BooksforTopics Reading for Pleasure Recommendations
Book Title: Clifftoppers: The Arrowhead Moor Adventure (available here)
Author: Fleur Hitchcock
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Publication Date: May 2019
Most Suitable For: KS2
Reviewed By: Caroline Waldron (@askyermother), Teaching Assistant & Librarian
Four cousins – Aiden, Ava, Chloe and Josh – are staying with their grandparents along with their pet dog, Bella, at a farmhouse in the country. After nearly getting knocked down by a fast car during a bike ride one day, they discover the woman who narrowly missed them has more to hide than just her bad driving.
After overhearing a suspicious conversation outside a sinister-looking country pub, they decide to follow her and in so doing stumble upon a trail of missing royal diamonds, some stolen sheep and a gang of dangerous, daring jewel thieves. A thrilling chase across the moors ensues, complete with swirling mist, dangerous bogs and even a spot of breaking and entering. Will the cousins be able to track down the missing diamonds?
I grew up reading Enid Blyton’s Famous Five series. I loved the ordinariness of the children, the excitement of their adventures and their freedom to roam the countryside without adult supervision. This book takes me back to that time of reading under the blankets with a torch. Set against a fabulous backdrop of beautiful stately homes and gardens, wild moors and twisting, turning country lanes, this story shares the same sense of adventure as the Famous Five but is brought up to date for young readers in the modern age.
This series will appeal to children in Key Stage Two, from keen readers in Year 3 upwards. A classic adventure story with plenty of action and daring rescues topped off with a good helping of home-baked scones.
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You can order Clifftoppers: The Arrowhead Moor Adventure online or from your local bookshop or library.
Many thanks to the publisher for sending us a review copy of this book and to Caroline for reviewing it.