I really enjoyed this short book. The narrative style was different to a lot of children's books that I have read recently, and I thought it was a good choice for the story.
Clementine was a lovely protagonist who I instantly felt a connection with.
Her Aunt and Uncle were some of the vilest villains I have read (great for the story line!), and this helped to add suspense and tension to the plot.
I thought the story had a really beautiful ending, and it kept me entertained and interested all the way through.
A great read!

Thanks to Chris Wormell, David Fickling Books and NetGalley for the advance review copy go The Magic Place.

Well what an unexpected treat this was! My daughter is 7 and we absolutely love reading books together before bed, reading a page each and sharing the experience. This book is perfect for that. It is written in an incredibly engaging way that just begs to be read aloud, asking questions, encouraging participation and leaving both children (and the grown ups!) keen to find out what happens next.

In the Magic Place we meet Clementine, a young girl who is living with her evil Aunt and Uncle, where she is trapped in the cellar and forced to cook and clean for them. Her only happiness comes when she puts her head into the old fireplace and looks up - seeing the little square of sky above her house. When she lets herself dream of freedom - she pictures a land full of greenery and blue skies - 'the magic place', and hopes one day to find it. When one day she finds the opportunity to escape, her and her beloved cat venture off to try and find the Magic Place once and for all.

The chapters In The Magic Place are short and manageable (so you can read a few together in one sitting) and the book has beautiful illustrations throughout that really help bring the story to life. We very much found ourselves saying "one more chapter' because we were urged to keep on reading. Overall a really lovely story of hope, friendship and never giving up!

4/5

I am passionate about reading books aloud and this book is made just for that. It is an extraordinary book which combines great narrative with utterly stunning illustrations and both directly addresses the reader and uses the illustrations to engage and ask questions. The evil characters are just that and all children and those readers who are still young at heart will watch with glee as the story unfolds. The author is able to change mood and pace effortlessly and this makes the book a joy on so many levels. I am looking forward enormously to reading it aloud again as soon as possible.

With enormous thanks to the publisher ame NetGalley for a magical afternoon of reading.

The Magic Place is a beautiful book about hope and the search for home. Words and illustrations work together to tell this tale and I love how intertwined they are, working together in a way that feels fresh and original. Chris Wormell breaks the fourth wall by not only talking to the reader, but also by using the text to point out and reveal details within the illustrations. I’ve never seen text and picture used in such an integrated way and I really enjoyed how they worked together to tell the story.

Clementine has never known life outside of the cellar that she lives in. Treated appallingly by her guardians, her wicked aunt and uncle, she dreams of a magic place far removed from her windowless world. With the help of her only friend, a cat called Gilbert, she embarks on the adventure of a life time. Will she ever escape the evil clutches of her carers or is she destined to remain in the dark forever?

The story has a Dahl-esque quality to it and reminded me of The Twits. It would be a great story to share aloud. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.