The Mysterious Howling

Penelope Lumbly is a recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females seeking a position as a governess. After all, what else is there for a Poor Bright Female to do? Penny is lucky enough to get a job working at the Ashton household, but quickly discovers that her charges are far from ordinary. The three children, Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia were all found living together in the woods, and they seem to have been raised by wolves. Instead of teaching them French and Latin, Penny quickly finds herself needing to teach the children to not chase squirrels and how to eat with a knife and fork. Things being even more complicated when Lady Constance Ashton announces that she will be holding a grand Christmas party that the children must attend. Will they be ready in time, or will they humiliate Lady Constance? Where did these children come from in the first place? And why does Penny keep hearing talk of a hunting party on Christmas?

The Mysterious Howling is the first in an expected series by author Maryrose Wood. In her first novel for younger readers (her previous books have been for teens) she brilliantly blends and old-fashioned type of story with perfectly paced humor that kept me laughing. Describing the style of this book is a challenge - the best I can do is to say that it's kind of like a bizarre blend of Jane Eyre, Mary Poppins, and Lemony Snicket. It all works very well. Very few of the questions and mysteries set up in this first volume are fully solved which will make readers eager to pick up the next volume, expected to be published in 2011. Some might find this wait frustrating, but the book is a light enough romp and the kids are such delightful characters that many will probably not mind the lack of true resolution. It's hard to say if this series is destined to be a favorite just yet, but I have a gut feeling that if the next book in the series is as fun and as funny as its predecessor then readers will be in for a real treat.

Overall Grade: A-/B+