Maria's Italian Spring

Mr Copplestone & The Smiths #8

by Gillian Avery

When Maria's uncle and guardian dies, her uncle's scholarly cousin whisks her away to Italy, where she befriends the mischievous Cordelia and discovers the hidden marvels of Italy.

Genres: Adventure

265 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Gillian Elise Avery was a British children's novelist, and a historian of childhood education and children's literature. She won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize in 1972 for A Likely Lad. It was adapted for television in 1990.

Reviews

[Melanie Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not, perhaps, as good as 'The Warden's Niece', but still charming. I did feel rather frustrated by Maria's prolonged episodes of 'reclusiveness' when she could have been exploring Italy more, but I enjoyed the ending of the book. The characterisation is strong in this book, as in 'The Warden's Niece'.

[Janet Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember all these books with nostalgia and warm fuzzy feelings. A favourite author.