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WildsparkVashti Hardy
Wildspark
by Vashti Hardy
A guild can put the spirits of the dead into machine animals. Prue joins as an apprentice under a false name, hoping to bring her brother back.
A story about children and animals, thoughtful and adventurous in tone. We would put it with children of 9–12, and at a reading age of about 10 for reading alone.
Worth knowing before you buy
- A death or grief
- Mild peril
None of this makes it a bad book — often the opposite. It is here so you can decide whether it is right for your child now or in a year or two.
Our take on this book
In a world where the dead can be brought back as animal-shaped 'ghost machines', Prue joins the mysterious Guild of engineers, secretly hoping to recover her lost brother's spirit — and uncovers a dangerous plot at the heart of the Guild's remarkable, clockwork-and-conscience technology. Vashti Hardy writes inventive, warm-hearted adventure with a strong thread of engineering and ideas, and this Blue Peter Book Award winner combines a gripping mystery, a brave and clever heroine, and genuine emotional weight around grief and hope. There is peril and the ache of bereavement, handled with care and never overwhelming the adventure. For a nine- to twelve-year-old who likes their fantasy with a mechanical, inventive streak and their heroines resourceful, it is a rich, satisfying read — imaginative, exciting and quietly moving — and a lovely choice for a child drawn to how things work as much as to magic. Hardy is a reliably excellent teller of big, warm, clever adventures.
If they like this, try these
Chosen by matching age, reading age, tone and subject — not by what is selling.
The Last WildPiers Torday
BrightstormVashti Hardy
DarkwhispersVashti Hardy
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated RodentsTerry Pratchett
A Pinch of MagicMichelle Harrison
Or let them write their own.
Nothing gets a child reading like a story they invented themselves. Your child plans the characters and the plot, and we write, illustrate and print it as a real book with their name on the cover as the author.
Find another book
Tell us the age, the reading age and what they like, and we will suggest a handful.