The Valley of the Lost Secrets Written by Lesley Parr. Reviewed by Iona, Age 10

The Valley of Lost Secrets is a book I found deeply emotional but thoroughly enjoyed reading. I was drawn to the book because I had studied World War Two at school and loved reading the wartime classic with my class: “Goodnight Mister Tom” by Michelle Magorian. The Valley of Lost Secrets offered a different fictional perspective of evacuation during the war, seeing three London children move to the Welsh countryside.

I would say the novel is suited for Year 6 and above based on the subject matter and some offensive language used throughout the novel. The description of the Welsh countryside made me feel as if I was there and the story gripped me, making me empathise with every hard situation evacuees had to face. It made me realise how hard it must be to be away from your parents for so long!

From the start of the book, mysteries pile up and the reader starts asking questions about this countryside where everyone is strangely quiet. The main illustration in the book is found at the start of each chapter. It shows an old tree, a wych elm in a field near a stream where the protagonists spend much time in this location.

As the book progresses, objects are added on the tree, reflecting new friendships with the main characters or questions answered about these mysterious objects. About a quarter through, I noticed a secret code at the bottom of each left page (a letter instead of the page number), adding to the mystery! All these details were sure to keep me reading constantly to solve the puzzle!

The end left me deeply moved and I even shed a few tears. I would definitely recommend the novel to others who like adventure and mystery.