Stormsearch

Westall is a master of the craft of storytelling. He blends the right ingredients beautifully to elicit unquestioning belief from his readers. Here the story revolves around a model ship unearthed by Max and his Uncle Geoff, a distinguished professor of History with an infectious and childlike enthusiasm for the human stories behind the artefacts. As Westall unfolds the mystery of the boat's owner and the secret message it carries, he arouses the reader's sympathy and anger at the tyrannical Victorian father's callous treatment of his daughter which results in her suicide. An excellent book with echoes of the wonderful - and, sadly, out of print - Ghost in the Water by Edward Chitham; it will delight and enrich Year 7 classes and be a strong addition to English stockrooms.