My Lockdown Books: Twenty One
I was an unofficial champion for this series right from the beginning as a friend of mine was then working for Nosy Crow, the hugely successful independent children’s publishing house. I reviewed many of them because I genuinely enjoyed them myself as well as thinking that children would!
I’ve chosen Olivia’s Enchanted Summer, the fourth in the series because it’s set in Edinburgh where I had the very great pleasure of meeting Lyn Gardner. I had a press ticket to her event at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. That was quite strange. I’m more used to being on the stage in conversation with authors and I don’t very often have time to sit in the audience. Here’s what I said about the book in The Scotsman the previous autumn.
Edinburgh is the star of Olivia’s Enchanted Summer by Lyn Gardner. Set during the Festival, it vividly conveys the vitality and diversity of that season of the city’s life. The Swan Circus, featuring Olivia and her Dad Jack, is performing on the Fringe but there is more drama outside the Big Top than their audiences could ever guess at. Why are Olivia’s Dad and Grandmother arguing? Who does a young street magician remind Olivia of? And what is the mystery surrounding Evie and Tati? As Olivia’s summer unfolds it feels anything but enchanted. Lyn Gardner goes from strength to strength in this series full of complex and developing characters and believable but exciting storylines.
