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The Mysterious Howling
(The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #1)
by
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place are no ordinary children, Miss Penelope Lumley is no ordinary governess, and mysteries abound in this first volume in a new series for ages 9+.
Found running wild in the forest of Ashton Place, the Incorrigibles are no ordinary children: Alexander, age ten or thereabouts, keeps his siblings in line with gentle nips; Cassiopeia, perh ...more
Found running wild in the forest of Ashton Place, the Incorrigibles are no ordinary children: Alexander, age ten or thereabouts, keeps his siblings in line with gentle nips; Cassiopeia, perh ...more
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Hardcover, 272 pages
Published
March 1st 2010
by Balzer & Bray
(first published March 1st 2009)
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Start your review of The Mysterious Howling (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #1)

An innocent young lady arriving at a mysterious mansion to look after some wealthy person's children is not exactly a new theme, but I'm quite certain it's never been done this way before. Imagine Lemony Snicket and Victoria Holt had a doomed, clandestine encounter on a dark, forbidding moor somewhere . . . and this book was their secret shame, the bastard love-child of that tear-stained coupling.
Sniff.
Anyway, our dear Miss Lumley, bright eyed and bushy tailed, is eager to mold the minds of her ...more
Sniff.
Anyway, our dear Miss Lumley, bright eyed and bushy tailed, is eager to mold the minds of her ...more

If you see the date I finished this book, you may (or may not, who can say?) be surprised to know that I started it on July 22nd and only read on public transportation and a bit while walking down 7th Ave. in Manhattan on my way to work this morning. (That's dangerous, though, and I wouldn't recommend it even if you are rather experienced at reading and walking.)
I bought the book on a whim. I liked that it had the word "incorrigible" on the cover, and the illustration appealed to me. I'm in arre ...more
I bought the book on a whim. I liked that it had the word "incorrigible" on the cover, and the illustration appealed to me. I'm in arre ...more

When you're a parent or a librarian or a teacher or a bookseller who reads a lot of children's books, you sometimes wish for fun. Children's books are often by their very nature "fun". But there's fun that's strained and trying to appeal to everyone and then there's fun that appears to be effortless. You read a book, are transported elsewhere, lose track of time, and never want the story to end. It's the kind of fun a person encounters in a book like Book One of The Incorrigible Children of Asht
...more

Hmmmm, take the story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan. Then make Anne Sullivan a fifteen-year-old first-time nanny from the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females and make Helen Keller three children raised by wolves and found by a wealthy landowner. Then set it in Victorian England and add large punches of Lemony Snicket-y humor and you've got a fair idea of this book. Oh, yes, make it a series, with the first one ending leaving the reader wanting more.
Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia ( ...more
Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia ( ...more

Adorable book! Can't wait to read the rest of the series
...more

There are some serious problems with this book. I will present them in a list:
1. The sub-title, "The Mysterious Howling." This "mysterious howling" is only mentioned in the last chapter and never revealed. It is a weak attempt at drawing readers into committing to reading the next book in the series.
2. There is absolutely no reason for this book to become a series. There is not enough meat to it. It could have been a good one-off book, if the author had been allowed to address #1 and finish it a ...more
1. The sub-title, "The Mysterious Howling." This "mysterious howling" is only mentioned in the last chapter and never revealed. It is a weak attempt at drawing readers into committing to reading the next book in the series.
2. There is absolutely no reason for this book to become a series. There is not enough meat to it. It could have been a good one-off book, if the author had been allowed to address #1 and finish it a ...more

Raised by wolves children find stately home and governess. Wolf tendencies prevail although lovely governess does her best. Stately home owners show themselves and friends in a bad light. Lots of mystery, humour, and lovely names. Lumawoo is wonderful and wise beyond her years. Some philosophy on if it's morally right to kill. The story was quite climactic at the party towards the end but reached no conclusion. I don't feel we have been left on a cliff hanger, more we have started on a huge book
...more

Another Lemony Snicket-y goody! Its only shortcoming as a book is that it's the first in a series and therefore a big tease. No revelations, just setup. But really funny, smart, enjoyable setup.
It's a fantastic audiobook--I dare say possibly better than reading it because the narrator does some awesome howling. Today I kept hearing "Lumawoo" and "Cassawoof" and "Nutsawoo" in my head. So great! ...more
It's a fantastic audiobook--I dare say possibly better than reading it because the narrator does some awesome howling. Today I kept hearing "Lumawoo" and "Cassawoof" and "Nutsawoo" in my head. So great! ...more

