By Sophie Anderson (author)
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This sparkling debut weaves the captivating folklore of Baba Yaga with the thrills of a classic venturing-out-into-the-world quest, replete with primal conflicts, tantalising twists and an unforgettable protagonist that readers will truly root for.
Twelve-year-old Marinka yearns to live in a “normal house” and to have a “normal family”, but instead her house has chicken legs, and her grandmother is a Yaga, a Guardian of The Gate between this world and the next. Worse still, in Marinka’s eyes, is that it’s her destiny to become a Yaga herself, to take on the duty of giving the dead “one last wonderful evening” before they “return to the stars”. Baba Yaga has long warned Marinka of the dangers of venturing too far in the world of the living, but her desire “to have friendships that last more than one night” is so strong that she’s prepared to risk everything .
Teetering on the cusp of childhood and adulthood, Marinka’s frustrations and determination to find her own way in the world will truly strike a chord with the intended readership. This age-old conflict is delivered with heart and skillfully interwoven with the glorious trimmings of the original folklore.
Add to this the twists, the unveiling of truths and the critical choices Marinka must make and you have a heartily satisfying novel that’s ideal for fans of Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book . Older readers might also enjoy Circus of the Unseen , which offers an alternate re-working of Baba Yaga’s infinitely enthralling Slavic folklore. Radiant with wonder and wisdom, this is an exceptional debut.
Shortlisted for The Branford Boase Award 2019 | UKLA Longlist Book Awards - 2019 | Shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Awards 2019, Best Story category | Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2019 | May 2018 Debut of the Month | One of our 2018 Books of the Year
My house has chicken legs. Two or three times a year, without warning, it stands up inthe middle of the night and walks away from where we've been living.
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Marinka dreams of a normal life,where her house stays somewhere long enough for her to make friends. But her house has chicken legs and moves on without warning. The only people Marinka meets are dead; they disappear when her grandmother, Baba Yaga, guides them through The Gate. Marinka wants to change her destiny, but her househas other ideas.
A story about finding your own destiny, even when your future seems written in the stars, perfect for fans of Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Katherine Rundell and Neil Gaiman.
“A bold and beautifully-built adventure, Anderson’s storytelling transported me from the very first chapter.” Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Girl of Ink and Stars
“Filled with warmth and spun from gossamer threads of magic. I loved it!” - Peter Bunzl, author of Cogheart
“[A] delicious, exquisite tale.” Emma Carroll, author of Letters from the Lighthouse
“A spellbinding tale, beautifully told and full of heart. Pure magic.” Claire Fayers, author of The Accidental Pirates
“A début that had me reading late into the night.” Fiona Noble, The Bookseller
“A truly unforgettable story that will stay with me for ever.” Jo Clarke, BookloverJo
“A very special book… The world building is up there with Pullman.” Ashley Booth, The Teaching Booth
“A magical story that celebrates the wonders of travel, the joys of living well, and the (seldom explored) importance of death.” Mitch Johnson, author of Kick
Sophie Anderson was born in Swansea, and now lives in the Lake District with her family. Her writing is most often inspired by folk and fairy stories, especially the Slavic tales her Prussian grandmother told her when she was young.
Across her bestselling novels, Sophie has won the Independent Bookshop Book of the Year Award and the Wales Book of the Year Award, and been shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal twice, the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, the Blue Peter Book Award, the British Book Awards' Children's Fiction Book of the Year, the Andersen Prize, and the Branford Boase Award. Sophie's books have been translated into over twenty-five languages, and The House with Chicken Legs has been adapted for stage by Les Enfants Terribles.
Photo credit seenickphotography
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Super different tale.
The book is about a girl named Marinka and her house with chicken legs, that moves around every night! Her Baba Yaga wants her to help guide the dead, making her the next guardian, but she doesn't want to.... Read Full Review
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The House with Chicken Legs and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
The House with Chicken Legs features in the following genres: Adventure Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Stories about Family and Friends, Fantasy / Magical, Featured Books for 9+ readers, Recommendations, Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery / Mythology, Children’s / Teenage: General interest, Recommended Children's eBooks, Books Reviewed by our Reader Review Panels, Featured Books for 11+ readers
Paperback. £8.09, down from the £8.99 cover price. In Stock.
The House with Chicken Legs was written by Sophie Anderson and published by Usborne Publishing Ltd
The House with Chicken Legs has 336 pages
£8.09, reduced from £8.99. In Stock.
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