I'm sorry I'm not able to leave a review either way for this book due to the device I had the audiobook on breaking and me having to do a factory reset which wiped it clean of this audiobook. I apologise and have given it a midle 3 star rating, and apologies also for write a review of this as the netgalley option of 'not giving feedback' leaves my feedback ratio low and so I need to 'review' this in order to raise it back up, though if I ever get a hold of the book in future I will review it. Thank you and so sorry.

Really enjoyed this book. I'm not a fan of audio books so it did very well to keep me listening the whole way through. Great storyline. Perfect for Yr5 abd 6

Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook advanced readers copy of The Valley of Lost Secrets by Lesley Parr.

A great, heartwarming story set in the midst of World War 2. I enjoyed the protagonist and that made the story an easy listen.

The narrator was fantastic, giving a showcase of different voices and accents. The narration was really immersive and gave the story an extra depth.

I would love to bring this audiobook to the classroom, I think it would be perfect for my students.

As a child who grew up on Famous Five, this book was like reliving those days.
This book felt magical without being set in a fantasy realm and was such a heart-warming depiction of life as an evacuee.
Following 2 brothers as they leave London behind to escape the war, they discover a very different world when they are sent to the Valleys of Wales. There they make new friends and help to uncover a secret that has been hidden for many years.
As a story, beautiful as an audiobook even better. The Narrator brought so much life to the characters with a flawless quick changing accent and left me with a much improved knowledge of Welsh pronunciation.

Such a lovely listen. Really enjoyed it and would use with KS2 children. A great one for World War 2 topic. I loved how the characters opened up and got lost in this children's story.

I loved this book when I first read it and this audio version does not disappoint. It is read in a way to be incredibly listenable. Perfect for bedtime relaxation, long car journeys or any other time. Brilliant story from a master storyteller.

This is a fabulous listen, with a narrator that's likable, rounded characters and a great storyline. Such a beautiful book.

This was an enjoyable, easy listen. I loved the narrator and the voices they added for the characters. The characters and their relationships with one another was a real strength of this book, really beautifully done!

I think this was a pretty good debut, but overall the story was a bit slow and I was uncertain at what age group the book was aiming at and that thought kept me occupied.

I liked the relationship between the brothers, loved the two mysteries, and love how the setting was evoked. So all in all a good debut and I shall look out for more books by the author in the future.

The narration of this audio book was immersive and engaging. I loved listening to this version and was enthralled with his voices and pronunciation.

Set in WW2, this story reflects the experiences of evacuees who travel to a Welsh village from London.
It supports KS2 teaching about evacuation and WW2 and will sensitively support this topic. I can see this easily joining the war time classics that children currently read. Lesley Parr delicately develops the uncertainty that the evacuees experience. Friendships from London are questioned and tested and new relationships are formed. Jimmy soon makes a shocking discovery. The mystery involves a human skeleton which readers may need to be aware of but I am sure many upper Key Stage 2 children would be able to cope with this storyline. I will definitely recommend this book to children in school and look forward to adding it to my class library.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC of this audio book.

The narration in this was absolutely fab and I felt immersed into this book as soon as it started! The range of voices and accents were executed brilliantly by the narrator and really added to a great overall listening experience. He’s a really great actor and it really reflects in the narration and it really brought the book alive. .

This book had such a lovely feel and I absolutely adored it. It was written so well and it was one of those books that you didn’t want to end. It was such a beautiful read!

Immediately you start rooting for the evacuees, Ronnie and Jimmy. I can only imagine how hard it would have been for some evacuees to acclimatise to such a change - it was represented very well in the writing.

I love reading books in this era, as they have the potential to feel so heartwarming and immersive and this was definitely one of those books.

Would definitely recommend this one, it’s perfect for younger audiences (and older ones like me!) and I enjoyed it just the same. It was brilliant! I would like to give this one 6 stars out of 5 please!!

Such a wonderful book, full of imagination.

A book about three children and wartime evacuation, with loss, compassion, joy and giggles..
recommended for anyone, child and adult alike.
A fuller review to come.

I chose the audio version with my difficult readers in mind and I loved every minute! I couldn't 'put this book down' so ended up listening to all of it in one day. Travelling with Jimmy and Ronnie through their evacuation journey was a pleasure. Yes, there were trials and tribulations along the way, but they both experienced events which would help to see them grow into strong, empathic adults. Loved all of the characters. Amazing story which would also support any WW2 topic!

Though aimed at a younger audience I enjoyed this audiobook, thank you Netgalley and publisher for a copy in exchange for my review. In some ways it took me back to my childhood days of reading Carrie’s War and even Stig of the Dump. I thought the adult narrator did a good job of narrating a pre-adolescent boy’s part. It was a little slow in plot, but the character development and setting made up for it.

