The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (Unicorn S.) | Joan Aiken, Pat Marriott

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (Unicorn S.) | Joan Aiken, Pat Marriott | Beginner Gothic

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The Wolves of Will...

	The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (Unicorn S.) Joan Aiken, Pat Marriott, 1975 - 160 pages average customer review:based on 64 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Wicked wolves and a grim governess threaten Bonnie and her cousin Sylvia when Bonnie's parents leave Willoughby Chase for a sea voyage. Left in the care of the cruel Miss Slighcarp, the girls can hardly believe what is happening to their once happy home. The servants are dismissed, the furniture is sold, and Bonnie and Sylvia are sent to a prison-like orphan school. It seems as if the endless hours of drudgery will never cease.

With the help of Simon the gooseboy and his flock, they escape. But how will they ever get Willoughby Chase free from the clutches of the evil Miss Slighcarp?

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An old favorite

I thought that I had never read this book, until I remembered details of gooseboy Simon's pressing a key into clay to aid the girls escape from a cruel boarding school. How I loved that passage! I remembered nearly nothing of the rest of the book, so I'm glad I (re)read it. Sylvia and Bonnie are left on their own in England as their vile governess plots to make off with all their money! The wolves are scarier and more omnipresent than I remembered. In many ways, this is a book about fasting and feasting, as the girls have food taken away as punishment, but later enjoy heaps of nutritious, filling fare provided by kind strangers. A great story and one I'll have to remember to recommend to Lemony Snicket aficionados.

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Beginner Gothic

This was a read aloud to my kids and they loved hearing the story of Sylvia and Bonnie in this misty, cold, wolf filled land in England.

A gothic sort of tale, it is full of impending danger. When news arrives that Bonnie's parents have died at sea, wicked Miss Slighcarp sends the girls off to a squalid orphanage where they are starved and ill treated. Miss Slighcarp with the help of Mr. Grimshaw is determined to take over the estate, Willoughby Chase and removes all the faithful servants.

My children loved to hate the villains and shuddered at the cold, snowy nights filled with howling wolves.
A great read aloud with lots of great characters and suspense.

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The Good Will Overcome Evil

Bonnie and Sylvia are taken from their loving home and forced to fight off wolves and survive the cruel treatment of their governess in Joan Aiken's "The Wolves of Willoughby Chase" (Yearling/Dell, 1962). In this story the girls set out to escape a prison like orphanage and recover what was stolen from them, their home, Willoughby Chase. Ms. Sighcarp, a distant cousin and evil governess, get rid of the girls and turns their home into a school for the nobility, but eventually, Ms. Slighcarp and her cohorts are apprehended and jailed for their ill treatment of Bonnie and Sylvia. The language is a little old fashioned and the story begins a bit slowly, but soon becomes a page turner, tempting the reader to keep reading. Bonnie and Sylvia learn to use their wits and strength to overcome the obstacles forced on them. "The Wolves of Willoughby Chase," is truely a timeless classic with a surpise twist at the end, definately a must read.

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A Classic Read

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase is the story of two young, precocious girls in a battle of good versus evil. Bonnie Green had grown up in the privileged upbringing of Willoughby Chase Manor, surrounded by every toy imaginable, doting parents, and loving caretakers. Bonnie was over the moon with anticipation of the arrival of her cousin, Sylvia Green, an orphan whose ailing aunt could no longer care for her. After Mr. and Mrs. Green set out on a cruise around the world, leaving the mysterious Miss Slighcarp in charge of the estate, and as governess of the two sweet girls, Bonnie and Sylvia watch in horror as the nasty governess sells the furniture, dismisses the servants, and ships the girls off to a cruel school for orphans, transforming the once warm and welcoming Willoughby Chase to a dark, scary place. With the help of Simon, a young goose seller, the girls escape from their confinement and begin the battle across England to reclaim their home.

Joan Aiken presents a classic story of bravery and battle. The story is sure to excite the imaginations of young readers as they explore the surroundings of the enchanting Willoughby Chase, the frightening orphan school, the cave of goose boy Simon, and the children's three month trek across England. The formal language of the text could be a tough start for some readers, but once they have acclimated to the historical setting, they will be rewarded with a story in which the language, characters, and stark ink sketched drawings will sweep them back in time and along the journey in which good triumphs over evil and having a pure heart leads to victory.

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John Grady

The best childrens book I have ever read... I was an elementary School Teacher and I read 26. once a year times and still found it a spellbinder. Years go by and when I meet the now grown ups still talk about this book. I suggest that an adult read yhe book to the children..

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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