I might start with a quote (no, not by the great Ms. Agatha Swanburne; no, neither is it by the plucky heroine of our story, Miss Penelope Lumley). I start with a quote by the authoress herself, Miss Maryrose Wood:
If you have ever opened a can of worms, boxed yourself into a corner, ended up in hot water, or found yourself in a pretty pickle, you already know that life is rarely (if ever) just a bowl of cherries. It is far more likely to be a bowl of problems, worries, and difficulties. This is ...more
If you have ever opened a can of worms, boxed yourself into a corner, ended up in hot water, or found yourself in a pretty pickle, you already know that life is rarely (if ever) just a bowl of cherries. It is far more likely to be a bowl of problems, worries, and difficulties. This is ...more

I don't often read children's books nowadays (I hide almost entirely behind the guise of being a sophisticated adult), but I had heard great things about Maryrose Wood's work - namely that her Ashton Place series is much like a cross between Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, and my beloved Jane Eyre. It also reminded me quite a bit of Colin Meloy's Wildwood books.
The Mysterious Howling, the first in the Ashton Place series, is well written throughout, and engaging from the very be ...more
The Mysterious Howling, the first in the Ashton Place series, is well written throughout, and engaging from the very be ...more

Delightful!
I had only vaguely heard of this book until this spring, when Maryrose Wood spoke at a conference I attended. She was so lovely I bought this and had it signed for my kids, mostly to sort of high-five her for her great keynote address. But I thought I'd read it myself before passing it on... So wonderful! I don't really like a lot of recent middle grade- shocking, I know! There are too many bickering siblings and idiot parents for my taste. But there was none of that here. Instead it ...more
I had only vaguely heard of this book until this spring, when Maryrose Wood spoke at a conference I attended. She was so lovely I bought this and had it signed for my kids, mostly to sort of high-five her for her great keynote address. But I thought I'd read it myself before passing it on... So wonderful! I don't really like a lot of recent middle grade- shocking, I know! There are too many bickering siblings and idiot parents for my taste. But there was none of that here. Instead it ...more

Ahoy there mateys! This was an impulse borrow from a local library. I needed an audiobook to listen to and this was the only one that sounded even slightly good to me in me mood that day. I thought the narrator, Katherine Kellgren was fantastic and she made the book for me. Her voices had me giggling. There is a sequence with a squirrel that was just divine. The story is about a governess who sets up to meet her charges and finds a crazy situation where the children were raised by wolves. I fell
...more

I really wanted to like this book. The set-up was fun, and the writing is endearing, but when you think of the premise of an overly young Victorian governess bringing children raised by wolves into high society, well, antics ensue, right? Yes. On page 220.
The rest of the book is about a nice schoolmarm that teaches these three students with unbelievable effectiveness whilst they behave themselves. The book is more a catalog of what they learn and how good they are (oops one accidentally opens a ...more
The rest of the book is about a nice schoolmarm that teaches these three students with unbelievable effectiveness whilst they behave themselves. The book is more a catalog of what they learn and how good they are (oops one accidentally opens a ...more

I read this in one sitting last night. It was very "Lemony Snickett-y" is the tone and sense of humor. I thought Miss Lumley (also known as Lumawoo) was adorable in her no-nonsense governess position. And the children, so funny, the little wolflings with their wild habits and trusting ways. I will look for the next in this series. I will also recommend them to my nieces (ages 10 and 9) as I believe this is a good series for little girls.
...more

At first I felt a little guilty about making this our family readaloud book because it seemed to be something written for me, the adult reader, rather than the kids listening. But after a few chapters I think we were all pretty into it. It's a slow book and usually my kids like things action-packed, but once the Incorrigibles are making regular appearances, they were quite enamored with them. Their tendency to howl in their words makes it a fun readaloud, too. The prose is very classical, it rea
...more

This is the thoroughly charming Victorian tribute/spoof tale of Miss Penelope Lumley, fifteen years old and a new graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, and her first job as governess. When she arrives at Ashton Place, she is greeted the a wildly enthusiastic young mistress (recently married) who seems rather too eager to engage Miss Lumley in the position, even going so far as to have her sign a contract. The "mysterious howling" noise Penelope hears gives her only momentary
...more

In this amusing book, similar in style to the Lemony Snicket "Series of Unfortunate Events" series, but not as dark or arch, 15 year old Penelope Lumley, nervous but determined, is sent from the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females to work as a governess (in the style of Jane Eyre). She is hopeful of finding bright young children to fill up with learning and, ideally, ponies. She has a thing for ponies.
The gimmick is, the children, two boys and a girl, need some remedial work first, as the ...more
The gimmick is, the children, two boys and a girl, need some remedial work first, as the ...more

I wasn't quite sure what to expect about this book. Feral children, yes, certainly, but the synopsis makes it sound anything but serious. And I was delighted to discover that it really isn't.
More than anything, I would call this a sort of gentle poke at (and tribute to) Victorian governess stories, with a narrator that felt somewhat Lemony to me. It's enhanced by the deliberately dramatic reading of the narrator on the audiobook, which made the whole thing great fun to listen to. Sure, it's wond ...more
More than anything, I would call this a sort of gentle poke at (and tribute to) Victorian governess stories, with a narrator that felt somewhat Lemony to me. It's enhanced by the deliberately dramatic reading of the narrator on the audiobook, which made the whole thing great fun to listen to. Sure, it's wond ...more

