. Elle joins Tom and the other children apprenticed to cruel master sweep Mister Crow. Together, they shimmy up the town's narrow, filthy chimneys. But Tom has an ominous feeling in his bones, and when he faces his most dangerous job of all, the reason for Elle's magical appearance becomes clear . . .
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