Tower of London

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The Great Phoenix of London by Lindsay Galvin

Chicken House, 978191026972

If you are a fan of historical novels, especially authors such as Emma Carroll, then you have hopefully already become a fan of Lindsay Galvin.  Her previous novels have mixed history with adventure in a way that both educates and enthralls the reader.  As an adult who grew up with authors such as Rosemary Sutcliff, Cynthia Harnett and Leon Garfield, I am so delighted to see such a resurgence in high quality historical novels for MG children.

With this new book, the author has taken us to London in the year 1666, which as most readers will know means that great and terrible things have happened; with the Great Plague of the previous year, and now, just when the population is hoping for a more settled life, things are about to take an even more perilous turn.

The hero, Gil, is visiting his grandparents in Pudding Lane when a fire starts at a business further down the street and rapidly gets out of hand.  As the family have to evacuate the house, Gil’s young cousin Roly insists on bringing a mysterious stone, that had fallen from the sky, during a storm two years previously.  But something magical happens when the ‘stone’ splits open, showing that it is the egg for a small bird; the problem is that the bird seems to grow at a phenomenal rate and has a very odd diet of cinders, candles and other fire associated things.  As Gil’s grandmother and cousin head towards the Tower of London and the eastern part of the city, he and his grandfather (with the bird) decide to make for Gil’s home, close to St Paul’s Cathedral.  the river seems to be the safest option, but finding a boat is far from easy.  Eventually his grandfather is taken aboard a friend’s boat, but Gil and the boatman’s granddaughter Linnet have to make their way through the panicking city.  The two young people face a multitude of dangers, from both nature and the scared inhabitants around them and the fire loving bird is not really helping them.  The story follows the children as they overcome prejudice, fire and a mysterious character who tries to kidnap their bird for King Charles II.  the story is told chronologically and we follow the action as the flames spread over the days, always at the mercy of the wind direction.

Lindsay Galvin has once again crafted a brilliant adventure story that weaves historical accuracy and also manages to give us the feel of  17th century London, with its crowded and dirty streets,  fear of invasion by the French or Dutch  and the underlying mistrust of those who might be Catholics or foreigners at least.  I love the way that the author has included several well-know characters from the period, so we see the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Thomas Bloodworth, who did not do well and also the diarist Samuel Pepys, who was much more pro-active and involved in trying to save areas of the city.  We also get the fact that the many bookshops and printers near to St Paul’s did store their stock in the crypt, only for the fire to find a way inside and destroy almost everything.

This author really does go from strength to strength, not only with her historical accuracy, but also with the emotions that she portrays in her characters.  Whilst the majority of young readers will read this because of the action and excitement, the book will also prove a favourite for KS2 teachers who are covering the events of 1665 and 1666.  What a fabulous book, this really does deserve five stars and a place on my favourites list for the year.

Lindsay Galvin is a full-time author and scriptwriter fascinated by history, the natural world, myth, and psychology. Her first middle grade book — word of mouth bestseller Darwin’s Dragons — has been published across the world and is commonly read in British classrooms. She presents lively book events for all ages, calling on 20 years teaching experience. When not working, she enjoys long shore-side dog walks with her family, and the occasional sea swim.

Find out more at lindsaygalvin.com and follow on Twitter: @lindsaygalvin.

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The Tigers in the Tower by Julia Golding

This wonderful story is set in the early part of the 19th century, 1830 to be precise; at a time when Britain was at the centre of an ever growing  empire.  This story highlights the many changes that society was going through; moving away from the excesses of the Georgian period and into a time of exploration, science and a greater understanding of the natural world.

It is the really heart wrenching story of a young girl coming to terms with a new country, the loss of parents and caring for the animals in her charge.  Sahira Clive, is the daughter of an English father and India mother, both of whom died on the journey from India, so that it is left to Sahira to deliver two tigers to the Tower of London menagerie.  However as a twelve year old girl in a foreign land she finds herself at the mercy of the adults around her and is sent to an orphanage in the East End, having been told that her father’s  wealthy family do not wish to acknowledge her.  Sahira finds her life still entwined with the two tigers, Rama and Sita, as they have problems settling into their new quarters.  However she finds that as an outsider she is subject to bullying and verbal abuse as a minimum.  Whilst helping out at the menagerie she comes into contact with young Bobby Peel, the son of the Home Secretary Sir Robert Peel and through him she discovers a young cousin and the rest of her family.

The author has produced a wonderful story that combines brilliant story telling, strong characters and a real sense of history.  Not only are the historical facts accurate but they give us a true sense of the deep poverty that existed in the country at this time, alongside immense wealth, as well as the way the poor were treated as being almost less that human.  This is a really multi-layered story in which we see themes around racism, class, women’s rights (or rather the lack of), animal welfare and law and order all playing a part.  Not only is this a tremendous adventure story but it has a wonderfully strong central character in Sahira; she is determined to do her best for the animals in her charge and increase the understanding of how we should look after the animals around us.  She is also a person who has to fight against  various forms of prejudice and make people accept her for the amazing character that she is.

Julia Golding has been writing books for young people for the last 15 plus years and I have been enjoying them since the beginning.  She is best known for two of her series; firstly there is the Companions series which mixes Greek mythology with magic in the modern world, then we have the ‘Cat Royal’ series which follow the adventures of a young girl in 18th century London and beyond. She has also written for younger teens  and I particularly enjoyed the ‘Dragonfly’ series.  Julia has led a fascinating life having worked in the Civil Service in the UK and in Poland.  She then undertook a PhD in English about the ‘English Romantic Period’ at Oxford before becoming a lobbyist for Oxfam.  She now writes full time and I am delighted to say that she still lives in Oxford (my home city) with her family.