Wormwood Mire, by Judith Rossell

In this sequel to Withering-by-Sea, Stella Montgomery has been banished by her formidable aunts to the crumbling gothic manor Wormwood Mire. Stella is out of her depth, away from the awful aunts but also away from the comfortable hotel on the coast, with maids and chef-cooked meals. She does have the company of her new-found cousins, aspiring engineer Strideforth and animal loving Hortense. There is also the botany-obsessed governess Miss Araminter, housekeeper Mrs Burdock and her grandson Jem. The house and its grounds are full of mystery, with exotic flora and fauna imported by an intrepid ancestor. And there is also the mystery of Stella’s connection to the house – she discovers that she lived there as a baby, but what happened to her mother and sister and who is her father? As Stella gains independence and builds a friendship with her cousins, she begins to find answers to some of her questions, while uncovering several more. The hardback version of this book is beautifully illustrated by the author, although the green print is a little hard on the eyes. The story is dark and satisfying, with a nice lead-in to what will undoubtedly be a suitable third instalment of Stella’s tale.

Finn Family Moomintroll, by Tove Jansson

Revisiting Moomin Valley after many years absence is a sheer pleasure. Written in the 1940s and 50s, the tales hold up just fine in the modern age, beautifully illustrated by the author and seamlessly translated. Set in a gorgeous natural world of spring and summer (because moomintrolls hibernate in winter), there are mountains to climb, rivers and seas to sail and forests to roam. Moomintroll and his friends enjoy feasts and treasures, exploration and adventures and meeting new and wonderful creatures. Their lives are not without fear or danger, but there is nothing that can’t be overcome by a practical approach to life and Moominmama’s cooking or Moominpapa’s homespun philosophy. Fun and kindness permeate the stories, which are a delight for children to read or listen to and for adults to read aloud.