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Catherine Condie
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Whirl of the Wheel Kindle Edition

by Catherine Condie (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.5 3.5 out of 5 stars 155 ratings
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Three children whirl back in time through an enchanted potter’s wheel into the reality of evacuation in 1940s Britain . . . Whirl of the Wheel pulls feisty Connie, her brother Charlie-Mouse, and school pest Malcolm into dangers on the homefront and towards a military operations secret that will save their home. The children hit trouble when Malcolm fails to return to the present day. This fast-moving adventure will keep you guessing . . .
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  1. Print length
    109 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    October 18, 2010
  5. File size
    243 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Magic, time travel and adventure all entwined in a clever fast-paced and most enjoyable book. --Suzannah Burke

A lovely blend of magic and realistic historical fiction. I was reminded of the 'Green Knowe' books with the shifting time element and the wonderful old house, a character in its own right. --Shayne Parkinson, Author of the Promises to Keep trilogy

About the Author

Born in Cambridge, UK, Catherine Condie trained as a business linguist. Her first job was in corporate communications and public relations, where she progressed as an in-house writer and magazine editor in the science community. She is also a singer/songwriter and guitarist with a catalogue of ballads and folk-pop, which she first performed in the Club Tent at the Cambridge Folk Festival at the age of 19. Catherine has been writing and publishing her children's fiction books since 2009.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0047O2R1A
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bear Books (October 18, 2010)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 18, 2010
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 243 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 109 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1445286483
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.5 3.5 out of 5 stars 155 ratings

About the author

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Catherine Condie

Catherine Condie

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Born in Cambridge, UK, Catherine Condie trained as a business linguist. Her first job was in corporate communications and public relations, where she progressed as an in-house writer and magazine editor for several organisations in the science community. She is also a singer/songwriter and guitarist with a catalogue of ballads and folk-pop, which she first performed in the Club Tent at the Cambridge Folk Festival at the age of 19.

Customer reviews

3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5 out of 5
155 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Katherine L. Holmes
5.0 out of 5 stars Mystical yet well-shaped story
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2011
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Whirl of the Wheel has a mystical shape, taking its reader in cycles of time-travel that hold together like a vase on a potter's wheel. I was enamored with the characters, Connie's leaving her wheelchair during 1940s air raids and her brother's leaping the gap of decades. This is cleverly wrought, portraying the displacement of children during World War II.

Catherine Condie's colorful prose almost camouflages the fantasy and the Wendlewitch while drawing one into the character challenges. When Malcolm, the son of a developer who is displacing Connie's family, shows up in the time travel, the plot takes an irresistible swing. It's a very satisfying read as the treatment of the characters is rounded, spirited, and retains its mystical quality throughout. The construction feels seamless at times while being hospitable to young readers.
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Figwit's Folly
3.0 out of 5 stars Surreal
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2010
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For once I think my title actually makes sense to me because I found this story quite surreal. In the beginning you are introduced to the main stars, a girl named Connie and her brother, Charlie-Mouse. 'Charlie-Mouse' is a strange name and it is never fully explained.

You soon realise that Connie is in a wheelchair. Why? I guess she had a riding accident because of a later reference to horses but that is not explained either. I found it interesting that there is no particular significance given to her because she is in a wheelchair, not even when she meets other children for the first time. That is rather lovely, though perhaps not realistic, but then the story has an odd, dreamlike quality and the people in it are all a little different.

In the beginning, I found myself turning back pages thinking I had missed a bit. It seemed the change from one scene to the other was very rapid and I didn't quite see how we got there. After a time, once I caught onto the rhythm, it flowed gently.

The phrasing too seemed a little odd. There were scents swirling in throats, books spilling to the ceiling, walking fingers through hair, looks of fear folding across faces, a flourishing embrace and other strange pairings that at first seemed jarring, but after a time somehow fitted right into the story.

This story is one I will think about for some time. It was very different from what I expected but I am glad I had the chance to read it.
17 people found this helpful
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Jwb52z
4.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 stars - Very good read
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2011
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I loved this story. My only reason for not giving it 5 stars is that it was shorter than I would have liked and the ending was too ambiguous for me. I loved the characters, especially the portrayal of a person in a wheelchair being done correctly for once in writing. I wish there were a story continuing this in the future to explain the ambiguity of the story at he end. That's really my only problem with it other than the length, which I already mentioned. I recommend that anyone who likes history and time travel should read this one.
One person found this helpful
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Sarah Marie
2.0 out of 5 stars Never caught my interest
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2013
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Normally I like time travel stories but this one just never grabbed me. A couple of kids can go back through time to wartime Britain. They can travel back and forth, almost at will. One kid who's a bully ends up traveling back also and somehow he changes utterly. The whole thing revolves around saving a bunch of houses from being destroyed by a greedy guy and even that isn't really very interesting.

