The River Spirit, Lucy Strange
The River Spirit, Lucy Strange
List: $11.99 | Sale: $8.40
Club: $5.99

The River Spirit

Author: Lucy Strange

Narrator: Louis Hill

Unabridged: 51 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/06/2024

Synopsis

Trapped within the oppresive warrens of the city’s chimneys, young sweeper Tom longs for fresh air and freedom in this atmospheric and ghostly tale from Lucy Strange. Young chimney sweep Tom has started seeing strange, supernatural things – fairies in the flowers by the river, a soot monster crouching in the darkness of a chimney, and then the mysterious river spirit Elle. Elle joins Tom and the other children apprenticed to cruel master sweep Mister Crow. Together, they shimmy up the town's narrow, filthy chimneys. But Tom has an ominous feeling in his bones, and when he faces his most dangerous job of all, the reason for Elle's magical appearance becomes clear . . .

Reviews

Goodreads review by Lynn Anne on June 14, 2024

Wait, I wasn't ready 😭😭😭. That was actually so much sadder than I thought it was going to be!......more

Goodreads review by Lexy on November 06, 2024

Super short but bittersweet, still, powerful.......more

Goodreads review by Tracy on May 28, 2024

Lucy Strange and Barrington Stoke - how much better can it get? I loved The Storm and The Minotaur so looking forward to this. Well, The River Spirit is up there with the best! The book tells the story of Tom Waterman - he is a child chimney sweep. Along with his friends Bert and Squirrell (Bert can'......more

Goodreads review by Claire on January 02, 2025

A beautiful and well-told story! (view spoiler)[I was not expecting him to die! (hide spoiler)] And it all happened so quickly. Great characters and illustrations. I loved the extra history at the end as well.......more

Goodreads review by Lennie on February 13, 2025

Wow I wasn't expecting this to be so sad but I loved it! I think the narrator did a fantastic job voicing the characters and his voice really fit the setting of the story. I wasn't expecting this to take inspiration from a true story but it made it ever so heartbreaking. I think the author did a fan......more

Quotes

"Combining fascinating and important history with the magical and supernatural, this captivating, beautiful and tragic story is sure to become essential reading for Upper Key Stage 2 children learning about the Industrial Revolution and the plight of those involved in child labour." – Kate Heap, Scope for Imagination "The plight of young chimney sweeps in Victorian Britain springs to vivid life in a ghostly and stunningly ethereal historical tale … Juxtaposing the heartbreaking cruelty of a boy sweep’s ordeals with all the fairy-tale magic of Charles Kingsley’s classic book, , Strange brings us a dazzling, tear-jerking story that resonates long after the last page has turned … succeeds in never losing sight of the shining light of hope, friendship and courage … Brought to life by the beautiful worldly and other-worldly illustration of Júlia Moscardó, this is another stunning piece of storytelling." – "The third in an historical trilogy for Barrington Stoke, all of which successfully blend myth and mystery with snippets of history and all reveal elements of the exploitation of child labour in the industrial revolution. As such they are a huge asset to the classroom for study of that period … More than that, they are atmospheric and mesmerising reads … An impactful and memorable read." – Books for Keeps "A brilliant combination of the supernatural and historical fiction. Perfect for a history topic on the Industrial Revolution." – Father Teacher Reader "This beautifully written book with equally beautiful illustrations had us immersed from the first page … We were really drawn to the kindness of the characters and the warm and happy ending of this beautiful, evocative book." – Bentley Heath PS Book Club

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