I loved this tome!I can think of so many ways I could use this in class from using it as a text about evacuees in the 2nd World War as well as looking as PSHE and the fact that these displayed children were bullied and called names like VAcees-which is reminiscent of racist name calling now.
This is a wonderful and engrossing tale of the past and I have enjoyed it thoroughly and would highly recommend its use in the classr

I read this, or rather listened to it as it was an audio book, through NetGalley , and I requested it as a key stage 2 teacher and history lover. I have already recommended this as a class reader to a colleague who covers WW2 as part of the history curriculum as I was so taken by it.
Although set in WW2, and the central story being about evacuees going from London to a pit village in Wales, lots of the themes, such as belonging, prejudice, friendship, family, are universal to any setting.
I loved the writer’s use of many of the features teachers like to pick out and discuss- such as simile and inference- so much to work with beyond being read as a great narrative.
Due to the nature of some of the events in the book, I would suggest it is most suited to upper key stage 2, or lower key stage 3. An exciting new addition to the junior historical novel genre.

Where to begin! I loved this audio book. It tackles the story of two evacuees during the second world war, having been taken from London and sent to rural wales.

I loved the way the story is related, whilst we get to know the characters, the story of the secret in the valley is unveiled.

The characterisation is rich and compelling. I was genuinely disappointed when the booked ended , as I felt I would hear from these characters again! It felt like I was losing old friends.

The narrator handled the different voices and accents very well, considering there was such a range of adults and young and older children, from Wales, London and some with "posh" accents too. All were dealt with really well, without being caricatures or overdone.

The sensitivity of these children being taken from their homes and placed with strangers was handled really well, and I loved the fact that it is highlighted how for some of these children, the move was good one. The experience is different for all of the individuals, but for Jimmy and Ronny
it is terrible to leave their family, and their acceptance of their position is slow to come.

The slow build of tension is great, and we learn more of the valley's secrets, and the final part of the story, where the past is mirrored in the present is beautifully portayed. And of course there is a happy ending!

This is one of those stories that never leave you, there is so much to say about it that I feel I could write another book, just about my positivity for this one! Please read or listen to it- it's fabulous.

I admit I wasn’t overly excited about another WW2 evacuation story. I felt the market was oversaturated...How wrong I was!

It had themes of migration, brothers, bullying, acceptance and discrimination and excellently woven into the story. Nice humour that non native speakers can understand and the most epic jaw dropping story line. It was superb.

Absolutely glorious. One of those books that will sit in your heart for a life time. I feel like shouting about this one from the roof tops. Read it! Years ago I read Carrie’s War and I remember exactly how it made me feel, part of an adventure, just the right kind of scared, with characters totally alive to me. I have also taught primary school children about evacuees and know how fascinated they are about the history and how they love stories set in this period. This will have universal appeal. I listened to this on audiobook and was immediately conscious of that unique warmth which comes over you when you know you are going to be part of a wonderful story. This is the story of Jimmy and Ronnie who are evacuated to Wales from their home in London. Jimmy is the older brother, resentful and awkward, refusing to settle yet wondering how everyone else is able to fit in so easily. Ronnie is the loveable youngster who immediately takes his new family, the Thomases, to his heart yet is haunted by nightmares of the war. The evacuees are not universally welcomed and the children become aware of secrets and simmering resentments. The narrator, Lestyn Arwel is quite simply perfect. He totally embodies the persona of Jimmy - his unhappiness at having to leave London and determination not to settle in, his overwhelming love for his little brother. At the same time Arwel brings the whole cast to life, giving each a unique voice. I felt the narration was so strong that it was like watching it. I absolutely loved this story. It has everything that a children’s story requires - adventure, good guys and bad guys, secrets, war. The characters are beautifully drawn - in particular Jimmy, Florence and Ronnie. Florence the little girl who was dirty and neglected in London, who is cared for, bathed and given a ribbon for her hair and becomes something of a hero, will capture everyone’s heart. Having read Goodnight Mr Tom and Carrie’s War I think that this is an excellent and worthy addition to evacuee fiction. Absolutely five stars from me. With thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury UK Audio for a digital copy of this amazing audiobook.

This was really well written and the snap shot of life in Wales was beautiful. The characters and the setting were spot on and lovely. The plot was quite slow though and my children would have got bored given up on it, (sorry). It has got an emotional ending, that's nice and adults who are nostalgic for an older style children's books will like it. Under Milk Wood meets Carrie's War.