"Northwood" Children's Book Review

            Hey folks! I have a brand new children's book to share with you today! Northwood, by Brian Falkner, was just released at the beginning of April and is suggested for children ages 9-13. It is an exciting story about a 10 year old girl named Cecilia Undergarment and the mysteries and adventures she encounters in the frighteningly foreboding Northwood.
            The story of Cecilia Undergarment and her adventures starts off innocently enough. She's a normal enough young girl...who just happens to live in a huge house made up of balloon-like rooms. (Her father owns a balloon factory and is evidently quite fond of them.) Oh. She also happens to be able to communicate with animals, which is how she discovers that her poor neighbor's dog, Rocky, is slowly starving to death.
            With the help of Jana, the Undergarment's housekeeper/nanny, Cecilia devises a plan and rescues Rocky from her neighbor's back yard the next day. It isn't long before his "owner", Mr.Proctor, discovers the dog missing. One thing leads to another and Mr.Proctor ends up attacking the Undergarment house with a bulldozer!
            As it turns out, the man who built the balloon house installed a safety system of sorts for the attic, which is where Cecilia happened to spend most of her time, in the off chance of an earthquake. As the room starts collapsing from the mean-spirited Mr.Proctor tearing their house apart, the attic fills up like a real balloon and begins to float away!
            It's not long before poor Cecilia and Rocky end up stuck in a tree in Northwood. Although neither of them really want to leave the safety of the balloon, they know they must find something to eat eventually and venture out into the fog shrouded forest. Soon they are being chased by a black lion and just barely escape when a woman opens a hidden stone door in the clearing the lion has trapped them in.
            Cecilia discovers a group of 39 people who have all gotten lost and trapped in the woods. They have their own little society which is ruled by King Harry. Cecilia, not giving up on the hope of ever seeing her home again, discovers that King Harry and his rule over the people of Storm Gorge are not what they appear.
      
            I have to admit that I thought Northwood was a little slow in the beginning. However, that is my only complaint about the book. Once Cecilia and Rocky start floating away in the balloon attic, I thought things really picked up and got exciting. So much so, in fact, that I found myself getting anxious to find out what happened next!
            Cecelia really is a great female character. She is smart, polite, honest, brave, and kind. I think kids of all different personalities would easily identify with her. Plus she's a great role model!
            I think young kids would really enjoy the anticipation of finding out the mysteries of Northwood. It's engaging, entertaining, and easy to read. Plus, I love that it introduces "big words" that this age group of children might be unfamiliar with and teaches important values as well.
            If you would like to purchase Northwood for yourself, you can find it on the publisher's website HERE. Happy reading!

Disclaimer: I received the above e-book for free to review through netgalley.com. All opinions expressed within this review are my own and may differ from your own.