How did one prickly, imperious schoolgirl—not particularly fond of children—become London’s most original nanny?  Well Marabel by Barbara Wade Rose is an interesting book which both children and those young at heart will love reading.

The Great War is over, but Marabel’s father still has not come home. Soon to graduate from her mother’s School for White-Blouse Professions in London, Marabel misses him dearly. Otherwise her ambition is to become a country postmistress where she need not deal with other people.

Then the King sends her on a quest. Her mother gives her a magic heirloom and Marabel—dragging her 10-year-old brother Thomas with her—flies through time and space to retrieve the soldier who won the Great War’s greatest medal. She is to bring him to a royal celebration at Stonehenge—in only two weeks!

So many monarchs to contend with: the King wants Marabel to bring back storied legends to help him celebrate. King Cobra from the London Zoo wants Marabel to free the animals. Angus the West Highland terrier wants to dethrone King Cobra and become King of the Beasts. And handsome artist Bharat Gupta wants to save Marabel from the mystery man following them.

* But why is her father hiding the unknown soldier behind the medal?
* And how do Marabel and Bharat end up on trial for treason?

What she learns and how she comes of age makes Marabel leave behind the tedium of sorting other peoples’ letters to become a prickly, imperious—and magical—nanny.

What did my 12-year-old daughter think of it?

I thought that Marabel was a really good book. I liked the adventures that she goes on and the author, Barbara Wade Rose’s imaginative ideas.  When I first read the book, I was a little confused as the book went suddenly from the Newgate Prison to School.  I don’t think she did that bit of the transition well or explaining more about who Lillian or Ruth are.

But as a whole, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading the book.  I loved how Marabel could talk to animals and fly with her bee brooch, when she had it pinned on her.

I was so fascinated that I found it hard to put the book down and kept reading it.  This book was perfect and I absolutely loved it.

There are also beautifully sketched pictures to show some of the characters and things in the book which made the book interesting. I would recommend young reader to get a copy of this book as it is a good book.

How much is the book and where can you buy it?

The paperback copy of the book retails for £6.77 while the Kindle copy retails for £4.21.  You can purchase a copy from Amazon here.  Please check the latest price on the website as this may change.

About the Book

Title: Marabel
Author: Barbara Wade Rose
Publisher: Prestel Junior
ISBN: 978-1777626907
Pages: 262
Dimensions: 6 x 0.66 x 9 inches

About the Author

Barbara Wade Rose is an award-winning writer and author who lives in Canada. MARABEL has been called “a tale of sheer delight” by bestselling author Barbara Kyle, and a “marvelous hodgepodge of ideas” by Kirkus Reviews. She is also the author of THE PRIEST, THE WITCH & THE POLTERGEIST, which is based on the true story of the 1851 French poltergeist and the trial that resulted. She is a former correspondent for Maclean’s magazine as well as winner of the Magazines Canada Award and the Science in Society Journalism Award.

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*We were given a copy of the book in return for a feature. All opinions are our own.