What do you think?
Rate this book
Eloise & the Bucket of Stars
Left in a pail at an orphanage as a baby, only something magical can save Eloise from a miserable life and give her the one she's always dreamed of.
Orphaned as a baby, Eloise Pail yearns for a family. Instead, she lives a lonely life trapped in an orphanage and made miserable by the cruel Sister Hortense. Befriended by the village blacksmith, Eloise soon uncovers some strange secrets of yesteryear and learns that something terrible may be about to happen to the village. As troubles and dangers mount, she must learn who to trust and choose between saving the village or belonging to a family of her own. Unless something truly magical happens...
Orphaned as a baby, Eloise Pail yearns for a family. Instead, she lives a lonely life trapped in an orphanage and made miserable by the cruel Sister Hortense. Befriended by the village blacksmith, Eloise soon uncovers some strange secrets of yesteryear and learns that something terrible may be about to happen to the village. As troubles and dangers mount, she must learn who to trust and choose between saving the village or belonging to a family of her own. Unless something truly magical happens...
- GenresMiddle GradeFantasy
240 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2020
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 27, 2020
Definitely a 3.5, but I'll scale up because I'm feeling generous
Ok first thing I want to say is this is kind of dark. Like, it made my 11 year old cry because Sister Hortense is so mean, dark. Imagine Ms Trunchbull but in a habit and instead of The Chokey, she has a Potter-esque cupboard of cleaning supplies. She is abusive and cruel to Eloise but so kind and nurturing to the other children and I couldn’t help but imagine her having a Jekyll and Hyde type accident in her younger years. There’s shoes that are too small, a suspension of lessons, endless hard labour, and a complete disregard for the wellbeing of her ward. The saddest part, she continuously reinforces the idea that Eloise is less than and doing the work of the devil despite allowing the other children to do THE SAME DAMN THINGS and there is no recourse. Also, apparently fairytales are the work of the Devil and how can you tell a child that their imagination makes them evil (for those who don’t know, I sell books in my work time so it’s literally my job to encourage kids to read).
Now Eloise is an exceptionally strong protagonist, who despite her apparent shortcomings, just wants to fit in and find a family/someone to love her; her interactions with the village blacksmith and his horse Dancy made me all gooey inside and all I could think the entire time was ‘why don’t YOU adopt her’ because he’s just so nice. She is determined to not only make a happy ending for herself but also to help out those around her. Although supposedly a problem child, she is more than willing to chip in whether it be helping the other kids get dressed or turning menial tasks into fun games so as the Littlies don’t get bored/in trouble. What I’m saying is, this kid has an endless amount of heart and I just wanted to reach into the pages and gently caress her hair while telling her everything is ok.
The secondary characters of the nuns have me a little bit in two minds. While the aforementioned Sister Hortense is the most horrible person ever, Sister Genevieve is the sweetest person you would ever meet. She attempts to sneak Eloise some time to just sit and listen to a story, sends her on errands she could perform herself so as to give her some time alone, and teaches her how to sew under the guise of perfectly good cushions needing repair. There’s also Sister Bernard who is stern but fair and sort of the middle ground in the trio of sisters. While being stern, she also seems to try to give Eloise a break when she can despite regularly being foiled by the ever present Hortense (even her name sounds mean, right?). But now I’m rambling.
The whole narrative seems a little meh until you realise that something else has to be going on behind the scenes. The ‘big reveal’ about Eloise’s presence at the orphanage, while passing very quickly, provides a welcome change to this novels rather dark story. The aftermath of this also allowed Brian’s latest entry to have a happy ending, or at least the reader can assume it is a happy ending. I loved the inclusion of the subplot about the unicorn – in a very dark narrative, it provided a glimmer of hope for everyone involved. It also allowed an outlet for Eloise’s despair, giving her something to work towards to distract her from her terrible home life.
I did however have an issue with one thing. The time seems to jump rather than flow logically. Sometimes it’s told day to day, other times it jumps a week into the future with no indication that it has. While this seems a small issue, it does disorientate on occasion and caused me to have to jump back in the text to work out how long had passed, stopping me from fully immersing myself in the narrative.