I never really cared much for any of the characters nor for much of anything that happened.
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Big Jake
1.0 out of 5 stars Not mine
Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2021
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Not mine
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Barbara Bartholomew
5.0 out of 5 stars Imaginative and Thoughtful
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2010
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This time travel tale takes three youngsters back to World War II Britain in a fast moving adventure through time via the motion of a potter's wheel. About to lose their beloved home, Connie and her brother Charlie-Mouse, inadvertently accompanied by their least favorite person, Malcolm, face danger trying to prevent the historic dwelling from being destroyed and find themselves in search of a military secret that could prevent the disaster. Particularly well done are the letters to a mother in war-time London from a daughter separated from her parents, and the strong character of viewpoint Connie, who gets around most of the time in a wheelchair, (treated without sentiment) making a most admirable young heroine. Likable characters, strong sense of place, a well plotted novel that makes a fun and thoughtful read.
60 people found this helpful
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DeannP
3.0 out of 5 stars Okay book but not much happened.
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2011
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This was my first Kindle book so when I turned a page and saw author info I thought I had hit the button too many times and missed the last few pages of the book. I went back only to discover that really was the end. Its a good premise and fairly interesting and a quick read but I kept expecting to get to the part where something happened and it never did. I'm rating it a 3 because I did like the story, I just didn't love it.
One person found this helpful
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NCSTec
4.0 out of 5 stars A good quick read...
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2010
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This book was the first download onto my kindle so it was more of a test purchase.

That said it is a very enjoyable quick read with the only failing being the ending is a little weak in that it doesn't quick tie up all the ends. Also, I can feel the influences of other writers but not in a bad way. This is an author I will be watching out for.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Oddball in Hull
5.0 out of 5 stars A good read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 6, 2024
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Lots of smiles and the odd groan, mixed with a bellow or two.
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Andy
4.0 out of 5 stars Good
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 16, 2014
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This is a good little story, which can appeal to all. The author is a very good writer and puts the story together very well. The characters are full bodied and beliveable. I liked the style of writting.
2 people found this helpful
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maxine gallie
3.0 out of 5 stars Whirl of the wheel was alright
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 12, 2013
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This was rather short, and I didn't realise you need to buy the next book to find out the end of the story.

But overall it was ok, easy enough to read and I got quite into it. The story idea was good, that children can go back in time to world war times and see what their village was like then, but I really didn't like it not containing the ending.
One person found this helpful
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Grace55
2.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful language but strangely disjointed
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 11, 2014
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After reading this I deleted it, feels as though it could be a wonderful book but slides 'off key' and left me feeling rather confused. Feels dream like, I'm happy to read unusual fiction but didn't feel quite connected to the story. I find it interesting it has so many good reviews. Tastes differ, I'm an adult reader, and am left wondering what young readers think of it.
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Mr. TC Kong
5.0 out of 5 stars Have a "Whirl" of a time with this one!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 11, 2010
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Twelve year-old Connie and her brother, Charlie-Mouse, are desperate. School pest Malcolm Mollet's dad has applied to the local city council for permission to knock down their home and build new ones on the site. The whole family is, quite naturally, very upset about the affair, and the children decide to take matters into their own hands.

With the help of their strange neighbour, Wendy the Wendlewitch, and her magical potter's wheel, Connie and Charlie-Mouse travel back in time to 1940s Britain - first on their own, then subsequently with Malcolm - to discover the history of their home, and hopefully the secret that will save it from demolition. A problem arises, however, when Malcolm disappears on one of the trips back in time and Connie and Charlie-Mouse have to leave him behind. Strangely, nobody else in the present seems to notice that Malcolm is no longer there!

This is a gripping story, with a surprising twist in the tail. Although it was written for slightly younger, pre-teenage children, adults who grew up in the sixties, seventies and eighties on a diet of films about the second world war should also find it captivating.  Whirl of the Wheel  certainly brought back memories of childhood and childhood adventures (real and imaginary) for me. I can thoroughly recommend it as a read for the whole family.
13 people found this helpful
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