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The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling
Audiobook5 hours

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling

Written by Maryrose Wood

Narrated by Katherine Kellgren

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

The first book in the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place—the acclaimed and hilarious Victorian mystery series by Maryrose Wood, perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket and Trenton Lee Stewart—has a brand-new look.

Discovered in the forest of Ashton Place, the Incorrigibles are no ordinary children. Luckily, Miss Penelope Lumley is no ordinary governess. 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 eliminate their canine tendencies.

But mysteries abound at Ashton Place: Who are these three wild creatures? Why does Old Timothy, the coachman, lurk around every corner? Will Penelope be able to civilize the Incorrigibles in time for Lady Constance's holiday ball? And what on earth is a schottische?

LanguageEnglish
PublisherBalzer Bray
Release dateFeb 23, 2010
ISBN9780061988325
Author

Maryrose Wood

Maryrose Wood is the author of the first five books (so far!) in this series about the Incorrigible children and their governess. These books may be considered works of fiction, which is to say, the true bits and the untrue bits are so thoroughly mixed together that no one should be able to tell the difference. This process of fabrication is fully permitted under the terms of the author's Poetic License, which is one of her most prized possessions. Maryrose's other qualifications for writing these tales include a scandalous stint as a professional thespian, many years as a private governess to two curious and occasionally rambunctious pupils, and whatever literary insights she may have gleaned from living in close proximity to a clever but disobedient dog.

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Reviews for The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place

Rating: 4.122052727877947 out of 5 stars
4/5

721 ratings83 reviews

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  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    I didn't like the 19th century theme and it was a bit boring.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Very delightful book. The narrator Katherine was great, and made a lot of wolf-like sounds. It really makes me feel that I am part of the story. A very warm tale indeed. I look forward to finding out the mysteries in the following series.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Sweet story. Needed a break from more intense books and this provided the perfect escape. The story is well written and voice actor is amazing.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is delightful. I’m so glad I decided to listen to it on audio instead of just reading it. The narration is excellent. The story is great, the characters are well done, and I’ve never met more delightful children in my life. I’d highly recommend this to absolutely anyone!

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It was a fun thrilling book and with great mysteries
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Delightful read! The writing style and characters are quirky and hilarious.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved it! Fascinating. I'm so sad, the next books in the series are not available till June 17! I kept thinking about it, so I just listened to the rest of it. I couldn't stop!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Very slow to pick up, but the mystery keeps the reader going and sets up well for the remainder of the series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was a new story to my grandchildren ( a girl, 10 and a boy 8 ) and I. We are delighted with the children. The story is well told and the narrator is perfect! I am sure we could not enjoy this book any more.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    We listened to this on audiobook, and it was a favorite with the whole family. Hilarious writing and fantastic narration. I knocked off one star because I don't like cliffhanger endings.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This has been a gripping story, and the reader did an exceptionally excellent job!!! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am excited to share the series with my little ones. On to the the next title!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Utterly charming and delightful (children’s) story about three quite unusually wild but lovable young children and their somewhat flabbergasted new governess.

    The over the top fantastic narration by the (now) late Katherine Kellgren makes this darling story all that more enjoyable. I plan to listen to the entire series, and highly recommend to children of ALL ages, from one to one hundred plus....☺️
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is such a good book I really recommend this book
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Absolutely fantastic!! We finished in two days because we couldn’t stop listening.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    A fifteen year old becomes the governess at a strange and mysterious manor. Her charges are three children found living among the wolves; she civilizes them while trying to puzzle out her boss's motives.

    Too young for me to enjoy, but a nice read if you've been missing the Lemony Snicket series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Fifteen-year-old Penelope Lumley is hired to be a governess for a trio of feral children discovered in Lord Fredrick's vast, forested land. Penelope is proper and efficient in bringing the children along to a semblance of civility but there are hints and shadows of people's intentions not being quite right when it comes to the children's welfare. Thus sets the scene for this new series that could be a cousin to the Series of Unfortunate Events books. The narrator's tone is pert, brisk and practical with just a hint of winking humor. A great choice for a read-aloud and quite suitable for gifted readers.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great book,it makes the time fly while lying on the couch or the bed, I'd love to give a great thanks to mary rosewood.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Narrated by Katherine Kellgren.

