Books "THE INCORRIGIBLE CHILDREN OF ASHTON PLACE : THE HIDDEN GALLERY"

Title : THE INCORRIBLE CHILDREN OF ASHTON PLACE – THE HIDDEN GALLERY

[ book 2 of The Incorrible Children of Ashton Place Series ]

Text copyright © 2011 by Maryrose Wood

Illustrations copyright © 2011 by Jon Klassen

Published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books

1^st paperback edition, 2012 ; 328 p ; ISBN 978-0-06-179113-0

Rate : 4 of 5

Continouing the Incorrigibles adventure. After disaster on Christmas Party, and the house of Ashton are ruined by chaos guests, but Lady Ashton simply blaiming all to the children. Unfortunately, Lord Ashton refuse the idea (or Lady Ashton yelling) to fire the governess and giving away the children or drop them into orphanage. “Finder Keepers,” he often said. Despite disagre with Lord Ashton words, Miss Lumley glad that she remain as the governess as well the children to the Ashton’s.

Then of course Lady Ashton find another things to yelled about. It’s the repairing process that so loud, busy and not-gonna-finnish-in-short-time. When Miss Lumley asking for taking the children in London, where she about to meet her former teacher, Miss Charlotte Mortimer who happens visited London in few days, Lady Ashton remarkably got the perfect idea to get-away from awful situation in Ashton Place. She beg and beg and crying, until Lord Ashton agree, that they all should taking vacations in London.

In just few days, all people in Ashton are busy preparing the moving. First Lord Ashton must find (and bought) a good house in London, then the servants sent to preparing the house, but still most of them must stays in Ashton’s that still being renovated. Lord and Lady Ashton will be arrive with their personal carriage. So Miss Lumley and the children will taking separated trip by train, only have the name of the address in London. Miss Lumley never goes anywhere in her life, so just like the children, she anxious to seek the journeys, after all she have a book from Miss Mortimer as the guide to travel in London, the book with title : Hixby’s Lavishly Illustrated Guide to London (or Hixby’s Guide fo short) – the best guide travel in the world, as Miss Mortimer said.

Then the adventure begin. Starting by a mysterious looking man who tried to steal Hixby’s Guide in the train while Miss Lumley fallen into sleep (luckly the children are caught the man before leaving). Then after arrival in London, no one seems to know where is The Muffinshire Lane – the address they should went. London people also found really ignoren where the governess and three little children are so confuse and lost to find the right way. Meeting with strange Gypsi woman, who read Alexander’s card : The hunt is on ! (then disappears into darkness), really gave them scare and agitate attitude. Until finally show-up a young gentleman, name Simon Harley-Dickison, who willing to help finding the right address.

London is full with excited places. From Buckingham Palace (where the guard mistaken as the bear by the Incorrigibles for the hat), the Zoo where any animals (beside the wolfs, birds and squirells in Ashton’s) really intriguing the children, the post office that so huge and large, even they deliver the mail not only once a day but several times in a day (morning post, noon, until evening). And don’t forget the museum and the opera too. Even the delicate food corner and shop are filled with tasty, delicious and unforgetable food experiences (makes me droolling all over too). But mystery also haunting the Incorrigibles and Miss Lumley. From fortune-teller appears, the book-thief, even the strange warning coming from Miss Mortimer, makes Miss Lumley aware, something or someone have bad intention to them ....

The second book of The Incorrigibles are so much fun. London (or England) is one of my dream-wishlist to go. After finished with book one and end-up with so many ‘question-marks’ in my head, I was hoping to find the answers in this story, but remarkably, there’s no straight answers, instead there appears another new unanswers questions. So many mystery and even riddle to solve. I just playing ‘quest’ the whole story, but are my thinking nor insting quite right ? The truth still remains silent. The pieces of the puzzle now push me to wider the picture. Appearently the plot are more complex than I thought on the first reading. One thing for sure, there is strong connection between Penelope Lumley with Alexander, Beowulf and Cassiopeia, even they never meet nor knew each others except in Ashton Place. But what is the relationships between them, truly ? The answers are (not) yet revealed, purposely ... so to be continue in part 3 !!

[ more about the author and related works, just check at here : Maryrose Wood | on Goodreads ]

~ This Post are include in 2014 Reading Challenge & Secret Santa with BBI  ~

2^nd Book in What’s A Name Challenge

2^nd Book in Reading English Challenge

2^nd Book in TBRR Pile

Best Regards,

Hobby Buku