Description
A heartfelt story of one girl's determination to save her beloved home and the lyrical companion tale to The Heartsong of Wonder Quinn.
When Melodie Rose is abandoned on the doorstep of Direleafe Hall, she realises she must be a ghost. Strangely, she is not sad. With the three other ghostly girls who haunt the school and a gloomy crow on her shoulder, Melodie has never felt more at peace. Finally there is a place for her to call home.
So when a lady in white arrives with plans to flatten her beloved school, Melodie Rose must act fast to save all she holds dear. But what can one powerless ghost do?
The Ballad of Melodie Rose is a life-affirming tale of belonging, being brave and being seen.
Review
Melodie Rose is a character that you will absolutely love. And whilst this book is a companion to the wonderful story The Heartsong of Wonder Quinn it is also very much a stand alone title.
After she finds herself abandoned on the steps of Direleafe Hall, Melodie Rose finds herself in a difficult and confusing situation. She is convinced that she is a ghost. How else could she explain the fact that she can see the three ghosts, Florence, Lucy and Nell, that inhabit the run down school, and that they can see her? But then how can Ms Gallow, who runs Direleafe Hall, and is her Grandmother, see her too?
Memories of her life with her Mum and Dad, and how she came to be at Direleafe Hall start to emerge. And although she feels safe there, the thoughts of her own family and what really happened play more and more on her mind. But things are about to change, when the lady in white buys the run down school and plans to demolish it. Melodie Rose knows that she cannot let this happen, as her very being and that of her ghost friends depend on it.
With the help of the wise and mysterious Hollowbeak the crow, Melodie Rose and her friends are determined to save their home. But of course, not all plans work out, and Melodie Rose must delve deep into who she really is if she is to save the school.
This is a wonderful story of finding the true you, and having the courage to do it. It has wonderful characters and relationships, and it will be thoroughly enjoyed by middle to upper primary school students.
Reviewed by Sam