Also I just want to add in here that there are A LOT of references to God and faith. I understand it is an orphanage and they are looked after by nuns but the whole thing felt a little like religious education when the unicorn came. Kind of like Aslan sacrifices himself in Narnia (if you didn’t already know this happened, sorry, but those novels are like 70 years old)
Basically, this whole story is about hope and the need for children to feel like they belong. The language used within is appropriate for the 9+ age group but also doesn’t feel infantile for parents or older persons who wish to read it. The protagonist is a strong role model, never allowing the world to trample her spirit and battling through despite her hardships. While the nuns run the gamut of personalities, they filled the trope of ‘good cop, bad cop’ extremely well and gave a sense of balance within the orphanage. As I said at the start of this review, it is well worth a read whether you enjoy it or not.
Many thanks to Walker Books for providing me with an early reading copy. The opinions within are my own and have in no way been influenced by Walker or its affiliates.
Ok first thing I want to say is this is kind of dark. Like, it made my 11 year old cry because Sister Hortense is so mean, dark. Imagine Ms Trunchbull but in a habit and instead of The Chokey, she has a Potter-esque cupboard of cleaning supplies. She is abusive and cruel to Eloise but so kind and nurturing to the other children and I couldn’t help but imagine her having a Jekyll and Hyde type accident in her younger years. There’s shoes that are too small, a suspension of lessons, endless hard labour, and a complete disregard for the wellbeing of her ward. The saddest part, she continuously reinforces the idea that Eloise is less than and doing the work of the devil despite allowing the other children to do THE SAME DAMN THINGS and there is no recourse. Also, apparently fairytales are the work of the Devil and how can you tell a child that their imagination makes them evil (for those who don’t know, I sell books in my work time so it’s literally my job to encourage kids to read).
Now Eloise is an exceptionally strong protagonist, who despite her apparent shortcomings, just wants to fit in and find a family/someone to love her; her interactions with the village blacksmith and his horse Dancy made me all gooey inside and all I could think the entire time was ‘why don’t YOU adopt her’ because he’s just so nice. She is determined to not only make a happy ending for herself but also to help out those around her. Although supposedly a problem child, she is more than willing to chip in whether it be helping the other kids get dressed or turning menial tasks into fun games so as the Littlies don’t get bored/in trouble. What I’m saying is, this kid has an endless amount of heart and I just wanted to reach into the pages and gently caress her hair while telling her everything is ok.
The secondary characters of the nuns have me a little bit in two minds. While the aforementioned Sister Hortense is the most horrible person ever, Sister Genevieve is the sweetest person you would ever meet. She attempts to sneak Eloise some time to just sit and listen to a story, sends her on errands she could perform herself so as to give her some time alone, and teaches her how to sew under the guise of perfectly good cushions needing repair. There’s also Sister Bernard who is stern but fair and sort of the middle ground in the trio of sisters. While being stern, she also seems to try to give Eloise a break when she can despite regularly being foiled by the ever present Hortense (even her name sounds mean, right?). But now I’m rambling.
The whole narrative seems a little meh until you realise that something else has to be going on behind the scenes. The ‘big reveal’ about Eloise’s presence at the orphanage, while passing very quickly, provides a welcome change to this novels rather dark story. The aftermath of this also allowed Brian’s latest entry to have a happy ending, or at least the reader can assume it is a happy ending. I loved the inclusion of the subplot about the unicorn – in a very dark narrative, it provided a glimmer of hope for everyone involved. It also allowed an outlet for Eloise’s despair, giving her something to work towards to distract her from her terrible home life.
I did however have an issue with one thing. The time seems to jump rather than flow logically. Sometimes it’s told day to day, other times it jumps a week into the future with no indication that it has. While this seems a small issue, it does disorientate on occasion and caused me to have to jump back in the text to work out how long had passed, stopping me from fully immersing myself in the narrative.
Also I just want to add in here that there are A LOT of references to God and faith. I understand it is an orphanage and they are looked after by nuns but the whole thing felt a little like religious education when the unicorn came. Kind of like Aslan sacrifices himself in Narnia (if you didn’t already know this happened, sorry, but those novels are like 70 years old)
Basically, this whole story is about hope and the need for children to feel like they belong. The language used within is appropriate for the 9+ age group but also doesn’t feel infantile for parents or older persons who wish to read it. The protagonist is a strong role model, never allowing the world to trample her spirit and battling through despite her hardships. While the nuns run the gamut of personalities, they filled the trope of ‘good cop, bad cop’ extremely well and gave a sense of balance within the orphanage. As I said at the start of this review, it is well worth a read whether you enjoy it or not.
Many thanks to Walker Books for providing me with an early reading copy. The opinions within are my own and have in no way been influenced by Walker or its affiliates.
May 20, 2020
An entertaining and mystical read for young readers!
