Reviews of The Broken Bell

This is an exciting sequel to "The Boat in the Bay". A surprise trip to France and a private island sounds like a perfect holiday one would dream about, but the children are soon faced with problems that they have to tackle all by themselves. Based on the times before any modern technology existed, children have to be innovative and combine all their skills to save the day. A fantastic read.

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A tale written for children of adventure, resilience and the care taken by adults to ensure children remain safe. It's premise is delightful and the writing style easy to read.
I loved the feeling expressed behind certain scenes e.g. starting the boat. If you want your children to read about adventure and the consequences of doing more than they are permitted this tale is worth reading.

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This book is a strange construction. It starts out as one thing, then turns into another, taking a long time to get going, and once it finally looks as if it's turning into a proper story, it cuts that short to do something else instead, something that involves a lot of water and the wholly unnecessary destruction of an item which would have served as a much more effective tool if it had been kept in one piece. It's completely bonkers, but it does contain the start of a key story thread which runs through the third book, and that's what makes it essential reading. It is not an unrewarding read in itself, and you will certainly be glad that you've read it once you get to the main event which is book 3.

I hope the misplaced stork stays in (stalk), but one thing that would definitely benefit from being edited is the bit about them going north on the outward leg of their walk half way through the book and then returning south*. It must be the other way round if it's to fit in with the action later on (where they travel south west and return north east), and this matters greatly as it gives you a very different idea of which part of France the story is supposed to be set in.
*Fixed in 2nd ed
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Setting a story of English children in the South of France in the late 1920's might seem implausible, but Kennedy pulls off the feat to create a realistic children's adventure in the Ransome style. At a time when Britain seems to be going through a fit of little Englishness, a dose of Kennedy's gentle internationalism might have a curative effect.The book picks up where the first in the series ended and immediately turns the entire situation on its head. This story, unlike the first, is more one of character development than of daring exploits and is the better for that reason.

Well worth reading.

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The writing is assured. For Ransome enthusiasts, the implied reminders of the Swallows and Amazons series again add another dimension and are a strength and a delight. Julian Lovelock, Mixed Moss.