The Incorrigible Children of Ashton place is a tongue-in cheek, clever, and highly entertaining children series that can be enjoyed by both younger readers and adults alike. I definitely recommend picking up this series if you are looking for a fun read.

Description: Since returning from London, the three Incorrigible children and their plucky governess, Miss Penelope Lumley, have been exceedingly busy. Despite their wolfish upbringing, the children have taken up bird-watching, with no unfortunate consequences—yet. And a perplexing gift raises hard questions about how Penelope came to be left at the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females and why her parents never bothered to return for her.
   But hers is not the only family mystery to solve. When Lord Fredrick's long-absent mother arrives with the noted explorer Admiral Faucet, gruesome secrets tumble out of the Ashton family tree. And when the admiral's prized racing ostrich gets loose in the forest, it will take all the Incorrigibles' skills to find her.
  The hunt for the runaway ostrich is on. But Penelope is worried. Once back in the wild, will the children forget about books and poetry and go back to their howling, wolfish ways? What if they never want to come back to Ashton Place at all?

Review: The Incorrigible children of Ashton Place are back! The third book is in this highly entertaining series is filled with colorful characters, witty humor, adventure, and a touch of mystery. In order to fully enjoy the Unseen Guest, I highly recommended reading the first two books first in the series as Wood doesn't fully recap her story thus far. Readers are given tantalizing pieces of the puzzle concerning the children's origins and their connection to Miss Lumley and Ashton Place which continue to be cleverly revealed and well plotted throughout the story, creating just the right balance of light and dark aspects of the story.
  The Unseen Guest begins with the appearance of a stray ostrich, soon followed by the Widow Ashton and Admiral Faucet (pronounced Faw-say) who plans on raising, racing, and marketing ostrich as a means to a fortune. Faucet believes he has hit the jackpot with this brilliant new idea but just to be on the safe side he also has plans to marry wealthy Widow Ashton. Unlike the other adults who have adverse reactions to the Inccorigibles, Faucet is fascinated by them and believes they could be profitable to him if they were used as exhibitions in a traveling show. When Bertha the ostrich goes missing, he is mollified to have them lead the search in the nearby forest.
  Once back in the forest in which they were originally found, the children revert to many of their wolfish ways, much to Miss Lumley's chagrin. Though Miss Lumley and I loved seeing the Inccorigibles comfortably back home, it was painful to see them so cut-off from the rest of the world. Wood proves once again that she can cleverly use animals to highlight the great aspects of humanity when she has some awful characters. When Bertha is found and the Inccorigibles unharmed, all of Faucet's schemes come crumbling down with the appearance of Judge Quinzy. Or is it really the Widow Ashton's late husband? Quinzy/Ashton doesn't stick around long enough for a definitive answer, but his widow is convinced of his identity and cancels her engagement to Faucet. He departs, and readers are left with an epilogue that only whets the appetite for the next installment in this wonderful series. Good thing book 4 is only a few months away!

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 4 and up.

If you like this book try: The Interrupted Tale (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #4), Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

  The Mysterious Howling was an entertaining read and I couldn't wait to read more of this series. The second book, The Hidden Gallery, does not disappoint. Questions about the Incorrigible’s backgrounds, Penelope’s connections to them, and Lord Ashton’s own wolfish behavior set the stage for the next act of this most excellent adventure.

Description: Thanks to their plucky governess, Miss Penelope Lumley, Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia are much more like children than wolf cubs now. They are accustomed to wearing clothes. They hardly ever howl at the moon. And for the most part, they resist the urge to chase squirrels up trees.
  Yet the Incorrigibles are not entirely civilized, and still managed to ruin Lady Constance's Christmas ball, nearly destroying the grand house. So while Ashton Place is being restored, Penelope, the Ashtons, and the children take up residence in London. As they explore the city, Penelope and the Incorrigibles discover more about themselves as clues about the children's--and Penelope's own--mysterious past crop up in the most unexpected ways.


