Small Wonder - Ross Montgomery

Tick lived a quiet life in the forest with his grandfather and his brother Leaf.. After his grandfather's death, Tick takes over responsibility for the care of his younger brother; after all, his grandfather taught him well how to protect himself and Leaf and this is useful when the Hunter from Drenish arrives at their cabin.  Tick knows he has to flee, so with only their horse Pebble and a knife, the trio head out into the winter forest.  With the Hunter and his hawk on their tail, Tick is intent on getting the trio to the King's Keep, a castle in the mountains where Tick believes they will be safe.  However, time is not on their side as he knows the gates of the castle soon will close as the Drenish draw in.  With danger lurking at every bend, Tick is going to have to draw on all the skills his grandfather taught him if he is to reach his destination safely and on time.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Ross is a versatile writer whose work I always look forward to reading; whether it's scaring me with Christmas Dinner of Souls (which famously kept me awake in a hotel room on my own!), to the magic of Spellstone or the mystery of The Chime Seekers; not to mention his picture books.  I Am Rebel saw him travel back in time and write from the perspective of a dog, and his first novel for adults The Murder At World's End is a triumph.  He is a writer who seems to be able to create magic whenever he puts pen to paper, so I was utterly thrilled to get home from my recent holiday to find a signed copy of Small Wonder waiting for me. I'm sure it will come as no surprise that the book completely by-passed my tbr pile and I began reading it on Sunday evening.

Can I say from the start that the book is just wonderful?  In his foreword, Ross talks about his desire to write a book with a simple story and to tell it well and I can uncategorically say that he has absolutely done that.  Small Wonder (the name his grandfather used for Tick) is an epic adventure of good versus evil and a classic story set in a time when knights and kings ruled their castles and bandits stalked the land.  

Told from Tick's point of view, the book is all about the journey that he and his five year old brother make on their horse, Pebble.  Faced with having to flee the only home they've ever known without warning, Tick needs to rely on all his strength and the lessons his grandfather has taught him (I love that you get his grandfather's voice throughout the book through Tick's memories of what his grandfather had told him).  Danger lurks at every turn and it's impossible for Tick to know who to trust, and readers will find themselves rooting for Tick and willing him on.  He is a character who is both brave and tender, loyal and fierce, but most of all, he's a boy who's simply doing everything he can to keep his brother safe.  

Publishing on the 28th September, Small Wonder is a timeless tale of bravery and finding inner-strength that will have readers desperate for 'just one more chapter'.  My class are going to love it!