The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow

The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow

Katherine Woodfine,

The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow

Egmont Books, 2015

ISBN 9781405276177

9-11 Shortlist 2016

 

On this shortlist:

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out of 5
 

 

 

Who Wrote It?

Katherine Woodfine was born in Preston, she went to university in Bristol and Manchester and now lives in London. She was always obsessed with books and reading as a child, so it made sense that her first ever job was working in a bookshop, in fact she continued working in bookshops until she was in charge of them! She has also worked for the reading charity Book Trust, which meant that she got to work at lots of exciting events and meet authors she admired. She now spends her time writing books and working on projects related to children’s books. 

What's It About?

Sophie can’t believe her luck when she lands a job at London’s most exciting new department store; as she and her friends (and rivals) prepare for the grand opening, London’s most dastardly criminals are plotting something terrible. Unfortunately for Sophie she is in the wrong place at the wrong time and becomes a suspect. Can she and her friends work out who the true culprit is? This is a good old-fashioned adventure story, with enchanting characters and fascinating Edwardian period details. 

Fact File

This is Katherine’s first book. The next book in this series, The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth, will be published in spring 2016.

In 2014, she started a monthly children’s book radio show ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ on Resonance 104.4FM http://downtherabbitholeradio.tumblr.com/about

Apart from books and reading, Katherine loves tea, cosy jumpers and of course, cake!

To find out more about Katherine visit her website http://katherinewoodfine.co.uk or follow her on Twitter: @followtheyellow

Your Reviews

Thomas from Calverley CofE primary school:

This book is an alright book but it is not really my type.I think it is aimed at girls.I would recommend this book to girly girls.If I was the writer I would write a book aimed at boys. I liked the mystery part of the story but not the bits about the shop.

"#all right":)

Thomas gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Thomas from Calverley CofE primary school:

This book is a all right book.It is not really my type.I think it is aimed at girls.i would reed this book of I was a girly girl.If I was the writer I would write a book aimed at boys

#all right

Thomas gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Thomas from Calverley CofE primary school:

This book is a all right book.It is not really my type.I think it is aimed at girls.i would reed this book of I was a girly girl.If I was the writer I would write a book aimed at boys

#all right

Thomas gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Leah from Rawdon st peters:

This book is a great read and it has so many amazing twists and turns. I also like the fact that with the baron they keep loads about him hidden because the author tries to keep up the mystery and suspense. The book doesn't tell you much about Sophie's past witch I would quite like to know about but other than that the book is really good!

Leah gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Harneeka from Allerton of E Primary School:

I really enjoyed this book!!! It was a real page turner which made it impossibly hard to put down!!! Therefore I rate this book a 5/5!!! I would recommend this book to people who enjoy reading mysterious books!!!

I hope anybody would like this book as I do and I look forward to reading more of Katherine Woodfine's books!!!!

Harneeka gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Téa from St.Francis Catholic Primary School:

I ENJOYED THIS BOOK SOOO MUCH. I don't really like mystery books but this one I love. It was really interesting beacause the clockwork sparrow was stolen. Overall this was my best book so far!!!

Téa gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Aaisha from Shire Oak C of E primary school:

I think that this book is alright it is not my type.I just really did not get most of it but well done i really like that its in London.You did a great job.

Aaisha gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 2 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Saarim from Calverley c of e primary school :

It was a good book it had good discription and this is an acrostic poem;

S is for superb

P is for puzzling

A is for awesome

R is for razziling

R is for roaringly good

O is for outraging

W is for wow

Saarim gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Amy from lawns park primary school:

I liked this book because when I was reading it I felt like I was becoming a detective

Amy gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 2 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Charlotte from Calverley C of E school :

I LOVED this book! I loved the plot. I liked it from start to finish. I really enjoyed the element of mystery and adventure throughout the whole book. The author described the setting and everything that was going on really well, so it helped me understand what was happening and I also knew what the characters were feeling, doing and where they were. I think this book was really creative and enjoyable for everyone to read. I really can't wait to read the mystery of the jeweled moth!

Charlotte gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Jagtar from Calverley c of e primary school:

My first instinct of this book was that it looked really boring but it got changed. I still didn't like it but it was a fraction better than i thought. There was a really smart when they showed how they cracked a code. Overall i didn't like it that much

Jagtar gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 2 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

tobias from calverley ce primary school:

This book was OK but it was to much of 'girly' book. I like the story line but its got too much of glitter and glamour for me

tobias gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Alex from Calverly C OF E primary school:

I did not like this book because I thought it was kind of girly because a lot of it was to do with fashion and clothes and it didn't really build up and there wasn't much action in it.I felt

like it needed a bit more suspense but I did like the description in it.But that's just me and I didn't get to read all of the book.

Alex gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 2 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Alex from Calverly C OF E primary school:

I did not like this book because I thought it was kind of girly because a lot of it was to do with fashion and clothes and it didn't really build up and there wasn't much action in it

Alex gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 2 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Harneeka from Allerton C of E Primary School:

I really enjoyed this book and has now turned out to be one of the best books I have ever read!!! I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone. Whenever I have stopped reading the book it has left me on a real cliff hanger. I hope anyone else who reads this book will enjoy it a lot. I am also very exited to read The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth which is by the same author and I hope I like that book as much as I do this one.

Harneeka gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Alice from ST Margaret's:

I gave this book a 4 because it was well written but I needed more in the exciting parts.My favourite character was Sophie because she was witty, clever and admirable.This book totally hooked me in as I felt sad and happy at all the times I was meant to .I would recommend this book to people who enjoy thrillers!

Alice gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Oliver from Otley All Saints C of E Primary School:

This book was awesome I really enjoyed it A really good mystery adventure book.I have one question though did you base the clockwork sparrow on the crown jewels? Billy was a very good detective, and Sophie starts off timid and then really shows her inner strength.I can tell what time scale it`s in I would guess just after the war.I don`t know what to say this book was above average,above amazing,it`s outstanding! The plot was genius and the way you emphasized St Clairs other shops seem terrible.Overall it was amazing ;if anything bad happened to a character I really felt for them. So keep on writing because it was awesome!So please reply because it s an awesome book!

Oliver gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Sarah from Green Lane Primary Academy:

The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow is a thrilling mystery about a young lady called Sophie who was lucky enough to get a job at the famous store - Sinclairs. While working in the Millinery Department , Sophie had met Lilian Rose, Billy and Joe. When Sophie gets accused from stealing the clockwork sparrow, she gets fired!!! Will the four friends prove Sophie innocent in time????

Lilian Rose was my favorite character. This is because when every other saleswomen had been mean to her Lil had stuck up to her by being nice. In this book Lil was shown as a very brave character, willing to prove Sophie innocent.

I recommend this book to people who like reading mystery stories, but personally I think everyone should read this book.

Sarah gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Sara from Harehills Primary School:

It was an adventurous book that took me took me on a quest.

Sara gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Charlotte from Allerton c of e primary school:

I thought that this book was really good and it suprised me on the bit when the revealed who took the clock work sparow

Charlotte gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Jodie from Lawns Park Primary School :

I didn't think I'd like this book bit when I started to read it I thoroughly enjoyed it it was a awesome book

Jodie gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Helena from Green Lane Primary Academy :

This book is about four young people Sophie (who works in the millinery department), Billy (a porter), Lil (A maniquen/ one of the captains girls) and Joe (who used to be one of the barons boys but is running from The Baron). Someone has burgled Sinclair's department store and Sophie gets the blame. Can these four young people find out who has really done it?

I recommend this to someone who likes mystery and adventure. This was one of my favourite books along with Gorilla Dawn which will give me a hard time choosing which to vote for.

Helena gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Georgina from St.nicholas catholic primary school:

I love love love this book I gave it 5 out of 5because I love a bit of mystery in books

Georgina gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Niall from Sacred Heart:

Sorry really not my type of book all it ever talks about is fashion and the clockwork sparrow.

Niall gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 1 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Erin from Westgate Primary School:

I didn't like this book it just kept going on about the same thing but I didn't finish it (I got to page 113)

Erin gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 2 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Matthew from Crossley Street Primary School :

An unusual setting for a crime, I enjoyed reading about the characters and how their lives were affected in the events which unfolded. I would recommend it for children who like crime stories.

Matthew gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

James 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀 from Westgate Primary School:

I didn't think I was going to enjoy this book but after the first few chapters I loved it and then it got really interesting. I gave it 4/5 because in the beginning it was a bit slow starting which I didn't enjoy that much but then it got more exciting and I never wanted to put it down.

James 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀 gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

James 🐷 from Westgate Primary School:

I didn't think I was going to enjoy this book but after the first few chapters I loved it and then it got really interesting. I gave it 4/5 because in the beginning it was a bit slow starting which I didn't enjoy that much but then it got more exciting and I never wanted to put it down.

James 🐷 gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Melissa from Lawns Park Primary School:

S for spectacular

P for pizzazle

A for awesome

R for roaringly good

R for razazzle

O for ooooh

W for wow

Melissa gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Jainaba from Alwoodley :

I liked this book. Also I like how Katherine Woodfine set the scene however it is not the type of book I would read again. I would recommend this book to any one who likes mystery. 3/5

Jainaba gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Joshua from Lawns Park Primary School:

I didn't really like this book , I'm sure Katherine Woodfine is a great author but I wasn't really keen on this book.

Joshua gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 2 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Matilda from st.margrets C of E primary school:

I enjoyed this book a lot, and i would recommend it someone who likes adventure and mystery. I couldn't understand it at first but when my mum read it with me I enjoyed and understood it REALLY WELL. I really like the book and I hope you all enjoy it if you come across it and start reading it.

I also gave it a 4 because I thought it was quite CONFUSING for me at the start, but once it got into a adventure it was BRILLIANT!!!!!

Matilda gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

:)Annie:) from ST Margret's C.of.E primary School:

This book is amazing so much mystery and crime. my favorite part is when

they find out that the baron was the one who did and not Sophie.i would definitely recommend this book to people who like mystery's . :)

:)Annie:) gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Holly from Beestonprimary Primary School:

This book was very good. My favourite character was Lil because she is very independent. I do think the characters found out the clues a bit too easily but overall it was very interesting.

Holly gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Liam from White Laith Primary:

I disliked the book and rated it 2/5 because the story was far too slow and boring. It was also very quick to add new characters it didn't explain them either. Overall, I think this type of book should be for people who read large parts at a time and like slow pace

Liam gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

taylor from harehills primary:

This book was very confusing at times and was intresting that is why I rate it 3 out of 5. I think Katherine woodfine is a brilliant author and writes amazing book Iwould like to read all of her books.

taylor gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Sophia from Rawdon St Peters:

The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow was quite a good book but I found it quite puzzling with the confusing yet amazing twists and turns. I only rated this book 3 out of 5 because at first it wasn't very clear who was who, but I read more and then it became more clear what was happening. The gripping descriptions were interesting but i think if the book had pictures it would be more exciting. Overall it wasn't as good as I expected it to be because the blurb at the back of the book was quite misleading.

Sophia gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Leah from Rawdon St Peters:

The mystery of the clock work sparrow is a bit confusing but at the same time it is a brilliant book.This book would be a bit better if there were a few more illustrations to give you a better picture of the characters and a better description of the characters too.I only rated this book 3 out of 5 because of the confusing yet exciting twists and turns.

use of the confusing

Leah gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

nathan from gildersome:

it was ok but it could be better

nathan gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Jack from Gildersome primary school:

WOW the mystery of the clockwork sparrow was an amazing book. It was full of excitement and laughter. This book was grilliant [brilliant and great]

Jack gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Joyce from Holy Rosary & St Annes :

I liked the opening of this book because it was very descriptive. This made me want to turn more pages. I felt sorry for Sophie at first but then she found a new friend. The story was set in Victorian times and I found it a bit hard to imagine the setting.

Joyce gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Joyce from Holy Rosary & St Annes :

The beginning of the book was interesting. The characters were introduced well - there was lots of description and I felt like I was getting to know them. I don't like mystery so it got a bit boring. I just want to know who did it.

Joyce gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Molly from Otley All Saints PrimarySchool:

I loved this book! It was so amazing!