    This book was *made* to be listened to on audiobook. I don't think you'd get half as much out of it by reading the printed version.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Well, this is a book that turns ridiculous up to ten, and then just runs away with it. I can only hope there will be more offended cat noises in the future, as they are a delight to my heart. The audio book version of it is superb, with just the right mix of pragmatic governess voice and assorted delightful animal noises. Hilarious, over the top, and full of sound advice.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Children's fiction--older grades. A 15-y.o. graduate from the Swanburne school for poor girls is fortunate to land a job as a governess at a stately manor--but the children turn out have been raised by wolves (literally) and Lord and Lady Ashton, her employers (and the children's wards), have issues of their own. The humor in this series is light and dark at the same time and I'm disappointed to not find out what the dark secret is behind these children's abandonment in the woods (presumably this will be revealed in book 4 or 5 or 10 of the series)--my brain assumes the worst, but kids probably won't be as troubled by it. There are parts that I found rankling (much brandishing of hunting rifles and simultaneous adult characters' comparing the children to wildlife) so I would definitely not recommend this to all families, but this might well make an enjoyable read-aloud to adults and older children.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is just a lovely book. It has all that British flair that I just adore in books and Katherine Kellgren is an amazing narrator (one of the best in my opinion). It was just funny and it doesn't talk down to the reader. I loved the hidden sarcasm. I wanted to be Penelope Lumley. (She kinda reminded me of Anne Shirley) I'd never heard of these books before the YA Syn literature but I am interested in checking out the rest of the audiobooks.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Narrator Review:
    Without a doubt, Katherine Kellgren is my favorite new narrator. This book came to life because of her narration! She has fantastic voices for each character, the best of which in my opinion is Miss Penelope Lumley herself. Even her male voices are pretty spot on! She reads at a very pleasant pace, and makes sure to emphasize things that are "proper" in the book. If I had read this rather than listened to it, I'm sure I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. That's not to say the story isn't amazing, but hearing Kellgren howl, giggle and act proper was truly my favorite part of this book. If you can get your hands on the Audio CD, do it!

    Audio Book Rating: 5/5 - I highly recommend listening to this audio book!

    ********************

    Book Review:
    The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place is by far the most fun middle grade series that I've started so far! Yes, I made sure it was indeed a series. I'm so smitten that if it wasn't I might have thrown a tantrum. The Mysterious Howling is the first book in the series, and it sets up quite a delightful set of characters and situations. More than anything I loved how original this story was. I digress though, let's get back to sharing with you why you need to read this book.

    First of all the premise of the story is fantastic. Three orphans from the woods, apparently raised by wolves, are brought to Ashton Place. The only problem? They need looking after of course! Enter Miss Penelope Lumley, one of the sweetest characters I've met in a long time with a heart that is so huge it might literally explode. She finds a fondness for the children, despite their wolfish ways, and vows to treat them as any other charges she might have had. What ensues is a funny and rollicking story, complete with quite a few twists and turns along the way!

    Those of you out there who find it necessary to love your characters will find it hard to ignore Miss Penelope Lumley and her adorable charges. Ever the professional lady, Penelope spends the book musing on the wise words of her mentor, Miss Agatha Swanburne. As for the young ones, Cassiopeia, Alexander and Beowulf are massive balls of sweet energy! From the moment they enter the scene, there is fun to be had. Then there is Lady Constance, who I must say I rather disliked but I think we are meant to, and Sir Ashton who I wanted to kick. Hard. Yes, that about rounds it out! All of them are different, each one has their own fantastic personality, and I found it hard not to feel a fondness for each of them in turn.

