Chasing through Bluebell Woods after a strange green-furred rabbit, twelve year old Bryony and Bethany, her eight year old sister, inexplicably end up in the ‘olden times’.Life in the village where they find themselves is hard under the wicked lord of the manor. The two girls are thrown into a desperate struggle in which the evil lord will stop at nothing to hold onto his power over the … village.Soon everyone’s hopes are pinned on Bryony and her new companions, Toby, who is under a ‘severe warning’ for humiliating the disliked village pastor, and Tommy, who mysteriously arrived in the village one day and can’t or won’t speak.Together they set out on a mission to bring help from a higher authority, but their journey is beset with difficulties. Will they be in time to save their friends from the hangman’s noose?A thrilling story for readers aged 10 and above, and for anyone who enjoys losing themselves in a fantastical adventure!
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Two sisters live with their family, a housekeeper, a gardener, and their tutor in a forest home called Bluebell Wood House. The home is isolated so they spend much of their time exploring the natural world around them. One day, while resting in a glen, they follow a green rabbit who races by (who wouldn’t be curious about a green rabbit) and stumble on a strange homestead they’ve never seen before. The people are friendly but everything about it seems eerily to be from another time. After visiting, they make their way back to Bluebell Wood House with the help of the homestead’s owner but are unable to find it the next time they want to visit. Time passes as they pursue studies with their new tutor, a free spirit who teaches them with a hands-on nature-directed approach. By chance, they again follow the green rabbit to this olden time. On this visit, though, the homestead is burned down and if not for a kind young man, they would have been captured by the Lord’s guards. It doesn’t take long to realize this time, unlike last time, trouble brews all around them.
This is a delightful time travel story that’s filled with interesting characters and enough plot twists to keep me interested. The author does a good job of recreating the idiosyncrasies of a feudal era where a Lord rules and the village’s inhabitants must do as he says or suffer the consequences. Every time I think they’ll escape back into their own time, something else happens to again trap them. The story is recommended for lovers of fantasies, time-travel, and odd-looking rabbits.
Following a peculiar green-tinged rabbit through the woods, sisters Bryony and Bethany find themselves in ‘olden times’. Together with their new tutor Mr Eyre, the girls find danger at every turn, and soon become embroiled in a fight against the evil lord of the manor and his cronies who rule the village.
This is a proper adventure story in a style similar to classics such as ‘The Railway Children’ and ‘Tom’s Midnight Garden’. Though probably more appealing to girls, I imagine characters like the wicked Lord Childecott will interest boys too, with enough evil shenanigans to keep readers guessing about the eventual outcome. The pace slows a little after an intriguing start, but picks up again as the adventure gets into its stride. With well-drawn characters and some nice descriptions, this book will have wide appeal to readers who like their stories to have a more traditional feel.
Looking for a great adventure? I recommend Following the Green Rabbit by Chris Hall. It’s a historical tale of the adventure of two sisters and their instructor as they follow a green rabbit through the forest and back in time. They find themselves caught up in a revolution against an oppressive lord. They become separated and their teacher Mr.Eyre is imprisoned. I loved the detail that the author used in describing the past and the story was engaging. I hope you decide to follow the rabbit.