Aaaaa I wish my eldest still read these books! Must get my younger two looking at them #readwithme Post a Reply

She wouldn’t listen to Papa, and insisted that her sons had to be properly educated, which meant sending them to Kilbourne. Grandpapa insisted too, though he didn’t go to public school himself. Grandpapa generally has the final say, because he is the provider. Papa calls him the Great Provider. He doesn’t say it in a very Christian way. All in all, I found this novel very interesting and I have taken in a lot of information on different perspectives and how lives were in the Victorian times. I now feel I could reflect on my new knowledge, which could then make my actions more thankful and generous. It could also perhaps lead me into being more understanding with other people’s problems and maybe more giving to others who are less able or unfortunate. I’m afraid I’m not inspired by whiskery old gentlemen with bulging waistcoats and tartan trews,’ Papa said. Sometimes I find it very hard indeed to like Mama. However, I love Papa and I will try to learn to sketch properly for his sake. Decided to take this one slower than other books I've read so far this year. I remember reading Hetty Feather ten years ago not long after it was published, and her brief reappearance, along with Wilson's writing in general, made me feel nostalgic for my cousin's box room where we used to hunch over books with endless cups of tea....I'm probably being unfair. The book is very well researched and written, clear enough for children to understand even the things that seem very unfamiliar. And unlike some of the recent ones, it does finish, more or less, rather than stop. I'm guessing there'll be more from either Clover or Rose in another year. When a young girl, Clover Moon, joins the household as a nursemaid to Rose's troubled sister Beth, and she meets her father's bohemian protégé Paris Walker, she starts to learn more about the wider world. I really enjoyed Rose Rivers as it is an interesting story. It is set in the Victorian times and is very well written. What I liked about the book is how all the characters behaved in the style of the time. Another thing I liked was Rose's protestations about Beth being called stupid and not right in the head. Something I found interesting about it was that the lower class and upper class are friends, something unusual for the times. My favourite character was Beth, as I found her interesting and sensitive. I would recommend the book to anyone, but it may not be suitable for younger readers, as it has references to bodies. The only think I would change would be not seeing Hetty more.

I think I would definitely recommend it to friends and pupils because of how enjoyable it is with the amazing plot twist at the end of the book. I’m sure they would have the same positive overall comments as me. As well as winning many awards for her books, including the Children’s Book of the Year, Jacqueline is a former Children’s Laureate, and in 2008 she was appointed a Dame. You dress like a hoyden, Rose! How can you wander around barefoot, like a ragamuffin off the streets? Have you even brushed your hair this morning? Stop frowning at me like that! Your forehead creases in such an ugly fashion. It’s because you always have your head in a book! You will end up having to wear spectacles like a frumpy old spinster.’ Rose has a difficult relationship with her mother. Rose’s father tries to encourage her to follow in his artistic footsteps, but Rose doesn’t have her father’s talent. But when a young artist friend of her father, Paris Walker, visits the house, Rose starts to find herself more interested in art. There's this small section that pushed the rating up. It seemed like Clover was speaking to every upper-class condescending character in JW books (trust me, there's more than you'd think):

a painter also, encourages her she can't help but fall a little for Paris as he's older but shows her attention. As Paris is commissioned to paint a portrait of her mother, Rose gets the chance to spend time with him where he encourages her greatly. She discovers she is a talented comedy sketch artist where as painting isn't her forte.