The Moonlight Statue (The Hounds of Penhallow Hall) by Holly Webb and Jason Cockcroft

The Moonlight Statue (The Hounds of Penhallow Hall) by Holly Webb and Jason Cockcroft
Buy The Moonlight Statue (The Hounds of Penhallow Hall) by Holly Webb and Jason Cockcroft at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Confident readers
Reviewer: Ruth Ng
Summary: This engaging, exciting read is full of ghostly mysteries and nighttime adventures.
Buy? yes	Borrow? yes
Pages: 192	Date: February 2017
Publisher: Stripes Publishing
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 9781847156600
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When Polly and her mum move to Penhallow Hall Polly hopes that it will be an escape from the continual reminders that her dad, who died, is no longer with them. With her mum's new job at the hall comes a fresh start for both of them. Polly, however, is left to her own devices a lot of the time, feeling lonely as she's wandering around the hall and grounds during the summer holidays. She had previously been sleepwalking in her old house, so she's worried when she finds herself wandering the grounds during the night, and when she sees one of the stone statues of a dog come to life, she is unsure if she is awake or dreaming! How does this mysterious dog come to life? And why are there canine guardians for the children of Penhallow Hall?

This is a lovely chapter book, probably aimed at those around eight to ten years old, although I suspect younger readers would also enjoy it as a bedtime story, and older readers might also enjoy the mystery and adventure, and the magical dogs of the story. There are pictures throughout, which is lovely as so often older readers are expected to do without any illustrations in their books. The pictures add charm, and I'm sure will help to engage slightly more reluctant readers, giving a lovely representation of all the characters, and the animals, in the story. I particularly liked Rex the dog's expressive features, and also a sweet picture of Rex and Polly running along the beach together.

The story is intriguing and as you read you wonder what on earth is going on, and if Polly is actually awake when she's having her adventures with Rex. There is also a ghostly character who appears, but there isn't anything too frightening about him, so nervous readers needn't be worried. The mystery of who this ghost is captures Polly's imagination, and is an intriguing part of the book. There are obviously some magical, supernatural things going on at Penhallow Hall, and my only frustration with the book was that things weren't really explained, and I felt that as I finished the story I had more questions than answers! I suppose this pushes readers on to want to read the next book in the series, but it was a little frustrating to feel quite so in the dark about everything.

Polly is a good character, and it's interesting to see how she is coping with her grief about her father, the effects of this on her relationship with her mother, and her growing friendship with Rex the magical stone dog. There is a little of what is often referred to as 'mild peril', but I don't think it was anything too much for bedtimes, and leans more towards action and adventure than scariness. It's a well-written story, and combines lots of different engaging aspects such as mystery, action, history and family drama. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next in the series!

Further reading suggestion: For more adventurous stories you might also enjoy The Mummy Snatcher of Memphis: A Kit Salter Adventure by Natasha Narayan or The Queen Must Die (Chronicles of the Tempus) by K A S Quinn.

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You can read more book reviews or buy The Moonlight Statue (The Hounds of Penhallow Hall) by Holly Webb and Jason Cockcroft at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy The Moonlight Statue (The Hounds of Penhallow Hall) by Holly Webb and Jason Cockcroft at Amazon.com.

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