LoveReading4Kids Says
LoveReading4Kids Says
In a nutshell: lonely little girl makes friends with ghostly animals
Polly and her mum are leaving London for Cornwall. Their old home has very sad associations after Polly’s father died in an accident. Mum has a new job as house manager at a stately home, Penhallow Hall. They both love it from the start, and the house seems to take to Polly – magically the statue of a huge wolfhound at the hall’s entrance comes to life for her, and becomes her friend. There are more ghosts at Penhallow, including a boy Polly’s age with a tragedy of his own to deal with. Despite themes of loss and loneliness this gentle story will leave readers happy and hopeful. Polly’s ghostly friends are a comforting, reassuring presence, linking past and present, proof that time heals. Jason Cockcroft’s atmospheric illustrations are simply gorgeous.
There are echoes of Tom’s Midnight Garden in Polly’s story and readers could move on to Penelope Lively’s A Stitch in Time or Emma Carroll’s The Snow Sister. ~ Andrea Reece
LoveReading4Kids
Find This Book In
| Suitable For: |
|
| Other Genres: |
|
| Recommendations: |
|
About
The Moonlight Statue Synopsis
For Polly, moving to Penhallow Hall is the fresh start she's been longing for since the death of her father. Her mum has got a job managing the stately home and once the last of the visitors leave for the day the place is all theirs!
One night, Polly sleepwalks into the garden and wakes to find her hand on the head of one of the stone dogs that guard the steps down to the lawn. Then she feels him lick her cheek! The dog introduces himself as Rex, an Irish Wolfhound who lived at Penhallow many hundreds of years earlier. And he is not the only resident ghost - Polly has also glimpsed a strange boy around the place. With Rex's help she finds herself unravelling the story of his beloved master, William Penhallow, who was killed in the First World War aged only 17.
About This Edition
Author
About Holly Webb
Holly Webb was born and grew up in south-east London, but spent a lot of time on the Suffolk coast. As a child, she had two dogs, a cat, and at one point, nine gerbils (an accident). At about ten, Holly fell in love with stories from Ancient Greek myths, which led to studying Latin and Greek, and eventually to reading Classics at university. She worked for five years as a children's fiction editor, before deciding that writing was more fun, and easier to do from a sofa. She started writing several years ago while working as a children’s books editor. She has written over ninety books including the Animal Stories, My Naughty Little Puppy and Maisie Hitchins series for Stripes Publishing. Holly has also written In The Clever Little Kitten for World Book Day and a sequel to The Secret Garden. Holly Webb lives in Berkshire with her husband, children and three cats.
Author photo credit: Charlotte Knee
Find her on Instagram @hollywebbauthor
More About Holly Webb
