Balloon House
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Cover Story
The anarchic hero of many daring adventures, William, as depicted on our cover by Thomas Henry in one of his effective, humorous pen and ink illustrations, is now a period piece. A William de nos jours illustrated by Tony Ross and aimed at a younger audience stands alongside him. This new William will be featured in adaptations of the stories by Martin Jarvis. Richmal Crompton, author of the William books, is the subject of this issue's Authorgraph. Thanks to Macmillan Children’s Books for their help with this November cover.
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Balloon House
Neve's resentment of her father's new family is fuelled by her lingering sense of his having let her down. The book shifts from emotion to action half way through when two gunmen burst in upon Neve and her stepmother and wait for her story of a magical balloon house that her father used to tell Neve precede each chapter and they cleverly parallel the main story. They also give a physical and emotional representation of what Neve and her father have shared and provide the final means for Neve to show what they still share. The mix of emotional insights and an action-filled climax make this a thoughtful and exciting read.
