Ettie and the Midnight Pool

A hauntingly beautiful story about growing up, exploring the secrets of the past, and facing the darkness within.

Ettie has lived blissfully with just her grandma for company and the wild woods as her playground. Until she meets the mysterious Cora and she starts to crave more – now she wants to explore further, to discover secrets of her own. So, when Cora leads her to the hidden quarry pool – deep, cold, beautiful and dangerously inviting – Ettie is ready to jump straight in. But the quarry has secrets too, and Ettie will have to dive deep into the darkness to uncover them…

This poignant story of courage and hope makes links to ancient myths and fairy stories to show the darkness and light in stories, and show that not all stories end with happily ever after. Gripped, I read this haunting adventure story in one sitting as I was intrigued by the characters in the book. Having so few characters made me more connected with them and their story and want to find out what was going to happen next.

An easy independent read for a more mature Year 5 or Year 6 reader. The author shares her love and knowledge of nature throughout the story with beautiful descriptions to share the power of nature from gardening to swimming in tarns and caves, whilst telling the story of Ettie uncovering the truth about her family and what has happened in the past.