I so enjoy reading really good children's literature and The Secret of the Knot Garden by Diana Harker did not disappoint.
Joanna is sent away from London to the village of Barton to live with the Ware-Gillows as it would bring her closer to her father who is a naval officer in Liverpool during WWII. She feels very alone but soon meets Dip and Tony from the village. They become friends in a worn torn English village. Joanne finds the stories of a ghost of a nun in the hall where she lives intriguing. The ghost is believed to be that of Colonel Sayer's daughter Alice who disappeared into thin air towards the end of the English Civil War 300 years ago.
Dip feels suspicious about Mr. Finch who has come to stay while searching for good grazing land in the marshes for the Ministry. When he decides to look into things an amazing discovery is stumbled on and possibly a Nazi plot with spies living among the villagers. He starts to go exploring along with Joanna and Tony. Will they find out if Alice's ghost is really roaming the village and Hall?
If you think you are too old for children's literature, you might want to think again and give this story a try. If you have children or grandchildren, it is an exciting read for them.
Happy reading!
Heidi
3 comments:
Yes, you don't have to have kids to be able to still enjoy children's literature. Through the years, I've collected all kinds of books for toddlers through high school age; there are so many wonderful authors from my own childhood yet many new ones as well. I have fond memories of my mother faithfully driving me to our community library from preschool days, fostering her love of reading in me (for which I'm so grateful although, unfortunately, I'm suffering a bit in terms of frustration right now with a cataract and early glaucoma, which is one of the things I wish I had NOT inherited from Mom, the frustration rooted in an inability to see as clearly and read for as long as I'm accustomed).
I've thought that some day I will donate my children's book collection to a library or maybe a transitional women's home which shelters single women and their kids they're trying to keep with them. I have a childless friend who was feeling left out during the Harry Potter craze, so she bought all the books and really enjoyed them.
I have an acquaintance in my age group (50s) who absolutely adores television animated cartoons on Saturday morning (her kids are grown). A guy I know loves to collect toy trains and little metal cars. I also have fun keeping Barbie alive as a member of the Barbie Fan Club; Mattel's Barbie Collector reproduces some of my Barbies from the early 1960s and it's been fun to get them and remember the sweet summer days of youth.
Another thing I indulge in is the children's board games (Monopoly, Mouse Trap, The Game of Life, etc.), not just of my babyboomer childhood but also more great ones being developed today. We kids used to spend so much time playing with a deck of cards, jacks and a ball (my brother with marbles), dominoes and checkers, Tinker toys, Lincoln logs. I think the child in our heart and soul keeps us grom getting too old!
Thanks for posting, Heidi; I like all your tips of a good read, adult or youthful fiction!
Fine day here today in West Coast U.S.A./Southern California; nearly 80 degrees (F), quite warm but a bit hazy, typical of this time of year. I bought vegetables to plant...cucumbers, squashes, bell peppers, lots of tomatoes and also some radishes. The home & garden or hardware stores are full of flowering plants and budding vegetable ones to buy. We are likely to get no further rain and the days will only get hotter now. I always look forward to growing a little of my own food. I'm mostly doing container gardening to avoid the critters, although my husband has planted spinach and beans in the ground this year.
Also looking forward as usual to your recipes. I think you and your husband eat very good, beautifully-presented and healthy meals.
You've been reading some great reads Heidi
YOU will never be too old for kids books. LOL
This one sounds good.
Love you, Mom
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