The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book II - by Maryrose Wood (Paperback)

About the Book

Fifteen-year-old Miss Penelope Lumley, a governess trained at the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, takes the three Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place to London, England, and learns they are under a curse.

Book Synopsis

The second book in the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place--the acclaimed and hilarious Victorian mystery series by Maryrose Wood, perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket and Trenton Lee Stewart--has a brand-new look.

Thanks to their plucky governess, Miss Penelope Lumley, Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia are much more like children than wolf cubs now. They are accustomed to wearing clothes. They hardly ever howl at the moon. And for the most part, they resist the urge to chase squirrels up trees.

Yet the Incorrigibles are not entirely civilized, and still managed to ruin Lady Constance's Christmas ball, nearly destroying the grand house. So while Ashton Place is being restored, Penelope, the Ashtons, and the children take up residence in London. As they explore the city, Penelope and the Incorrigibles discover more about themselves as clues about the children's--and Penelope's own--mysterious past crop up in the most unexpected ways....

From the Back Cover

Of especially naughty children, it is sometimes said: "They must have been raised by wolves." The Incorrigible children actually were.

Thanks to their plucky governess, Penelope Lumley, Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia are much more like children than wolf cubs now. They are accustomed to wearing clothes. They hardly ever howl at the moon. And for the most part, they resist the urge to chase squirrels up trees.

Yet the Incorrigibles are not entirely civilized, and still managed to ruin Lady Constance's Christmas ball, nearly destroying the grand house. So while Ashton Place is being restored, Penelope, the Ashtons, and the children take up residence in London. As they explore the city, Penelope and the Incorrigibles discover more about themselves as clues about the children's--and Penelope's own--mysterious past crop up in the most unexpected ways. . . .

Review Quotes

Praise for BOOK I: THE MYSTERIOUS HOWLING "It's the best beginning since The Bad Beginning (1999) [by Lemony Snicket] and will leave readers howling for the next episode." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Praise for BOOK I: THE MYSTERIOUS HOWLING "Jane Eyre meets Lemony Snicket in this smart, surprising satire of a 19th-century English governess story. Humorous antics and a climactic cliff-hanger ending will keep children turning pages and clamoring for the next volume, while more sophisticated readers will take away much more. Frequent plate-sized illustrations add wit and period flair." - School Library Journal (starred review)
Praise for BOOK I: THE MYSTERIOUS HOWLING "How hearty and delicious...Smartly written with a middle-grade audience in mind, this is both fun and sprinkled with dollops of wisdom (thank you, Agatha Swanburne). How will it all turn out? Appetites whetted." - Booklist (starred review)
Praise for BOOK I: THE MYSTERIOUS HOWLING "With a Snicketesque affect, Wood's narrative propels the drama...pervasive humor and unanswered questions should have readers begging for more." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Praise for BOOK I: THE MYSTERIOUS HOWLING "Every newspaper and website in America is going to tell you that The Mysterious Howling will leave you HOWLING FOR MORE! So I'm not going to say that. But it's really good." - Adam Rex, author of THE TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY
"[A] madcap sequel. Great fun, and it wouldn't be optoomuchstic to expect more to come." - Kirkus Reviews
"The undercurrent of "something wicked this way comes" and the signs of impending trouble for both governess and charges make the air here thick with (dreadful!) possibilities. Questions about the children's backgrounds, Penelope's connections to them, and Lord Ashton's own wolfish behavior set the stage for the next act of this most excellent adventure." - Booklist (starred review)
"Another series of uproarious escapades. fans of the first book will be happy to go along for the madcap ride." - School Library Journal