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Junior
Doubleday
Hardback £10.99
ISBN: 0385607695
Reviewed by Pat Almond
[Armadillo 6.4 Winter 2004]
An atmospheric, early twentieth century story of a boy, forced by circumstances, to leave school and join his well meaning but drunk uncle in a music hall ventriloquists act.
This was such a marvellous story, I had to read it in one sitting. It couldn't be bettered, especially as the girl in the story, Clarrie, is the heroine. Faced with, seemingly, insurmountable problems after her father leaves to work in Australia and her mother is wrongly jailed for theft, she holds the family together during their descent into poverty. Clarrie, then, very cleverly, finds a way to relieve her brother and uncle from the need to carry on their act, which is causing her brother to become, horrifyingly like an automaton.
The story ends very happily and satisfactorily, thankfully, as some of the book is on the dark side. The illustrations are also marvellous and not only belong to the story but go a long way to creating the chill. I have already mentioned this book to several youngsters and will continue to recommend it. It's a must!