Ugly slugly fairies, chatty chavy trees, a shiveringly scary villain and a hero called Cal with Guardians he imagined into being when he was little - A giant tiger, a natty badger and a mouthy miniature knight!
I loved this book. It is a nail-biting adventure with so much heart, history and imagination. It must have been exhausting to write, but Ross Montgomary has done a beautiful job, and in my opinion, it’s his best book yet.
Set during the Blitz in WWII, Cal is journeying to London to try and save his sister, and on the way picks up a companion called Ruth who broadens Cal’s very limited, personal, view of the war. The pages of this joyous page-turner are jam-packed with fantastic folkloric creations and despite a gripping adventure, there’s humour and heart aplenty.
This is one of those books that children hug and read more than once. Teachers will love it because it has so much accurately researched history woven through it as well as a tender depiction of the Jewish faith and the journey of children on the kindertransport. Children will love the characters. It’s a veritable carnival of memorable, enjoyable and magical creations. (I loved Pendlebury - the tiger - who is motherly, and the character I most related to.) Parents will enjoy reading this with children and it has that ‘cuddle up and read it by the fire’ vibe with episodic adventure, dark moments, and then the light.
Perfect for a Christmas stocking, but a brilliant read any time of year. Why not grab The Midnight Guardians today?
The amazing cover and all artwork is by David Dean