Molly gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Matthew from St Benedict's:

I rated this book 2 out of 5 because although it's a great novel, it didn't inspire me or intrigue me either. It uses a variety of fancy, old-fashioned, posh words and some were discombobulating. I didn't like it that much because of where it was set and it was around the Victorian period. All round, it was an OK book, but just not my type.

Matthew gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 2 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Ella-Rois from Holy Family Catholic Primary School:

In my opinion this book was amazing because I could relate to the characters very well, especially Sophie because she is head-strong. My favourite scene was where Sophie was in the theatre because the author built tension when she was hiding behind the curtain.

This book is a murder mystery and a robbery. I'm planning on buying Katharine's other book 'the mystery of the jewelled moth'.

At he back of the book Katherine mentioned where she got the inspiration for the book which was Selfridges store in London.

I recommend this book for older readers (secondary school) because there are hard words and it is confusing. This book was for me and if you don't like books that are about mystery's you wouldn't like this.

Ella-Rois gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Eloise from Pudsey Waterloo primary school:

I found this exiting and I loved how all the different characters had very different personalities. The first few pages were hard to understand but after the first few chapters I understood the plot a bit more I would highly recommend this book to people who like murder mystery or very serious books. My favorite character is lilan because she is out going and loves to act like me!

Eloise gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Raichel from Holy Family Catholic Primary School:

This book is a Mystery which is probably why I dont like it! The books apearence personally was very different to the story its self, at first sight it looks intringing but know ive read it I realize its not. I didnt feel anything for the characters because they were not fun or realistic, the only thing about them that was realistic was there ordinary names. I reccommend this to high schools because of the vocab and complex story line.

Raichel gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 2 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

ABIGAIL-FALLON from HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL:

THIS BOOK WAS A MURDER MYSTERY AND THAT'S JUST NOT FOR ME. MY FAVOURITE CHARACTER WAS SOPHIE I WAS VERY SUPRISED BECAUSE I THOUGHT SHE WAS TOO NICE FOR WHO SHE PLAYED IN THE BOOK. THE CHARACTERS FELT REAL TO ME BECAUSE THEY HAD ORDINARY NAMES.MY FAVOURITE PART OF THE BOOK WAS THE END BECAUSE I REALLY WANTED TO KNOW WHO DID IT.I THOUGHT THIS BOOKS SCENES WERE OVERWRITTEN. UNFORTUNATELY I WASNT INTERESTED IN THIS BOOK AND I JUST WANTED TO GET TO THE END.I WOULD RECCOMEND THIS BOOK TO SECONDARY PUPILS BECAUSE THIS BOOK HAS SOME TRICKY WORDS WHICH I LIKED.

ABIGAIL-FALLON gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Zuzanna from Holy Family Catholic primary school:

This book was a mysterious book and I loved it! I could really relate to Sophie because she`s a very strong women and even though what she went through she still stayed strong. This book would be perfect for older children like me. This book had powerful words and I can`t wait to buy and read the next one ( The jewelled moth ) .

Zuzanna gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

rean from Shire Oak C of E primary school:

i think this book was very boring because it was dull. i think the authur needs to do better.

rean gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 2 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Urvi from St nicholas primary catholic school :

This book was intresting and it got me wondering about some of the puzzles

Urvi gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Martha from Southroyd primary:

This was a brilliant book with a great plot and an exiting twist I recommend this book to 8 and above. 😄😄

Martha gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Julliene from St Nicholas Catholic Primary School:

It wasn't one of the best books ever, but I liked it when they solved the riddle in the random list of items. But overall it was still a good book!

Julliene gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 2 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Ella from Crossley Street Primary school :

The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow was a phenomenal book with fantastic description. The plot had an awesome twist. I would recommend it for kids aged 8+.

Ella gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Madihah from Primary School:

Katherine Woodfine has wrote an amazing book and it is this one!I saw another book like this by her and I really want to read it!Sophie,Billie and Lil are amazing characters very interesting and very good detectives!I wish I was a detective like them.I gave it a 4/5 because the first 20 pages were a bit boring but after that I got into the book.

Madihah gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Yusuf from Allerton CofE primary school:

I found this book not so interesting as others but still better than Mel Foster.

Yusuf gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 2 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Megan from Southroyd:

I enjoyed this book, but it was confusing at times. Bully was my favourite character because he helped Joe. I would have enjoyed reading this book more if it made a bit more sense. This was my fourth favourite book.😆😀😄

Megan gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

hamza from allerton cofe primary:

I really didn't really like this book. I thought that the London theme was a bit boring.

hamza gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 1 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

OLIVIA from ST. URBANS:

THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING AND I WOULD DEFIANTLY RECOMMEND IT TO EVERY BOOK LOVER MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS ARE BILLY AND LIL BECAUSE THEY NEVER GAVE UP ON SOPHIE.

OLIVIA gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Abigail from Allerton C of E:

the mystery of the clockwork sparrow is amazing. There is a cliffhanger on every page making it impossible to put down! This book is both interesting and exciting and is a real page turner. I rate this book 5/5

Abigail gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Samuel from Great Preston C Of E Primary School :

I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery of the clockwork sparrow.It's a book full of unexpected twists and turns.The book is a about Sophie,a young girl,who works at one of Londons biggest department stores.However,she is accused of murdering a boy and stealing the priceless clockwork sparrow.If you like other mystery books I would definitely recommend this book to you.I would rate this book for 9-12 year olds because some smaller children may not understand the plot.

Samuel gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Joseph from Shire oak:

I think that the Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow is an amazing book with outstanding story structure that makes the text of it amazing.That's why I gave the book 5/5.

Joseph gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Ellie-May from St.Francis catholic primary:

I quite enjoyed this book however it had alot of information at

the start.This book wasn't really made for me as I like adventure stories. I gave this book a 3 because the information wasn't very important and I could have understood the book without the first 50 pages at least. I would recommend this book because it had a powerful ending and an ok story which I enjoyed.

Ellie-May gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Martha from Calverley C of E:

I really enjoyed this book because the time zone fits the mystery story really well. It also got very exiting very quickly which I found helpful because in my opinion I find it very inconvenient and boring when the author gives a really long build up. My favourite character was Lil because she is a very strong character and she isn't afraid of men. The only thing that I didn't like was in some parts of the book it went a bit off track and I didn't understand little bits of it. But on the whole I thought it was a really good book. I recommend this to people who are into action, crime and a good twist!

Martha gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Oliver from Calverley CofE primary:

I thought it was a good book but it needed to get onto the main story quicker.I would reccomend it to people who like mystery.And fashion.

Oliver gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Daniel from St Urban Catholic primary:

This book was OK its stated off very good but then it got a bit confusing there was too many characters in the book my favourite character was the Baron because he was very mysterious overall this book was very good

-Daniel

Daniel gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Caoimhe from St. Urban's :

This book is brilliant, it starts of a tiny bit slow but gets absolutely amazing!It is about a girl called Sophie who works in the Sinclair's department store. Sounds boring? Well its really not and i really enjoyed it! It is full of adventure and is packed full action. There is a cliff hanger on almost every page which made you never want to put this book down! Katherine Woodfine has wrote a brilliant book and it might be getting my vote! I really hope she makes a sequal!

Caoimhe gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Sophie from St.Urbans:

I loved this book,it was full of adventure and mystery.It is really enjoyable i would recommend this book to people who like detective books.I felt sorry for Sophie but once they cracked the case then it was good.You would never guess who stole the clockwork sparrow and who is working for the mysterious Barron!My favorite characters are: Sophie,because she is very brave and she overcomes lots of her fears,Billy because he is also very kind-hearted and brave and he is also very good at crack detective cases and finally Lilian because she is very likable,good at detective cases and codes and she is always happy .I really liked this book so i rated it 5/5.IT would be good if there was another sequal because it ends in a cliff hanger if there was another book of it i would definitely read it! I think other children should read this book because they would really like it, I certainly did!

Sophie gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Joseph from St. Urbans:

This book is very enjoyable and is full of breath-taking action. It is full of mysterious scenes and many cliff hangers. My favourite character is a young girl called Sophie who is a really adventurous. Billy is also a kind-hearted and good man. Over all this book is very good.

Joseph gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Niyah from Scared heart primary Leeds :

This book was not for me at all I thought the first two pages were alright but I found it quite boring beacuse it just kept going on about the same thing

Niyah gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 1 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Sean from St Urbans Catholic Primary School:

I really enjoyed this book, it all made sense. I loved the part with the secret messages because it was really clever and very secret but unfortunately for the baron Sophie and Lil were smart enough to figure it out. I would recommend this book to people who like mysteries and adventure.

Sean gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Kate from Crossley Street:

I thought this book was alright, however for the first half of the book it went on in way too much detail. I liked the story line and the characters. My favourite character is Sophia.

Kate gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 2 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Caitlan from Beeston primary :

I really enjoyed this book it is my favourite book I've read so far! I think there is nothing to fault. I give it a 5/5 for everything

Caitlan gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Jamie from Gildersome Primary School:

A really good and enjoying to read and would definitely recommend this book to you. I liked the character Billy the best. A really, really super book one of the best I have read

Jamie gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Stanley from Gildersome Primary School:

This is my favourite book so far. I liked the plot and the characters as well. My favourite character is Billy. I would definitely recommend it.

Stanley gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Violet from Adel Primary School:

I like this book however for me this wasn't my kind of book.I personally think that the book is to mysterious for me.I also think book is a bit too short and I would love if the book was longer.I recommend this book who like mysterious adventures.I like this book but it wasn't for me.

Violet gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Megan from Gildersome Primary School:

I absolutely loved this book, it's my favorite book so far. This book is full of adventure. I really hope it wins.

Megan gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Jonathan from Farsley Farfield:

This book was sadly not quite for me, although the mysteries were interesting, the speed of the book does not pick up for a while.

Jonathan gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Blaise from Farsley Farfield Primary School:

I really liked the book 'The Clockwork Sparrow' It is quite action packed and I really enjoyed it. I think Katherine should do more books like these because me, being an 11 year old, really enjoy reading it.

Blaise gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Patrick from Raynville Primary School:

I loved this story. It's very interesting, although I found it slow to get into at the start. It's exciting and there are a lot of surprising twists. I would recommend it to people who like mystery stories. I followed the clues in the story to work out what had happened but I still didn't manage to guess everything.

Patrick gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Lizzie from kippax greenfield:

The mystery of the clock work sparrow, is a book full of mysteries in the chapters.Each chapter pulls you in to read more. This book has lots of twists and turns,which takes you onto an adventure with billy and Sophie. To find the culprit.

Lizzie gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Jemima from Horsforth Featherbank Primary School:

I loved the mystery of the clockwork sparrow. I think it was fantastic. The plot was very interesting and I think that the description was great. I loved the beautiful front cover and felt like I was Sophie! I really hope that I can meet Katherine Woodfine!

Jemima gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

MEGAN from FEATHERBANK PRIMARY SCHOOL:

I think that this book was fantastic. The plot was very interesting the description was beautiful, I almost felt like I was Sophie. The minute I saw the front cover I was immediately wondering what it was about. I am looking forward to going to meet some of the authors and really hope that I will be able to meet Katherine Woodfine.

MEGAN gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Gabriel from Pudsey Waterloo Primary School:

This book is fantastic full of great characters and has a good plot . I would recommend this book for people who like detective and mystery stories. It has a big posh criminal mastermind who stole a lot of costly gems jewels and gold its a funny surprising and very entertaining its a very good book.

Gabriel gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Sienna from White Laith Primary School:

I really liked this book because it is set in the Victorian times. My favourite character is Sophie because she is brave ; she stands up for her friends. The beginning part of the book is quite boring however when the plot begins it becomes more interesting. Also, the book is very descriptive and well written. My favourite part of the book is the middle and the end because it is the most interesting and enjoyable part. I would recommended this book to girls than boys.

Sienna gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Cezara from Allerton CE primary school :

I really enjoyed this book because I really like mysterious.I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysterious.

Cezara gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Billie-may from Sacred heart Catholic primary school :

I didn't enjoy the book because it isn't really my kind of style.I did think the description was good in different places.I did, sadly, find this book boring because it detailed too much for me

Billie-may gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 2 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Daniel from Westgate Primary School:

The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow was a well written book with a good plot. Sophie has just got a job at Sinclair's, a new department store opened in London. She is really excited, as it is supposed to be the biggest store in England, and perhaps the world! However, on the opening day, the jewel-encrusted clockwork sparrow, along with several other treasures from the Exhibition Hall, are stolen from Sinclair's. Sophie, gets the blame, and is sacked. How can she (and her three friends, Joe, Billy and Lil) prove that she is innocent?

The Clockwork Sparrow is set in the 1800s in London, which makes it more effective than if it was set in modern day London, as it has a magical and mysterious feel to it. It contains cold hearted villains, epic disguises and true friendships. The book also catches you by surprise, many a time.

I can only give the book a 4 out 5 as I wasn't as caught up in the action and the plot as I was with some of the other books. But, with smuggling, chasing, and tucking into buns, I would recommend it to anyone who likes that sort of story.

Daniel gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Ramatoulie from Alwoodley primary school:

The mystery of the clockwork sparrow was really interesting because I liked how it only dropped little hints.It was spooky and also it made you want to read on.The start of the book was a little bit slow and not very exiting but after you read on it is really good I am looking forward to reading the next book.

Ramatoulie gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Maryam from Alwoodley Primary School:

I enjoyed reading this book because it was very descriptive;however,I think it started of a tiny bit boring but the mystery made it good. It was quite interesting and it was nothing to what I thought it was. It didn't jump up to me and it didnt really jump out to me.

Maryam gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Bayleigh from Ireland Wood Primary School:

To be honest I don't really like this book. The background story is quite boring in my opinion. I would recomend this book to girls rather than boys.

Bayleigh gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 2 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Jacob from Crowley-st-Primary-school:

Unfortunately I found this book to be boring, thus I couldn't buildup any enthusiasm.It is a great pity that the overview didn't match the actual content.

Jacob gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Anna from Adel Primary School:

I enjoyed reading this book as it was very descriptive;however,I think it started of a tiny bit boring but the mystery rose my mood. I also like the the snippets of newspaper in the different sections. Congratulations Katherine woodfine as this is an amazing book.

Anna gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Katarina from Adel Primary School:

The clockwork sparrow was an easy-read, light-hearted book that balanced humor and mystery perfectly, I loved the descriptions of Sinclair's! The book was very enjoyable but I didn't like the way it tied all of the ends off, it was also very short and I would have liked more about what happened to the clockwork sparrow.

Katarina gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Emily from St.Anthony's Catholic Primary School:

I would definitely recommend this book because it is easy to picture the scene in your head. The author created lots of tension and suspense throughout the whole story and there was a lot of detail included. My favourite character was Sophie because she was very brave and always honest.

Emily gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Ellie from Great Preston C of E primary school:

When I started reading this book is was okay.But when I got further into it ,it got better and better.If you like mystery books then this is a must read.But if you don't like mystery books then you should read this book because it might get you into them.There is a lot of twists and turn so you never know what's going to come next.If your like me then you will always be trying to guess what comes next.I would recommend this book to any 9 -12 year old.Mainly because of some of the language used and little kids might not be able to understand it.

Ellie gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Dominic from Ryceroft academy:

I rated this book a 2 out of 5 because I just don't like. In my opinion it's not my type of book.

Dominic gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 1 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Anna from Weetwood primary:

I think the mystery of the clockwork sparrow is a superb book that is a real page turner and keeps you hanging on for what's going to happen next.IWould highly recommend this book for anyone who likes danger,mysteries and betrayle!

Anna gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

theodore from Shire oak:

The mystery of the clockwork sparrow is a great book that is very exciting and has an adventurous ending I think this is a brilliant book!

theodore gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Archie from Shire oak:

The mystery of the clockwork sparrow is a great book for mysteries personally my favourite charecter is billy an average boy . I would recommend this book to 9-15 year olds.

Archie gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Harry from West End Primary School:

In this book Miss Sophie Taylor has got a job at one of the most prestigious shops in London: Sinclairs. It has everything you can imagine, frocks,robes,a restaurant,cakes,toys,dresses and hats. One day Billy , a friend, got his jacket all dirty and Sophie had forgotten it; she was going to clean it. She ran to the store stealthily and slipped inside,got the jacket when the Clockwork Sparrow, a priceless Jewel, caught her eye. Mr cooper sent her back home and all was well until she arrived at Sinclairs and got sacked.

In this book you'll be gasping as mysteries are discovered,breaking locks and codes. There's loads of surprises and turns that make you hook on to this book. I never predicted the ending so that why I give this book a 5 out of 5.

Harry gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Alisha from Calverley C of E :

I think that this book was very good and it was very detailed it was fairly easy to picture in my head what was going on although I thought it would be a little bit hard for 9 year-old children to understand.Looking at the cover of the book i thought it would be a bit more vintage than it was. Sophie was my favorite character because she reminds me of myself.I would recommend this to others.

Alisha gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Asha from Calverley cofe primary school:

I really enjoyed reading this book as it involves a lot of mystery and adventure.At first it seemed kind of girly but then it got a bit more mysterious. One thing I might change is how it changes perspective a lot,it is hard to understand who is saying what. I would recommend this book to both girls and boys.

Asha gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Isha from Allerton Church of England Primary:

This book is really nice .I really like the title because i like mysteries . I recommend this book to people who like mysteries .

Isha gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Ella from Crossley Street :

The one problem with this book was that it started exciting ,then became boring and this happened quite a lot. In the end, I would describe it as thrilling. This book had amazing descriptive language, that is inspiring to children whom like writing stories. I would recommend this book to the same age range as it is already. I would read the duplicate to this book, as I saw it in a shop, only I can't decide whether it will be too similar.

Ella gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Danielle from GreenLanePrimaryAcademy:

Welcome to the world of bon-bons, elegance, mystery and laughter. Where you meet: Miss Sophie Taylor and Miss Lillian Rose and together they take on suspicious mishappenings in London's most exciting department store (Sinclair's.)

Sophie can't believe it when she lands a job in Sinclair's as she and her colleagues prepare for exciting the opening night. However, the priceless clockwork sparrow has been stolen and unfortunately-being in the wrong place at the worong time- Sophie is the likely suspect. Can the pair figure out the true person to blame.

I loved the front cover of the book. It caught my attention immediatley. Unfortunately, the start of the book made sense but wasn't interesting. The first lines of a book will determine whether you close it or venture on. Luckily the second chapter gave a much-needed positive boost.

My favorite character is Lilian. I didn't think she and Sophie would click as Lil was one of the capitn's girls and dressed equisitley. However their unlikely friendship seemed meant to be. Lil was a brave character and I found she was different to a captin girl for she didn't care for being too clean and dainty. Lil played a very important role in the book and without her it wouldn't have been the same.

My favourite part of the book is the middle and end because they wouldn't let me put the book down.

Three words to describe this book would be: thrilling, plot-twisting and unexpecting.

My only problem with most mystery books is I don't find them enjoyable to read again as you already know who the "mystery" person is.

Overall I enjoyed Katherine Woodfine's book and I can't wait for her next one.

Danielle gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Gursian from Crossley Street Primary School:

This book didn't look as good to me at first, however I was okay to have a go at reading it. After reading the first half of the book I was quite bored the next half didn't get better. Other than the vocabulary i just did not enjoy it.

Gursian gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 2 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Benjamin from Chapel Allerton Primary School:

When I read the first few chapters of this book it was boring and I was tempted to stop reading it but I didn't. I'm glad not to have stopped because this book has got the most adventure which was fast flowing and tense. Due to the start of the book I am going to give this book a 8.5/10.

Benjamin gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Emma from Southroyd Primary:

I really enjoyed this book because of the mystery and drama behind mysteries. I enjoyed this book so much that I even read it twice. I would recommend this book to children that love to read crime and mystery e.g. Sherlock Holmes etc.

Emma gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Sam from Southroyd primary school:

I enjoyed this book once I got into it but it was quite hard to get into. I didn't think it would be my sort of book because I prefer action and adventure but I enjoyed it in the end. I liked that it was a mystery.

Sam gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Jayna from Adel Primary School:

I liked the mystery in this book and was very keen on the fact that the plot was unpredictable.I think that this this book would be great for anyone that likes to read mystery stories and stories with twists in them.

Jayna gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Megan from ST.Margaret's :

I gave this book a 5 out of 5 because I like books with mystery and adventure and this book has both.My favourite character is Sophie because she is the hero of the story!I would recommend this book to people who like a good solid read.

Megan gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Ella from S.T Margrets :

I thought it was a good book because it had more than one crime in it. I found this book amazing though I gave it a 4 because it wasn't the best book I have ever read. I would recomend this book to anyone who likes crime.

Ella gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Alice from St Margaret's:

This book was extremely easy to read and very well written. I loved the characters and the parts they played.The reason why I gave this book a four was because I needed more in the exiting and dangerous parts.I also thought the plot was clever because it was almost like reality but with a twinge of excitement .One of the best parts for me was the very start .All in all it was very good!

Alice gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

leah from Beeston primary :

This book was ok.It wasnt my cup of tea but it would be good for people who like mysterys.It was tense at some parts, but some times it was a bit boring.The only parts that were boring were the characters speaking to each other about nothing really.I rated this book a three because the chapters didnt have names they just had a number, and it had words in it I didnt understand.

leah gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Evie from Farsley Farfield:

The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow is a gripping story of a model, a book reading boy and a shop helper who try to solve the mystery of a Clockwork Sparrow, while trying to stop a villain called The Barron.

Evie gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Ariane from Alwoodley Primary School:

I really enjoyed this book and found the vocabulary slightly different. I like the way it's set in the Victorian times and I think that the style really fits the book. The suspense and apprehension that this book creates made me reading page after page wanting to find out who did it. This book is awesome and I have recommended this book to my friends. I think this book is a 9+ but if you are a mystery seeking person then this book is perfect for you.

Ariane gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Emily from Otley All Saints primary school:

I adored this book it made me sit on the edge of my seat.I loved the part when Sophie was .....

I also liked the part when she was going down the stairs.One word aaaammmaaazzziiinnnggg!!!

Emily gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Scarlett from Horsforth Featherbank Primary School:

This book is interesting, exciting and adventurous with a certain thrill to it and an air of mystery! This book is strange at first but then developes into a really great book!

Scarlett gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Emily from Sacred heart primary school:

This book Is amazing and will get confusing.it kept me interested and I wanted to read more however this book is not my favourite book because some bits are boring. It's like when you open the book it's like you start a different adventure. It contains a bit of humour but I request more humorous parts. You could imagine the scene is detailed and it was unpredictable.

Emily gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Natasha from Southroyd Primary School:

I really enjoyed this book because when a crime had already happened then another one started so the book wasn't over straight away

Natasha gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Eve from Southroyd Primary:

This book didn't appeal to me at first sight, however I was willing to have a go at reading it. After reading the first half of the book I was unimpressed; the next half didn't get better. Despite the good vocabulary and sentences it just wasn't my style.

Eve gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 1 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Lucas from Westgate Primary School:

This book is about a girl called Sophie who works at a department store in London. And when the priceless clockwork sparrow gets stolen, she and her friends set out to solve it. I am giving this book a 4 out of 5 because the story was great but the vocabulary wasn't very good. Overall, it was a good book, and well done Katherine Woodfine.

Lucas gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Amy from Green Lane Primary Academy :

Sophie Taylor is lucky enough to become a milliner in the new Sinclair's Department store. Will this job be like any other?

I liked this book because the settings of the story was written with a lot of detail. I also liked it because everything was solved at the end. Most of the characters felt real to me especially Sophie.

There wasn't really anything I disliked about the book.

I would recommend this book to people 9+. Also I would recommend this book to fans of mystery stories.

Amy gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Amy from Green Lane Primary Academy :

Sophie Taylor is lucky enough to become a milliner in the new Sinclair's Department store. Will this job be like any other?

I liked this book because the settings of the story was written with a lot of detail. I also liked it because everything was solved at the end. Most of the characters felt real to me especially Sophie.

There wasn't really anything I disliked about the book.

I would recommend this book to people 9+. Also I would recommend this book to fans of mystery stories.

Amy gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Eloise from Middleton St. Marys CofE Primary School:

I enjoyed this book because it really made me want to read more every time I read it. I would highly recommend this book to everyone of my friends.

Eloise gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Bethany from Middleton St Mary's C of E Primary School :

I really enjoyed this book it is very mystery like i love mystery books they keep the reader interested and want them to keep reading. I would recommend this book to everyone of my friends.

Bethany gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Emily from Gildersome Primary School:

This book is amazing! Although it sometimes may get a little bit confusing I still love it. I'm starting to want to read it forever! I can't put this book down so I definitely think you should read it. Miss Sophie Taylor is sophisticated in her own unique way, she's amazing like the book!!!!!!

Emily gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Max from st.margarets:

I think this book is very eventful and exiting.I love the idea of all the murder mysteries and robberies all linked into one terrible villain.I think it was a very good idea to put this on the Leeds Book Awards because of the WIDE variety of children who might enjoy it.

Max gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Liam from Allerton Bywater:

I didn't find it the most interesting book I've ever read because it was more of a historical book and I'm more of an action and fiction person. However the end was my favorite part of this book as it was more of a dramatic scene.

Liam gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 2 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Erin from Allerton Bywater Primary:

I found this book at first all over the place but when I stuck to it I found it more and more interesting. This book is an exciting story to read but it is intense at times.

Erin gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Charlie from Beeston primary school:

I loved this book.I wished when I finished I had the next book.When I was reading I blocked out everything so I could understand the meaning of the words.

Charlie gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Edie from weetwood:

I think it's a very good book but the start of it is a bit boring. I would have given it 4.5. I would like to read more of these books.

Edie gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Fintan from St Francis:

The mystery of the clockwork sparrow is a very detailed book. It was very sad and when something bad happened it really connected with me.Some parts did not make sense.I would recommend it to other people

Fintan gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Elijah from Shire oak:

This book is about a teen-aged girl called Sophie, who is paired up with another girl named Lilian.They both break codes and solve mysteries.What I really like about this book is that it can be funny and scary at parts.The character I like the best is billy.I recommend it to ages nine and up

Elijah gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

georgie from st.benedict's:

I found this book nice at the start but then it became hard to understand and I enjoyed it. I recommend this to people that like mystery. It is a nice book and everyone should try it.

georgie gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Antony from Shire oak:

clockwork sparrow is not my type of book but i think the author has explained the story well.

Antony gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 2 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

claudia from southroyd primary school:

i realy liked this book because it was about mystery and crime wich is one of my favourite genores.My favourie charater in this book is sophie because i think she is very interesting.

claudia gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Molly from Ryecroft Academy:

I enjoyed this book because it was very interesting there was exiting parts and sad parts. This book is a good book for children also for adults that enjoy to read. This is really fun and interesting to sit back and relax. Wow I really think this book is good for the people that really enjoy reading. Go on read this book.

Molly gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Emily from calverly C of E:

I love this book because it reminds me of selfridges.my favourite caracter was lil because she is very sweet but when you get to know her she is confident and sassy.The only thing is when you get to the next chapter it switches to a different perspective.I would recommend it to some others too!

Emily gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Ritika from Calverly C of E:

I really enjoyed this book because it all about mysteries and is really adventurous I would recommend this book to others some of my favourite characters are lil and Sophie because they are confident in what they do however it moves to what one character is doing and moves to another.

Ritika gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Elle from Beeston Primary School:

I think this book is really good.I really love when something happens to Sinclairs its sneaky and makes you read more and more.The only bad thing and why i rated it four is that the chapters are too long for my liking but apart from i really love your book Katherine

Elle gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Mark from Beeston Primary:

this book is packed with mystery. First your accusing one character, then your blaming the next. You won't know what hit you!

Mark gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Isabella from Otley All Saints Primary School :

This is an amazing roller - coaster ride of a story,leaping from place to place. The book takes place mostly in Picadilly Circus. The main venue is an enormous department store named Sinclairs. Sophie (the main charactor)is amazing, she escapes, solves the mystery as well as making three new friends. The best bit is that Sophie never gives up. She always carries on even when all hope is lost. This is why I believe this book is absolutely amazing.

Isabella gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Catherine from Featherbank Primary School:

The Mystery Of The Clockwork Sparrow is a really interesting book. There is a surprise on every page you turn and it has incredible description.

In this book you can follow Lil, Sophie and Billy cracking codes and solving mysteries in the biggest department store in London, Sinclair's.

This story was set in the Victorian year when they had shillings.

I think Katherine Woodfine has a really great imagination and can make it very tense and can make you feel sorry for the character in need. This book is great if you like mysteries and a slight spooky touch to it.It is a bit slow into the plot but when you get into it, it is brilliant.

Overall I would give this gripping book a 5/5.

Catherine gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Evie from Horsforth Featherbank Primary School :

This book is full of mystery with the slightest hint of humour at parts. It is set in Victorian London, at a shop called Sinclair's. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, however I found the beginning slightly boring. When it began to get exciting, I couldn't put it down!

Evie gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Lauren from Hunslet S.T Marys:

I rate this book a 4 because it is a good book and it is interesting,but some parts are hard to follow.

Lauren gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Madison from Huslet st marys :

The mystery of the clockwork sparrow is a really good book but has loads of characters in which is good but one page it is about Sophie and other Billy but is really interesting some parts was hard to follow but you have to concentrate.

Madison gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Leah from Hunslet St Marys :

The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow was a really interesting book,although I found it was a bit hard to follow , but I still liked it. I am giving it a 4 because it was always leaving each chapter on a cliffhanger. I also liked it because it was a mystery book and I love mystery books.

Leah gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Alanis from Hunslet St Mary's:

This book was very intriguing and is definately going to be hard to beat. I'm going to give THE MYSTERY OF THE CLOCKWORK SPARROW a 4,because it was hard to follow the scenes. It was a brilliant book and Katherine Woodfine must have worked her socks of to get it this good. It was my taste to because I love mystery books.

Alanis gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Morgan from Hunslet st marys :

I loved the book it was so interesting I loved finding out who the burglars was. Also I thought some bits was hard to follow on but still I loved the book .

Morgan gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Chloe from Hunslet ST Marys :

I rate this book a four because I think it is a really good book and is interesting however I found it hard to follow because it goes from one thing to another without explaining it enough.

