The second book in the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place—the acclaimed and hilarious Victorian mystery series by Maryrose Wood, perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket and Trenton Lee Stewart—has a brand-new look.
Thanks to their plucky governess, Miss Penelope Lumley, Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia are much more like children than wolf cubs now. They are accustomed to wearing clothes. They hardly ever howl at the moon. And for the most part, they resist the urge to chase squirrels up trees.
Yet the Incorrigibles are not entirely civilized, and still managed to ruin Lady Constance's Christmas ball, nearly destroying the grand house. So while Ashton Place is being restored, Penelope, the Ashtons, and the children take up residence in London. As they explore the city, Penelope and the Incorrigibles discover more about themselves as clues about the children's—and Penelope's own—mysterious past crop up in the most unexpected ways....
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"This series continues to impress. I was so excited when the copy I had placed on hold arrived at my library that I literally skipped on my way to pick it up. I had high expectations for this installment after I had so thoroughly enjoyed the excellent Mysterious Howling. Wood's series has just the right mix of irony and, let's just say it, cuteness to keep me happily entertained throughout and impatiently awaiting the third volume. The mystery of the children's, and Penelope's, origins has deepened, and some romance and the supernatural elements hinted at in The Mysterious Howling have entered the mix."
— Keir (4 out of 5 stars)
“Plot twists out of Charlotte Bronte or Arthur Conan Doyle keep the action absorbing even while the narration is thoroughly tongue-in-cheek.”
— New York Times“A most excellent adventure.”
— Booklist (starred review)“Another series of uproarious escapades. fans of the first book will be happy to go along for the madcap ride.”
— School Library Journal“A madcap sequel. Great fun, and it wouldn’t be optoomuchstic to expect more to come.”
— Kirkus Reviews" This is such a delightful series. The author is constantly teaching while telling the story, but she's teaching in such a fun way that children probably don't recognize that they're learning. This book was much more difficult to put down than the first book. "
— Jackie, 2/17/2014" Even better than the first of the series. "
— Cherisse, 2/3/2014" Fun book and great characters. However, the author takes the first 2/3 of the book .... to chatter and things only start happening in the last third of the book. She leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Curse to whoever chose the first one for book club because now I have to finish the series like I am a 12 year old! "
— Anjiebringhurst, 1/31/2014" AWESOME!!! This one was just as fantastic as the first and left me with lots of mysterious things to think and wonder about until the next book! Also, I really want a collection of all of Agatha Swanburne's fabulous sayings. "
— Ellie, 1/30/2014" This book is really cool! It is about gypsies and other cool stuff. They also went to many interesting places in England. "
— Selma, 1/29/2014" A charming sequel to a charming story. I fall more and more in love with Penelope and the children with every page, and the addition of Simon in the mix made this story all the more thrilling. "
— Mallory, 1/25/2014" This series is fun to read as a family. I did have a bit of a hard time mimicking the voices from when we listened to the first one as a book on cd. "
— Windy, 1/9/2014" I like how the background mystery plot is starting to move to the forefront. "
— April, 1/5/2014" What will happen next? Ahwoooo! "
— Bridgid, 1/2/2014" The plot thickens as Penelope travels to London with the children and meets new friends and discovers new concerns. Love these books. "
— Lena, 10/19/2013" Enjoyable, as was the first! "
— Derrick, 8/4/2013" Still enjoy the writing and humorous asides, but hope this mystery will start moving along a little faster. "
— Heather, 7/31/2013" The second book in this series did not disappoint! I just adore Penelope! The mystery part is great, and there are many places where I laughed out loud. By the way, these kids are priceless! Can't wait to read Book 3. "
— Cynthia, 6/1/2013" Delightahwoo! "
— Susan, 2/20/2013" Still love Lumawoo and the Incorrigibles! "
— Katie, 11/20/2012" Loved the first book in this series. This one left me with too many unanswered questions. I will have to read the third book now to see if those questions get answered. "
— Cindy, 10/16/2012" A delightful story with excellent word play! I thoroughly enjoyed the writer's sense of humor and her choice of words. If you need a pleasant diversion that will take you back in time, this is for you. "
— Linda, 9/25/2012" 3.6 rating..it was as fun as the first one. That being said nothing really happened. Also, I know this is YA but the plot seems to be heading into a predictable reveal. I won't put it here but I do hope I am wrong. I am optimuchhoo. I will give book 3 a read. "
— JeanneBee, 8/30/2012" Just as delightful, maybe even a little more so, as the first one! Am a little wearied though by the pacing of these books: slow, slow, slow... race to the finish with thirty pages left! Still enjoyable despite that. "
— Lady, 8/22/2012" In love with this series. I think I'm going to be one of those fans who buys all the books even if they start getting terrible reviews. "
— