Incorrigibles

I mentioned a while back that we were enjoying greatly a book series that friends of ours got us onto, The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood. We finished the first book, The Mysterious Howling, and loved it so much we moved right into the second, The Hidden Gallery. We're all so happy that there are six books in the series because it is always a shame when a book you love ends and that's all there is.

I don't want to give away too many of the secrets, but essentially there stories are about three children, their governess, Miss Penelope Lumley, and Lord and Lady Ashton who have taken the children in. The best thing about them is that they are laugh out loud funny. In the chapter I read today, I actually had to pause a couple of times for people to get quiet again so I could continue reading. 

The second best thing about them is that amidst all the fun, they are actually educational. A fact of which Miss Penelope Lumley, a graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, would approve. Yesterday's chapter opened with a brief explanation of the Peloponnesian War. Now, if your children have not spent the past year studying Ancient Greece, do not worry, they will still enjoy these books, but if they have, it will further enhance their enjoyment. They will embrace sentences such as, "Now, unless one has been told by one's governess to write an essay on the subject, the causes and consequences of a war that has been over for thousands of years is unlikely to be a topic of dinner table conversation." Mainly because have had conversations about Ancient Greece history at the dinner table. And they will appreciate the efforts of the incorrigible children to make triremes out of various substances at hand, including the ferns in the entryway. 

The third best thing about these books are the pithy sayings of Agatha Swanburne, founder of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females which are sprinkled throughout the books. Today's was one of my favorites so far, "You're not where you were, and you're not where you're going. You're here, so pay attention!" 

The fourth best thing is that they are just good fun to read aloud. What's not to like about a book that's smart, funny, campy (in a good way), over-the-top characters, and a bit a slapstick? They are just plain fun, and you should read them to your children, or find children to read them to. I'm quite sure they are better with and audience laughing with you.