Eloise is a strong female protagonist who seeks the truth of her origins – as all she knows is that she was dropped off on the orphanage’s steps in a bucket. Though she was tested constantly throughout at the hands of Sister Hortense, I found that Brian was able to skilfully interweave determination for a better life into Eloise’s mindset.
Alongside the strength of character demonstrated through Eloise, Brian also showed the reader how important relationships were in those trying times. The relationship that Eloise has with Sister Genevieve, Sully and Janie were the necessary connections that Eloise craved to assist her to become the saviour of the unicorn and the town.
The mystical elements that were woven throughout the tale of Eloise and her survival at a harsh and deteriorating orphanage in the small town of Whittering were such a highlight! I loved how Brian was able to play on the role of imagination and religious belief, and how both could peacefully coexist with each other.
At the end of reading this story, there were a couple of elements of the tale that I would have tweaked, such as the time jumping (sometimes we spent chapters on one to two days, then it would leap to a week later), the constant running back up and down the hill to fetch water (I wanted there to be other errands or chores that could be focused on) and a bit more backstory to the Sisters and Sully.
Thank you @walkerbookaus for gifting me a copy to read and review!
Eloise is a strong female protagonist who seeks the truth of her origins – as all she knows is that she was dropped off on the orphanage’s steps in a bucket. Though she was tested constantly throughout at the hands of Sister Hortense, I found that Brian was able to skilfully interweave determination for a better life into Eloise’s mindset.
Alongside the strength of character demonstrated through Eloise, Brian also showed the reader how important relationships were in those trying times. The relationship that Eloise has with Sister Genevieve, Sully and Janie were the necessary connections that Eloise craved to assist her to become the saviour of the unicorn and the town.
The mystical elements that were woven throughout the tale of Eloise and her survival at a harsh and deteriorating orphanage in the small town of Whittering were such a highlight! I loved how Brian was able to play on the role of imagination and religious belief, and how both could peacefully coexist with each other.
At the end of reading this story, there were a couple of elements of the tale that I would have tweaked, such as the time jumping (sometimes we spent chapters on one to two days, then it would leap to a week later), the constant running back up and down the hill to fetch water (I wanted there to be other errands or chores that could be focused on) and a bit more backstory to the Sisters and Sully.
Thank you @walkerbookaus for gifting me a copy to read and review!
May 31, 2020
Eloise & the Bucket of Stars by Jansen Brian. Thank you Walker Aust for sending me this book to review.
Publish date: 1 June 2020
Synopsis:
Left in a pail at an orphanage as a baby, only something magical can save Eloise from a miserable life and give her the one she's always dreamed of.
Review:
Right from the first page I was invested in our main character. Born in 1807, 13 year old orphan Eloise was the eldest amongst the littlies (Children of Paradise Orphanage)
Eloise dreamt of some thing different. Dreamt of a family and a life beyond the walls and out of reach from the nasty head Sister Hortense.
At so many points in the story I felt such a sadness for Eloise. It was her saddness, through the words on the paper. It never fails to surprise; and it makes me sick knowing just how cruel people who claim to be acting in servitude of God can be. Eloise, mistreated & basically slave driven lived in hope. Her only happiness found in the smiles of the littlies (but they keep leaving after being adopted), a kind Blacksmith at the bottom of the hill & his horse Dancy, that is until Janie arrives. A newly orphaned girl the same age as Eloise. Struggling to trust Janie at first, the pair fall into friendship & work to uncover a magical secret from yesteryear
This little book had me completely engaged! It had me guessing right to the end and as the story unwinds, moments of curiosity and hints of magic, creep beautifully in.
"Without her stars, she was alone. With them, She had friends." My favorite line from the book.
Highly recommend
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Publish date: 1 June 2020
Synopsis:
Left in a pail at an orphanage as a baby, only something magical can save Eloise from a miserable life and give her the one she's always dreamed of.
Review:
Right from the first page I was invested in our main character. Born in 1807, 13 year old orphan Eloise was the eldest amongst the littlies (Children of Paradise Orphanage)
Eloise dreamt of some thing different. Dreamt of a family and a life beyond the walls and out of reach from the nasty head Sister Hortense.
