The Ring of Gilly Wood by Ruth Banister #Review

It's a warm welcome to the blog today for Ruth Banister's The Ring of Gilly Wood. Published in October 2018, it is aimed at young readers aged 8 - 12 years. 

 ‘There he is,’ whispered Vixen. ‘It’s true then,’ said Buck Rabbit. ‘He’s just a small mole,’ said Doe Rabbit. ‘He’s not just a mole,’ said Vixen. 

A great queen loses a ring. Hundreds of years later a ring slips onto the paw of a young mole. The mole grows to be a wise and trusted leader of Gilly Wood and all the animals that live there. But a great threat is coming. Can one small mole save a whole valley? Mole sets out to do just that with friends he makes along the way and the strange thing on his paw…

This is such a touching story with characters who you can identify with. I particularly love the friendship between Mole and Owl and the messages which are within the story about caring for each other and looking to the future.

    This would be an excellent story to read with primary schoolchildren within a class environment. There are so many lessons to be gleamed about working together and looking after the environment,


    I enjoyed the earlier sections which featured Elizabeth the First. I am sure that young readers will find her intriguing and enjoy finding out more about her and what England was like under her reign. More than that, it is a touching story which will encompass ideas about friendship and working together. In addition, you get to see how the story impacts on the lives of Elizabeth and Timmy and how their own ambitions are changed through Mole and Owl.

Cat and Mouse say: As above, so below!  

About the Author

 

Ruth was born on a hot August day on a farm in Sussex. Her English teacher once made her write a story about wasps after one landed on her during a lesson. She still hates wasps but she loves writing. Ruth now lives in Kent with her family and their strange dog. 

You can follow Ruth here: Website 

Book links: Amazon UK   |  Amazon US 

Thanks to Ruth and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources  for a copy of the book and a place on the tour. 

Check out the rest of the tour!