Tag Philip Caveney

Flipped!

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Flipped!
Philip Caveney
Fox and Ink Books

This story takes inspiration from both the COVID pandemic and Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. Set in 2020 during a COVID lockdown, its main protagonist is fifteen year old Flip. His mother is a nurse practitioner at the local hospital and after on-line lessons undertaken with no enthusiasm during the summer term on Flip’s part, the school holiday has begun. He can neither spend time with his friends, nor enjoy a week or two abroad with his mum. He’s not a keen reader and so with little else to occupy him, Flip has taken to walking out onto the nearby North Kent Marshes.

On one of those walks, he comes upon a derelict house and curious, he decides to investigate. He heads inside and to his surprise a strangely dressed girl, seemingly of a similar age to himself, speaks to him. She says this, “So here you are at last. It’s about time. I’ve been waiting for you for ages.” Flip learns that her name is Estella. Estella is bemused by the mask he has and Flip is concerned that she has no awareness of social distancing nor any of the other rules introduced to stop the spread of the pandemic, though she does mention that there’s no cholera where they are. Estella leads Flip to a room where he must work on listing and ordering a collection of books, a task set for him by a Miss H. However Flip causes some chaos, escapes and goes home. There he does an online search for the name Estella, a search that leads him to the book Great Expectations. Rejecting that the strange girl in the house is part of the story, Flip returns, only to discover that he too seems to be a character in the story.

Unintentionally, his actions start affecting Dickens’s narrative: Flip really needs to find a way to set things right and leave the book once and for all: either that or remain forever trapped within its pages.

In addition to coping with this problematic situation, Flip is at the same time coping with consequences of his parents’ break-up, so many readers will find plenty to relate to in his story. It matters not that most will be unfamiliar with Great Expectations as Philip Caveney’s explanations of the Dickens’ characters are so well done. So too is Flip’s character who is utterly believable and easy to empathise with. A mystery story, with witty touches; strongly recommended for upper KS2/KS3 readers

Stand and Deliver!

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Stand and Deliver!
Philip Caveney
uclanpublishing

Having worked for most of my teaching career in the London Borough of Hounslow, close to Hounslow Heath, for 100 years between the 17th and 18th centuries, the most dangerous place in England on account of highwaymen, I was drawn to this story and quickly found myself gripped.

A victim of these times and of circumstance is young Ned. Awkward, shy and trying his best to find where he fits in the world, the lad has become unpaid assistant to The Shadow, the nation’s most feared highwayman aka Tom Gregory. Living in Epping Forest, The Shadow identifies himself with Robin Hood, robbing only the rich that cross his path as he proudly informs Ned, although conveniently, he ignores the part about giving to the poor and relies on his apprentice for assistance to avoid being sent to the gallows for his crimes.

Ned longs to be an apprentice carpenter but is too scared to run away from Tom Gregory in case he should end up in the workhouse. Instead he is pulled into a life of risky adventure and when Tom is injured, the lad finds himself taking over his master’s role and even briefly, his identity. Then he happens upon the infamous Bloodstone of Jaipur, a jewel said to be cursed and resulting in the death of every man who ever laid hands upon it. This jewel forces Ned to make a vital choice.

The tension builds as Ned makes new friends and some enemies too. The former include Eliza, bold determined daughter of thief-taker, William Parbold. While Parbold believes Eliza should be spending her time preparing to become a fine lady and thence wife to a good husband, she is determined to work alongside her father in a role that society at that time deemed totally unsuitable for a young woman.

As the tale twists and turns there’s plenty of excitement, daring deeds and some very scary episodes too, before this wonderful romp comes to a satisfying close.