Review: The fun and chaos continues in this enjoyable sequel to The Mysterious Howling. Transplanted to London while repairs are being made to manorial Ashton Place in the wake of the last episode's disastrous and hilarious climax of introducing the Incorrigibles at the Ashton Place's Christmas ball, inexperienced but resourceful governess Penelope Lumley looks forward to taking care of her charges in London. Though the Incorrigibles have the veneer of civilization, they still retain their wolf-like characteristics but Penelope is determined to make sure everyone has a good time and is in one piece. 
   Of course to much of Penelope's dismay and to the delight of the reader, events quickly get out of hand. The plot of the second book moves slowly compared to the first book as we are introduced to new characters with ambiguous identities, astonishing apparent coincidences and take a moment to sight-see 19th century London (which I didn't mind at all. I loved my visit to London and want to go back!) as the plot thickens.
  The plot and suspense escalates when Penelope and the Incorrgibles attend a play with pirates (who are also possibly real)- you can only imagine the trouble they get into! We also meet a dashing, helpful, unemployed playwright who I'm really hoping would be a love interest for Penelope as sparks of chemistry fly between them. More questions arise as vague warnings, references to a prophecy, and a strange guidebook emerges that might hold all the clues to Penelope and the Incorrigibles' past. I couldn't wait to jump into the third book to find out more. 

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 4 and up.

If you like this book try: The Unseen Guest (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #3), Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

  What do you get when you mix the sensibility of Jane Eyre with the tongue in cheek humor of Lemony Snicket? A thoroughly enjoyable series called The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place. Currently there are four books in the series, which can be enjoyed by a wide audience. The Mysterious Howling is the first book in the series.

Description: Found running wild in the forest of Ashton Place, the Incorrigibles are no ordinary children: Alexander, age ten or thereabouts, keeps his siblings in line with gentle nips; Cassiopeia, perhaps four or five, has a bark that is (usually) worse than her bite; and Beowulf, age somewhere-in-the-middle, is alarmingly adept at chasing squirrels.
   Luckily, Miss Penelope Lumley is no ordinary governess. Only fifteen years old and a recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, Penelope embraces the challenge of her new position. Though she is eager to instruct the children in Latin verbs and the proper use of globes, first she must help them overcome their canine tendencies.
  But mysteries abound at Ashton Place: Who are these three wild creatures, and how did they come to live in the vast forests of the estate? Why does Old Timothy, the coachman, lurk around every corner? Will Penelope be able to teach the Incorrigibles table manners and socially useful phrases in time for Lady Constance's holiday ball? And what on earth is a schottische?


Review: The Mysterious Howling has all the check-marks for a Lemony Snicket ripoff: three unfortunate orphans, a series of unexplained events, and a droll offstage narrator but those similarities stop there as Wood takes a refreshing look at these old conventions in children's literature. You see the children of Ashton place were raised literally by wolves and they really aren't the protagonists of the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series. The main character is actually a Mary Poppins like teen governess named Miss Penelope Lumley who has recently graduated from the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females.     
  Penelope is an adorable, naive, fresh-off-from-school graduate who is ready for her first job. When she sees a job posting for a governess, she applies and gets the offer right away despite the fact that so many people have tried to convince her not to take the job. Understanding commitment, Penelope accepts the offer and believes there is nothing that can deter her from being a successful governess that is until she meets the children- three near-naked bodies, so dirty that you can barely see their eyes, and who are growling like wolves. 
  Instead of running out of the household like any ordinary governess, Penelope takes the time to understand the children by learning about how wolves behave in nature and thus using those skills to get the attention of her charges. Penelope is sweet and patient with the Incorrigibles and soon they gain her trust and loyalty. The Incorigibles make large strides in their learning as Penelope actually has them listening to poetry, playing about with Latin, and forming almost complete sentences. Named after various characters in history and literature, the Incorrigibles are delightful and their training session with Penelope was my favorite part of the book, which had me chuckling and smiling. 
  While Penelope has been able to manage the Incorigibles thus far, there is a sense of foreboding at Ashton Place. There are a lot questions raised and mysteries to be solved such as how did Lord Fredrick came upon these children? Who wants them out of Ashton Place and why? Is there someone living behind the staircase wall who is making all the weird noises at the manor? There are also questions surrounding Penelope herself: Why was the job post specifically targeted to her? Why does she have the same hair color and type as the Incorrigibles? While nothing of these questions are addressed, I didn't mind it so much because it is just a starter of a really promising series. Smartly written with good understanding of its middle-grade audience as well as adult humor that may fall under the young readers radar, The Mysterious Howling, is both fun and funny. I enjoyed it so much that I've already have the next two books up for review soon. The series gets better and better and I can't wait to see what lies ahead for Penelope and the Incorrigibles.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 4-6.

If you like this book try: The Hidden Gallery (The Incorrigible Children of Aston Place #2), Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry