The Griffin Gate

Vashti Hardy

Illustrated by Natalie Smillie

Grace’s family have been wardens of the map since her Grandmother invented it to keep the people of Moreland safe.  Each gate on the map can teleport a warden to answer a distress call.  Too young to be a warden, Grace is desperate to go on missions herself.  Left alone in the map room when a call comes in, the temptation to answer it is too great to resist.

This is the first book in a new series and is a pacy adventure with plenty of twists set in a fantasy world full of intriguing inventions. There is sibling rivalry, a clockwork Raven and treacherous goings on.  It is very much in the steampunk style of Hardy’s Brightstorm and Wildspark and clearly leaves the door open for further adventures in its sequel, The Puffin Portal, due in 2021.  

Published by Barrington Stoke it is targeted at emergent, reluctant and dyslexic readers.  They use a dyslexia friendly font, tinted paper and layouts that support accessibility.  The reading age for this book is 8, but it will interest readers 8-12.  At just over 100 pages it is short enough to be manageable, but still feels like a substantial read.

Below is Vashti Hardy talking about the book, doing a reading and suggesting a writing activity.

Here is a draw along with Natalie Smillie who did the fantastic illustrations. 

There is more information about the author and her other books on her website and an activity sheet linked to the book from Barrington Stoke.