INTERESTS: magic, fantasy, travel, humour

THEMES: magic, good vs. evil

IF YOU LIKED THIS, YOU’LL LOVE:
You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yeti! by Steven Butler
The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
The 13-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths
Iguana Boy Saves The World With A Triple Cheese Pizza by James Bishop

MY THOUGHTS: a light-hearted story about a magical hotel

This is the story of a mysterious hotel, only visible to magical folk thanks to a rather clever bad smell spell. Frankie’s family owns the hotel and we are quickly introduced to the staff. It’s not long before adventure kicks in in the form of a visit from a goblin prince. Much drama and humour follows, and obviously some twists and turns lead us to the conclusion (and the set up for a sequel).

The hotel is a brilliant concept and I’m sure most children would like to check in for a visit. Frankie’s secret bedroom, the grandmother in the attic and the different doors Howl would be proud of… all of the elements create a world you want to enter. Anyone who likes reading fantasy will enjoy the range of guests and staff – my personal favourites were the spider chef (surprisingly!), and the Molar Sisters, a group of tooth fairies who look something like the Sanderson Sisters (one for the Hocus Pocus fans).

The chapters are short and full of humour and excitement. It’s a light-hearted story scattered with made-up, Dahl-esque words and packed with action, although the plot is pretty straightforward (Professor Quirrell would have some words of advice for our goblin prince). A good ‘read for pleasure’ for Year 3-4 children.