    By far, my favorite part of this story was the third person view, that mostly focused on Penelope's thoughts. Watching her ponder over what to do next, scheme at how to help the children, and even let her thoughts wander, was so fantastic. If there was ever a character that I would blindly follow into many books beyond the first, it would be her. As I mentioned above, if you can get your hands on the audio book do it! Katherine Kellgren creates a voice for Penelope that made me smile again and again.

    Long story short, this is one that you need to try! If you enjoy Victorian era mysteries, or even just crave a good middle grade novel, this one is for you. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling has snuggled its way into my heart, and I for one can not wait to dive into the next installment.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a book club pick chosen by our resident librarian! I personally enjoyed the book and am now committed to reading at least the next installment because I need to know who is up to what. I knew going in this was a children's book but as I was reading I kept wondering what age group was this targeted to. If I had that answer I think I might have quit thinking that some of the subject matter might be over the readers head. It does remind me of the Lemony Snicket series which I enjoyed reading when my girls were reading them. My one regret was I had to read this during a very busy time and could not commit to just sitting down and reading it in large doses, that made it a bit fragmented so I am inclined to think and nit pick more than just enjoy the story. Over all I would recommend it to literary minded young people.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I listened to the audio version of this book, first I have to say that Katherine Kellgren was an excellent narrator, she made the narration very enjoyable.

    This first installment of The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place was great! The writing style reminded me a bit of Lemony Snicket and his Series of Unfortunate Events, but that’s the extent of the familiarity.

    Maryrose Wood’s story has the usual gothic novel feel, a young governess, Miss Penelope Lumley (reminiscent of Jane Eyre), is hired to look after Alexander, Cassiopeia and Beowulf in a mansion that seemed filled with mysteries. The children have a very peculiar condition and the master of the house seem to have a secret himself.

    The pacing of this novel is perfect, the story has quite a few humorous bits and it was difficult to not fall instantly in love with Alexander, Cassiopeia and Beowulf. They were intelligent and cared for each other and with the help of Miss Lumley they worked hard to assimilate to their new environment in Ashton Place.

    This is a great read for families and a book that adults will enjoy as much as children. If you’re a fan of the Lemony Sincket series, this is the book for you.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This series has been compared to Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, and that comparison is very true, in my opinion. Unfortunately, I didn't like Lemony Snicket's series, so I wish I had read that comparison before I started this book. Most of the characters in the book were very flat. There was a huge mysterious buildup as to who the orphan children really are, but unfortunately, little resolution was given to the end of the story. One major event was resolved (the Christmas Party), but everything else was pushed off to the next book in the series. I don't mind cliffhangers, but I would like something to hold me until I get to the next book. I was left with nothing on this one. Slightly disappointing.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The 5th book of this series just came out, and I finally got around to reading the first one. I really enjoyed it; it is smart, funny, engaging and quirky. With a lexile level of 1000 and an AR level of 6.8, this is a great book for those middle grade students who need a higher reading level without some of the YA content. It contains many pearls of wisdom from the inimitable Agatha Swanburne, not to mention our young governess-heroine Penelope. There are quotes from literature, and even some Latin phrases thrown in for good measure. With that being said, you might assume this is one of those books that adults love but middle graders don't like. However, I have several students who love this series. This would be a good family read-aloud, or a road trip book. I understand the narrarator is fabulous. There are a lot of mysteries left unexplained, so be ready to start the next one quickly
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Great tongue-in-cheek look at the indomitable Miss Lumley and her enlightened view of how to deal with these "incorrigible" children while living within the constraints of her job. There's no way I'm going to stop here-- the back story is hinted at and its chilling to think of how it will play out (before Miss Lumley gets things under control).
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A charming, whimsical, and intriguing start to a new series. Jane Eyre meets Lemony Snicket.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Such a fun and delightful book! I adored it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Fun and quick read about 3 children found in the woods & their "civilizing" by the 15-year-old narrator who has been hired to be their governess.