Chicken House books ISBN 9781911490395 £6.99
Penny, her brother David and their dad, move into a new house in the middle of a forest; their mother’s childhood home. Mum is apparently en route. Later we find out that mum has died in a road accident and when she does arrive it will be in an urn.
Pog Lumpkin, a small furry creature living in the loft watches as they unpack. He feels their incredible sadness, empathising as he also is sad, missing his Grandfa who had taught him everything. Pog has been tasked with protecting the boundary between worlds and by the same token protecting the family from dark forces trying to infiltrate the house and feed on their sadness.
A strong sense of menace runs through the story and there are some scenes of pure horror after Pog’s protective powers diminish and evil creatures penetrate the barrier and swarm into the children’s home.
The main characters are very appealing and the issue of grief and how different individuals cope with it is dealt with highly sensitively. There is a sense of hope at the end of the story with the idea the dead stay with you and so does their love ‘them that’s dead is never gone’.
This is a moving and dramatic fantasy story which may be a great read for children in upper KS2 and, if read aloud to a class, might provide a context to explore bereavement.
Sue McGonigle