At so many points in the story I felt such a sadness for Eloise. It was her saddness, through the words on the paper. It never fails to surprise; and it makes me sick knowing just how cruel people who claim to be acting in servitude of God can be. Eloise, mistreated & basically slave driven lived in hope. Her only happiness found in the smiles of the littlies (but they keep leaving after being adopted), a kind Blacksmith at the bottom of the hill & his horse Dancy, that is until Janie arrives. A newly orphaned girl the same age as Eloise. Struggling to trust Janie at first, the pair fall into friendship & work to uncover a magical secret from yesteryear
This little book had me completely engaged! It had me guessing right to the end and as the story unwinds, moments of curiosity and hints of magic, creep beautifully in.
"Without her stars, she was alone. With them, She had friends." My favorite line from the book.
Highly recommend
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Read
July 6, 2020While being a new release, this novel has a classic feel, thanks in part to the setting in a 19th century orphanage run by the mean Sister Hortense. Orphan Eloise was found in a bucket as a baby and is victimised by Sister Hortense at every turn. Now at almost 12 she is constantly doing chores and not allowed to have lessons, although kind Sister Genevieve manages to sneak in a few stories, the favourite one being about a unicorn. Eloise vividly daydreams of a family and what lies beyond the walls of the town. She befriends a horse Dancy and his owner the blacksmith and the who shares a mystery written in code. What does it have to do with the poisonous pond and unicorns. And is that a lump on Dancy's forehead? When a new girl of around the same age, Janie, arrives at the orphanage, Eloise has to learn to let down her defenses. For if she let's Janie in, could they solve this mystery together? A solid story uplifted with magic and satisfying conclusion infused with great warmth and emotional intelligence.
Read
November 23, 2020This book is full of unexpected delights and interesting twists. Not your usual unicorn adventure!
The description kind of made me fear a darkish story, but it's filled with light and friendship and strength.
The description kind of made me fear a darkish story, but it's filled with light and friendship and strength.
June 1, 2020
An interesting story but a little long and repetitive in parts to have me fully engaged.
May 29, 2021
The plot just doesn't make sense.
June 12, 2023
Representation: N/A
Trigger warnings: Implied disappearance or death of parents, abandonment of a child, physical injury and assault, blood depiction, death of another person
Score: Five points out of ten.
This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.
First off, I tried to find any representation in this novel, but it turns out that I couldn't find any. What a shame. Fortunately, at least the book I'm reading now at the time of writing this has so much representation, which I appreciate. Now with that out of way, I still didn't enjoy this book, and I will refrain from reading books from this author if she doesn't improve her writing. She released a new book, which might be good. Or not. It starts with the main character, Eloise Pail, or Eloise for short, living in an orphanage since someone dumped her in a bucket at birth, hence the surname. She was trying to find her birth certificate when she got caught by a nun (that orphanage is Christian after all) and got a scolding. From then on, the book slowed significantly which dampened my reading experience, considering that I didn't like or connect to Eloise. She's not well written enough and can even come off as cold, maybe if she was someone I could root for and like I would have given the story a higher rating. Alas. I did not. The book continues to drag right until the end when after Eloise was researching such ideas like the moon, forbidden concepts (like unicorns), she discovered something, but honestly? I. Did. Not. Care. Nor did I care if another orphan came to the orphanage and formed a somewhat tenuous connection with Eloise, she wasn't an outstanding character either. The ending was a talk between the two remaining nuns and that's it. Wow. It fizzled out. Come on.
Trigger warnings: Implied disappearance or death of parents, abandonment of a child, physical injury and assault, blood depiction, death of another person
Score: Five points out of ten.
This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.
First off, I tried to find any representation in this novel, but it turns out that I couldn't find any. What a shame. Fortunately, at least the book I'm reading now at the time of writing this has so much representation, which I appreciate. Now with that out of way, I still didn't enjoy this book, and I will refrain from reading books from this author if she doesn't improve her writing. She released a new book, which might be good. Or not. It starts with the main character, Eloise Pail, or Eloise for short, living in an orphanage since someone dumped her in a bucket at birth, hence the surname. She was trying to find her birth certificate when she got caught by a nun (that orphanage is Christian after all) and got a scolding. From then on, the book slowed significantly which dampened my reading experience, considering that I didn't like or connect to Eloise. She's not well written enough and can even come off as cold, maybe if she was someone I could root for and like I would have given the story a higher rating. Alas. I did not. The book continues to drag right until the end when after Eloise was researching such ideas like the moon, forbidden concepts (like unicorns), she discovered something, but honestly? I. Did. Not. Care. Nor did I care if another orphan came to the orphanage and formed a somewhat tenuous connection with Eloise, she wasn't an outstanding character either. The ending was a talk between the two remaining nuns and that's it. Wow. It fizzled out. Come on.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews