Description
The biggest children's book of the year! The Midwatch is the long-awaited new middle-grade novel from internationally bestselling author–illustrator Judith Rossell, creator of the multi-award-winning novel Withering-by-Sea.
‘The city was stuffed full of wickedness, everyone knew that …’
Banished to the Midwatch Institute for Orphans, Runaways and Unwanted Girls, Maggie Fishbone is sure she’s in for a life of drudgery. But she quickly discovers there’s more to the Midwatch than meets the eye …
The city shimmers with jewels and secrets, and soon Maggie is thrust into an adventure that takes her deep underground, high above the clouds and face to face with danger itself.
Turn the page and prepare to be drawn into a lavishly illustrated world, brimming with mystery, unlikely heroines and an adventure as big as the sky.
Review
When Maggie is taken to the Midwatch Institute for Orphans by Sister Immaculata, she expects it to be horrible - and her first impressions seem to be correct. There are girls marching with sad faces and dreary uniforms and sad, boring music playing somewhere.
But all is not as it seems and as soon as Sister Immaculata leaves, Maggie discovers that the Midwatch is really a wonderful school that expects its students to learn really useful things. Things like observing, hiding, Morse code, fixing machinery, tying knots, safe cracking and building things. All so that they can
keep the city safe from the bad guys. Miss Mandelay, the headmistress, believes that all girls are underestimated and that they can achieve anything if they make good decisions and keep their eyes open.
Maggie quickly makes friends and the girls are soon helping to solve the mystery of the night monster who is terrorising the city, as well as searching for clues into the disappearance of a missing woman.
But can a group of school girls keep their city safe?
This is a rollicking adventure and mystery that has surprises on every page. Judith Rossell has again created an amazing world that you will easily get lost in. Maggie and her classmates are smart, funny and full of life and the Institute has such brilliant classes!
A fast-paced and thrilling story that is sure to be a firm favorite, as the girls prove that they are not to be underestimated, and that friendship and trust and determination can overcome even the most scary situations.
I absolutely loved this book and it will suit curious minds, 10 years and older.