Chloe gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Charlie from Weetwood primary school :

Great book with a great mystery.

Charlie gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Keira from St Francis Cathlic Primary School Morley:

I really enjoyed this book because it was very unpredictable and you could visualise the scene she was setting.I gave this book a 4 because I thought that parts of it didn't fit in with the story and they seemed a bit random.On the whole I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it.

Keira gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Lauren from Green Lane Primary Academy:

This book is about 2 girls (Miss Sophie Taylor and Miss Lilian Rose) who break codes and bring villains to justice. If you like an exciting, adventure, mystery story then this book is for you. I would give this book a 4 out of 5 because i already who did something bad on 'chapter 8'. However this book was very good.

Lauren gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Chloe from Crossley Street Primary:

It was a slow start but as soon as I read the first few pages I really got into it. Once I started reading I couldn't stop! My favourite character was Sophie because she was very determined like me! There were lots of unexpected scenes. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a mystery.

It was outstanding!

Chloe gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Giaan from Weetwood Primary School:

YES!!!!! I am in love with murder, mystery kind of books and this is just my type of book!! Of course my favourite characters are the bad characters so of course I did not like Sophie! I of course would recommend this to ANYONE!! Go on... what are you waiting for read it!!

Giaan gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Isla from Green Lane Primary Acaademy:

This book was a classic mystery story with twists at every chapter.It gets more interesting as you progress through the book. I think Sophie was an interesting character but my favourite character was Joe. He was described well and was not mentioned much, but was intriguing when he was mentioned.

Isla gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Maisie from Green Lane Primary Academy:

I really like this book and I would recommend this book for people who like some mystery and unexpected scenes. When I started reading the first few pages I didn't really like it but it got a lot better through the book.

Maisie gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Zoe from Green Lane Primary Academy:

The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow is a story that is set in the Victorian era; in a department store. My favourite part was the main problem- the mystery of the clockwork sparrow because it is intriguing. I would recommend this book to people who like stories that aren't funny but are full of twists and turns.

Zoe gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Matthew from Green Lane Primary Academy:

This book is quite good because it is fast paced and adventurous from start to finish. The mysteries are well explained with a spooky atmosphere.

Matthew gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Matthew from Green Lane Primary Academy:

This book is quite good because it is fast paced and adventurous from start to finish. The mysteries are well explained with a spooky atmosphere.

Matthew gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Sarah from Weetwood Primary school:

I love it how 2 16 years olds,and a 10 year old can solve a mystery involving murders and gangs.Its so exciting and mysterious that you can't

guess what is going to happen next!I couldn't put it down!My favourite character was Sophie because she was always really determined and positive!

The people who would like this book would be people who love mystery and action!

Sarah gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Niall from Sacred Heart RC Primary School:

The clockwork sparrow is a book about two women Sophie Taylor and Lilian Rose the story is set in 1910's London. It is a mystery and adventure story about a criminal called 'The Baron' terrorising Sinclair's department store first the baron shoots a man and at the end they stop the Baron blowing up Sinclair's. Billy also meets Mr Sinclair and Sophie and Lil get the files back.

Niall gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Hannah from crossley street primary school:

the front cover was really eye catching I was really excited to start reading. when I started I couldn`t stop. It was a slow start but it got really exciting!!!!! It has a bit of humour and a very good plot and an amazing story line. I highly recommend it.

Hannah gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Martha from Crossley street primary school :

it was slow start but you can get really into it! its eye catching and great to read. I couldn't get my head out of it! after reading the blurb I really wanted to read it. good plots, great story line. full of crime and a bit humour I would highly recommend it.

Martha gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Madison from Green Lane Primary Academy:

This book was very enjoyable. It is very mysterious and it didn't end up how I thought it would. The first few pages for me wasn't as interesting as the rest of the book but I still really enjoyed it- it had lots of great cliffhangers. I would give this book 5 stars because it has lots of twists and turns and I couldn't put the book down. I would recommend this book for people who like mystery and I cant wait to read the next book in the series! .

Madison gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

James from Thorner C of E primary:

I loved the Clockwork Sparrow as it was a very mysterious and interesting book. The wacky friendship between Sophie and Lil was prodigious as they worked together ( with the help of Joe and Bill ) to crack the case of the Clockwork sparrow. I would say it was an adventure genre and the tension grows throughout the book, very enjoyable! It's a book you won't want to put down!!!

James gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Zainab from Wigton Moor Primary School:

My first reaction to the book was i really want it!The first part of the book was slow but after reading the blurb i knew it would get better so i kept on reading it and it was absoulutly amazing!!!I especially liked it because it told you one of the people who was involved in the crime but then it gave you a big suprise near to the end.When ever it reveals a mystery there is another.I recomend this to people who love mysterys.-Like me- I can't wait to read the next book in the amazing series!!

Zainab gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Amreet from Wigton Moor Primary School:

When I first saw the book I was so excited and overwhelmed to read it. The cover drew me in with it's very fancy writing. At the start of the book it was very slow and I wasn't very keen of it but I carried on reading and it turned out very interesting. If I would describe the book in one word it would be mysterious. I have thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to people who like mystery.

Amreet gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Freya from Wigton Moor Primary School:

When I got the book I was really excited and the front cover was really eye-catching but when I read it I was disappointed with it because it was really slow but it got a bit better towards the end.

Freya gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 2 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Laura from Thorner C of E Primary SChool:

I thought this book was a very exiting book although at the start was a bit slow at first but after about 40 pages I started to get into it and I really enjoyed it. Specially after they had stolen the clockwork sparrow . I hope you enjoy it.

Laura gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Black Lotus by Kieran Fanning.

Hattie from Thorner C of E Primary School:

I thought that the start was slow but once I got into it I couldn't put it down! It's got a good plot with some great cliff hangers at the end of the chapters. I love the connection between the 4 friends. I like that Joe decides to help them find the robber and how his knowledge of the baron boys helped them come up with a plan.

A very good book. With a brilliant end...Read it!!!!!

Hattie gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Jamie from Weetwood Primary Shool:

There was a lot of action and I couldn`t put it down. The book was a very mysterious book and is set in Picadilly, London in 1909. The three main characters were very good at cracking codes like the Caesar code.

Jamie gave The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.