Withering-By-Sea - Hardcover

Rossell, Judith

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1481443674 ISBN 13: 9781481443678

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2016

Synopsis

A stalwart orphan sets out on a spine-tingling adventure in this wildly imaginative and darkly funny Victorian middle grade novel.

High on a cliff above the gloomy Victorian town of Withering-by-Sea stands the Hotel Majestic. Inside the walls of the damp, dull hotel, eleven-year-old orphan Stella Montgomery leads a miserable life with her three dreadful aunts. Stella dreams of adventuring on the Amazon--or anyplace, really, as long as it isn't this dreary town where nothing ever happens.

Then one night Stella sees something she shouldn't have. Soon she finds herself on the run from terrifying Professor Stark and his gang of thugs. But how can one young girl outwit an evil magician, much less rescue his poor, mistreated assistant?

With the help of a mysterious maestro, his musical cats, and a lively girl named Gert, Stella Montgomery sets out to do just that.

About this title

Review

"Plenty for readers to grab onto . . . Lemony Snicket fans will appreciate the gothic details and the dramatic tone that effectively heightens the tension."--BCCB "March 2016 "

"This charming mystery carries just the right amount of suspense and magic. Stella's determination to do the right thing makes her an admirable and endearing protagonist whom readers will happily follow anywhere."--Booklist

"Readers who enjoyed The Invention of Hugo Cabret will appreciate the atmosphere, adventure, and detail of Withering-by-Sea."--School Library Journal

"Middle-grade fans of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events will eat up Withering-by-Sea...Australian author-illustrator Judith Rossell packs every page with details...that would do Roald Dahl proud."--Shelf Awareness

About the Author

Judith Rossell worked as a government scientist (not a mad scientist, a normal kind of scientist), for a cotton spinning company (which made threads for t-shirts and tea bags), and studied textile design in Scotland before becoming a full-time author and illustrator. She has illustrated or written nearly a hundred children's books, including some by such internationally bestselling authors as Garth Nix and Jackie French. Jude lives in Melbourne, which is down in the bottom right corner of Australia, with a cat the size of a walrus. Visit her at JudithRossell.com.

Judith Rossell worked as a government scientist (not a mad scientist, a normal kind of scientist), for a cotton spinning company (which made threads for t-shirts and tea bags), and studied textile design in Scotland before becoming a full-time author and illustrator. She has illustrated or written nearly a hundred children's books, including some by such internationally bestselling authors as Garth Nix and Jackie French. Jude lives in Melbourne, which is down in the bottom right corner of Australia, with a cat the size of a walrus. Visit her at JudithRossell.com.

About this edition

• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1481443674
• ISBN 13: 9781481443678
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 272
• Illustrator: Rossell Judith