Description
Hattie Maxwell is trying to make sense of her life since the Big Split. It used to be the four of them - Mum, Dad, Ivy and Hattie - against the universe. But now it feels like she's a lone star in a big galaxy. And to make matters worse, her favourite place, Hummingbird House, is going to be demolished!
Determined to stop the development, Hattie throws herself into uncovering the secrets of the house. Under a special full moon, she discovers that there is much more to the grand old mansion than first meets the eye…
But will it be enough to save Hummingbird House? Or her family?
A classic time-slip novel with a contemporary twist, THE SECRET LIBRARY OF HUMMINGBIRD HOUSE celebrates standing up for what you believe in, dealing with change and the unstoppable power of friendship.
Review
This is a wonderful timeslip novel that is beautifully told and full of contemporary issues.
Hattie’s life hasn't been going so great since her parents split up. And now it seems that the run-down local mansion that Hattie’s family have a strong connection to, Hummingbird House, is set to make way for high rise development.
When Hattie visits the house in the middle of the night, she skips back to 1970 - back to a time when a girl her age, Hypatia, lived there. Hypatia is an incredible wordsmith, or keeper of lost words, and together they work to solve each other’s problems.
Filled with great cast of characters like Ms Guide, the new librarian, and Ivy, Hattie’s five-year-old sister, who likes ghosts and maybe even lets them talk through her.
This is a novel about standing up for what is right, trusting your friends and learning to adapt to change, as well as cleverly illustrating the importance of family and history. Hattie is such a warm, hopeful character who will appeal to readers 9 and older.
Reviewed by Rob
