The Unexpected Tale of Bastien Bonlivre by Clare Povey, reviewed by Aysha (11)

In this magnificent book by Clare Povey, the main character, Bastien Bonlivre, gets taken to an orphanage. In this orphanage, the owner, Monsieur Xavier, is not very nice and horrible to the children.

Bastien’s parents died and they left behind a notebook which was told to have something hidden inside it as they were very famous book writers.

I loved this book as it’s based in France and I love reading stories about different places. There are even a few French words in it too!

Aysha (11)

Over the next few days in the awful orphanage bastien meets another boy, Theo, who is a very cunning engineer who can build almost anything out of scrap. As the months go by, Theo and Bastien decide to escape briefly to see France in all its pride and glory.

Suddenly back at the orphanage the notebook gets stolen, can Bastien get is back before it’s too late?

I loved this book as its based in France and I love reading stories about different places. There are eve a few French words in it too!

This book will be right up your alley if you like stories, as Bastien reads a lot of stories to the orphanage boys: mysteries, crime and Paris.

The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell

Fresh off the boat from England, Vita Marlowe has a job to do. Her beloved grandfather Jack has been cheated out of his home and possessions by a notorious conman with Mafia connections.

Seeing Jack’s spirit is broken, Vita is desperate to make him happy again, so she devises a plan to outwit his enemies and recover his home.

She finds a young pickpocket, working the streets of the city. And, nearby, two boys with highly unusual skills and secrets of their own are about to be pulled into her lawless, death-defying plan.

Katherine Rundell’s fifth novel is a heist as never seen before – the story of a group of children who will do anything to right a wrong.
 

Katherine Rundell writes sentences that you wish you could hold in your heart. Her superpower in The Good Thieves is her ability to write characters who burn with bravery and a fierce sense of injustice.

This is a story full of heart as well as adventure. The extraordinary world of tumbledown castles, terrifying gangsters and forbidden heists becomes the backdrop for acts of daring, kindness and respect.

We loved this story of loyalty, friendship and overcoming the odds. Great for 10+

You can order your copy here.