The Valley of Lost Secrets

Product Information

What a wonderful book. A brilliant debut - warm and tender, simple in the best way, historical fiction with a light touch. - Ross Montgomery, author of The Midnight Guardians The room is massive, much bigger than our school hall. It’s all dark timber, polished up till it shines. There are steps and a raised platform at the far end, a bit like a stage. The room’s bursting with people all staring and muttering; surely they can’t all want an evacuee? Some must be here to gawp. They sit in rows in front of the platform and, as we walk past them to the raised bit, I can feel the place swallowing us up – my little brother, all the others and me. CHAPTER TWO SCARED CITY RABBITS Finding an ally in someone he never expects, they set out together to uncover the secrets that lie with the skull. What they discover will change Jimmy – and the village – forever. September 1939.When Jimmy is evacuated to a small village in Wales, it couldn’t be more different from London. Green, quiet and full of strangers, he instantly feels out of place.But then he finds a skull hidden in a tree, and suddenly the valley is more frightening than the war. Who can Jimmy trust? His brother is too little; his best friend has changed.Finding an ally in someone he never expects, they set out together to uncover the secrets that lie with the skull. What they discover will change Jimmy – and the village – forever. A mesmerising mystery about bravery and brotherhood from an outstanding new voice. You may also like…

The Valley of Lost Secrets - Lesley Parr - Google Books

Ronnie, it’s safe,’ I say. ‘Remember how well you wrapped it in your pyjamas? You did a really good job there.’ With echoes of Carrie's War, and Goodnight Mister Tom, Parr brings her own fresh voice to what already feels like a wartime classic. This story is quietly brutal and brilliantly heartfelt. I absolutely ADORED it. - Emma Carroll, author of Letters from the Lighthouse this was such a beautifully written book... i loved the simplicity of the language and the smooth incorporation of welsh words and phrases in the text. also, the landscapes described were sooo breath-taking that now i wanna visit wales so bad ;-; It was a bit slow for me but i enjoyed the book's illustrations whereby the tree grew from a small plant to a huge tree 🌳. Author Luke Palmer introduces his new book, Play (Firefly Press) about four boys growing up together, the challenges, the friendships, and what hap...There isn’t as much sky as I thought there’d be. And what I can see is clear and blue, not the never-ending rain clouds we were told we’d get in Wales. Parr’s accessible writing and engaging plot is very much aimed at modern pre-teens. It teeters thrillingly on the edge of scary, and covers serious topics like relationships, bullies, prejudices and religion without sounding preachy’ Bristol Post I didn’t know much about this before starting this but I know that I love books about evacuees. Jimmy and Ronnie were both such lovely characters and I loved seeing them settling in to the Welsh village where they have been evacuated to.

The Valley of Lost Secrets - Bloomsbury Publishing The Valley of Lost Secrets - Bloomsbury Publishing

We’re in another country that feels like another world, there’s a big scary war on that no one seems to be talking about, and an hour ago I was standing under a tree holding a dead person’s head. And still with a kindhearted touch, Jimmy also learns the errors of his thoughts and his ways, as his eyes open up to the abrupt change of his classmate, who he once feared and jeered, only for her to become his best friend here, and the one friend from London, he considered a friend, turns the tables on him to become his aggressor and tormentor. ❤️‍🩹�� And amidst all these perfectly moving pieces of Jimmy's growth, is this heart-wrenching tale of a mysterious skull that he stumbles across and his deep-rooted desire to find the one it belongs to. It is a credit to Ms. Parr that she is able to skillfully combine all these moments and relay them with such an honest and frank voice of Jimmy's that you relate and feel to his emotions beautifully to depict a truly tender and heart-felt coming-of-age story. 🥹 Would definitely recommend this one, it’s perfect for younger audiences (and older ones like me!) and I enjoyed it just the same. It was brilliant! I would like to give this one 6 stars out of 5 please!! What's not to love? Historical fiction for 8-12 year olds, set in Wales during the war, dealing with themes of uncertainty and getting used to a new normal. This is a perfect book for right now!The way Jimmy treats Ronnie is both caring and frustrating; he is very protective of his younger brother, but he also doesn’t like the way Ronnie seems to immediately adapt to the change, and this means he sometimes lashes out. Although his behaviour is sometimes upsetting, both to Ronnie and to Gwen and Alun Thomas who take them in, Parr writes Jimmy in a very sympathetic way meaning that his change in attitude, when it comes, feels natural.

The Valley of Lost Secrets - Bloomsbury Publishing

I’m gripping Ronnie’s shoulder so tight I must be hurting him but he’s just watching her. Then the woman called Mrs Thomas looks at me and I get the same smile. Alternatively, we suggest that you visit your local library and request to borrow a copy from a friendly librarian.Night Mayor Franklefink has vanished from the Transylvanian Express - and it's up to you to solve the case! Part of the Solve Your Own Mystery seri... the characters were very nicely written, too. even though jimmy gave me a hard time in getting to like him and empathize with him at first, i ultimately grew to love him and embrace all the aspects of his character. This novel made me think of an old favourite of mine, Carrie's War and I enjoyed this tale just as much.