I wanted to like this book more, but I just didn't. The beginning started off very well. Penelope Lumley, a fifteen year old graduate from Swanburne Academy is on her way to, hopefully a new job. Penelope is very nervous, this being her first job interview. When she arrives at Ashton Place, she is disturbed to hear howling and barking. The lady of the house, Lady Constance, hires Miss Lumely before giving any details about the children. We the readers find out in the first chapter that the child
...more

Imagine a cross between Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events and Jane Eyre, and that would give you an idea of how engrossing and enjoyable the first book in Maryrose Wood's The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series is. Miss Penelope Lumley is 15 years old, and having completed her studies at Agatha Swanburne's Academy for Poor Bright Females, she is summoned to an interview at Ashton Place, the home of Lord and Lady Ashton. She is expecting a rigorous interview, and is instead
...more

So much fun. And kind of adorable while being funny and mysterious.
Penelope Lumley, new governess, arrives at Ashton Place and must care for three orphaned children who seem to have been raised by wolves, based on their howling and proclivities. Penelope has her work cut out for her, She is determined that they'll be reading latin, among other things eventually, all while learning good manners and deportment. Using respect, warmth and kindness, Penelope makes great strides forwards with the chi ...more
Penelope Lumley, new governess, arrives at Ashton Place and must care for three orphaned children who seem to have been raised by wolves, based on their howling and proclivities. Penelope has her work cut out for her, She is determined that they'll be reading latin, among other things eventually, all while learning good manners and deportment. Using respect, warmth and kindness, Penelope makes great strides forwards with the chi ...more

I picked this book because I liked its retro drawings, in addition to the cover, the book includes a number of sketches that illustrate events in the story, they bring back memories of my childhood well thumbed) books.
This book target audience is 7-12 years olds and it has wonderful descriptive language, which is something that I appreciate in children’s books. I read it alongside my son who also approved this novel (great bonus, Yay for mum!). The story is engaging, the appeal of a mystery and ...more

This book target audience is 7-12 years olds and it has wonderful descriptive language, which is something that I appreciate in children’s books. I read it alongside my son who also approved this novel (great bonus, Yay for mum!). The story is engaging, the appeal of a mystery and ...more

3.5* This is a delightful book that's been compared to Lemony Snickett with a touch of Jane Eyre. The story is about Penelope, a 15 year old recent graduate of Swanburne Academy for females, who is newly hired as a governess for Ashton Place. She quickly discovered that her charges are 3 children who were found in the woods by Lord Ashton. They seem to have been raised by wolves. So, Penelope has to teach them how to speak, wear clothes, and how to properly behave. To top it off, they have to be
...more

(I’m going to review the whole series through this book.)
What a great series! The mystery is spectacular and gripping, the characters lovable, and the writing style itself delightful. It may sound slow, boring, and cliche at first, but trust me. IT’S SO GOOD. It’s not at all what you expect it to be when you start the book. It’s got a unique twist that’s perfectly done.
What a great series! The mystery is spectacular and gripping, the characters lovable, and the writing style itself delightful. It may sound slow, boring, and cliche at first, but trust me. IT’S SO GOOD. It’s not at all what you expect it to be when you start the book. It’s got a unique twist that’s perfectly done.

This is PERFECTLY delightful middle grade.

I seriously did not think I could love an audiobook performance more than I love Katherine Kellgren's narration of the Bloody Jack series by L. A. Meyer. And then she narrated The Mysterious Howling. Holy cow. I am in awe of Ms. Kellgren's talent! Old men, teen girls, simpering married women, wolfish children howling at the moon, she went at all of them with gusto and I loved every minute of it!
Miss Penelope Lumley has just graduated from the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females. She has no ...more
Miss Penelope Lumley has just graduated from the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females. She has no ...more
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Sending big hugs and loveawoo to all.
I'm so pleased to introduce you to my new book: Alice's Farm, A Rabbit’s Tale. In stores on September 1st; available for preorder now.
Alice is an eastern cottontail. Genus sylvagia, species floridanus. About three pounds full grown, if she makes it that far.
Life at the bottom of the food chain is no picnic! But that doesn’t worry Alice much. She's too busy do ...more
I'm so pleased to introduce you to my new book: Alice's Farm, A Rabbit’s Tale. In stores on September 1st; available for preorder now.
Alice is an eastern cottontail. Genus sylvagia, species floridanus. About three pounds full grown, if she makes it that far.
Life at the bottom of the food chain is no picnic! But that doesn’t worry Alice much. She's too busy do ...more
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