Hester, Huckleberry and the Sugar House Hauntings

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. From the publisher Mark Roland Langdale’s third children’s book is a wacky and wonderful read that debunks the stigma of dyslexia. Hester, Huckleberry and the Sugar House Hauntings is a coming of age tale between Hester and Huckleberry who encounter a haunted sugar house, a haunted steamboat named the grey lady (who, when she puts her mind to it, can fly!), a flying ice cream bicycle cart, and a whole host of dark and magical creatures. Having suffered with dyslexia his whole life, Mark’s stories also share an important message about encouraging a love of reading and writing in those who also experience difficulty with words. His previous book Penny Farthing and the Man in the Moon also confronted issues surrounding autism – a common theme as Mark delves into real life issues that are affecting young children today. Full of wildly colourful illustrations, Mark’s stories encapsulate the true essence of a joyful children’s book that appeal to children age 8 and over. With more magic and mystery than you can shake a stick at, this book is a truly eye-opening and enjoyable read.

Oh, why do I start reading books at 10.00pm? Answer: SO I can stay up until well after midnight to finish this book! As someone with the inability and problem of not being able to delineate between Ps and Bs (ie, I took a path in the pathup and 3s and Es I can understand suffering from dyslexia. I once had a boss who rolled her eyes at my learning disability and the "havoc it rained on her library" --- as we say in the south BLESS HER HEART. That aside, this was a wonderful book to read but I am not sure if an eight-year-old would stick to this book: I would recommend that they try it and see if they can stay focused to perhaps wait a few years. I am going to have my 11-year-old nephew read this book this week and ask him his opinion as he is the intended audience of this book, not me a middle-aged librarian! The illustrations were totally enjoyable and the book deserves a solid 4.5 stars rounded up to five!