The Clockwork Crow

by Catherine Fisher (Author)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

Evoking the classic fantasy adventures of Joan Aiken and Eva Ibbotson, this darkly delightful new novel from New York Times best-selling author Catherine Fisher glimmers with winter magic.

Orphan Seren Rhys is on her way to a new life at the remote country mansion of Plas-y Fran when she is given a package by a stranger late at night in an empty train station. The package contains a crotchety, mechanical talking crow, which Seren reluctantly brings to her new home. But when she gets there, the happy Christmas she had hoped for turns out to be an illusion--the young son of the house, Tomos, has been missing for almost a year, rumored to have been taken by the fairies.

With the Crow's reluctant help and a little winter magic, Seren sets off on a perilous journey to bring Tomos home. An enthralling story of family and belonging set in frost-bound Victorian Wales.

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School Library Journal

Gr 3-6-. On a wintery night shortly before Christmas, Seren finds herself at the train station, off to start a new life as her godfather's ward. She's thrilled at the turn of events, but her journey to Wales gets off to a bumpy start when a frightened stranger leaves a parcel with her. Not knowing what to do, she takes it with her. The strange doesn't end there, however. When she arrives, the manor is empty but for a few curmudgeonly staff; her godfather is not there, nor his wife, nor their son Tomos. And the parcel? It contains a magic, mechanical crow who is not prepared to be any sort of helpful conscience, and who certainly isn't interested in the mounting mystery of what really happened to Tomos and the growing rumors of fairies. VERDICT Originally published in England and making its U.S., debut, this novel features excellent world-building and an engaging caper with supernatural elements.

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

A richly atmospheric page-turner—readers will eagerly anticipate the forthcoming sequel.
—Kirkus Reviews

The terrifically engaging tale combines the old-fashioned charms of a manor-house mystery with elements of classic fantasy, establishing a world rich in details while leaving enough unknown to pique curiosity.
—Booklist

This quick novel is chock-full of snowy magic perfect for the holidays; fans of detective stories, like Seren herself, will appreciate her aptitude for getting into trouble through her drive to investigate the unknown. After Seren's hard life, she gets a well-deserved, if a little too neatly wrapped, happy ending, but readers will be thrilled to know that this UK import already has a sequel that may soon arrive in the U.S.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Originally published in England and making its U.S., debut, this novel features excellent world-building and an engaging caper with supernatural elements.
—School Library Journal

Catherine Fisher
Catherine Fisher is the New York Times best-selling author of Sapphique and Incarceron. An acclaimed novelist and poet, she has written many fantasy books for young people, including the Oracle Prophecies series. In 2011 she was appointed the inaugural Young Person's Laureate for Wales. Catherine Fisher lives in Wales.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781536222920
Lexile Measure
570
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Walker Books Us
Publication date
September 28, 2021
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV013050 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Orphans & Foster Homes
JUV012020 - Juvenile Fiction | Fairy Tales & Folklore | Country & Ethnic - General
Library of Congress categories
-
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 09/01/20

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