You’d think that after growing up in a travelling circus with Luigi the lion tamer, Sharp-eye-Sheila the knife thrower, Magnificent Marvin the magician, Boris the strongest guy ever, Tina and Tawna the acrobat twins, Doris the scientist, Fanella and last but not least Pym, going to Saint Smithens would be so boring! But not for Poppy Pym. At first Poppy is against the idea, after all wouldn’t all the other kids think she was different and new and weird? But when Poppy unwillingly says good bye to her circus home and steps into her new dormitory she meets dreamy Ingrid and titchy Kip. They soon become the best of friends. Later they find out about the awesome Egyptian relics that are coming to school. It’s in their history lesson that they find out about the cursed ruby that is also arriving and has seemingly claimed the lives of many…
That’s when strange and horrible things start happening and they all start to happen at exactly the same time as the ruby arrived. So is this curse real or is it someone’s perfectly executed plot?
I love this story because it’s witty and I especially like the fact that the book interacts with the reader so much. The book is also a winner of the Montegrappa Scholastic Prize.
My favourite character is Ingrid because the teachers take one look at her and think that she is daydreaming in his or her lesson which of course offends the teacher very much. Then they ask her a tremendously difficult question that Ingrid answers correctly without hesitation which leaves a teacher dumbfounded.
I like this story because even when nothing adventurous is happening the tale has you on the edge of your seat wondering what’s going to happen next or biting your nails in fear(though you should try not to do that because it’s unhygienic)or in hospital because you broke your ribs with laughter (I wouldn’t recommend that either).
Have you read it yet?
The Books On Our Shelf 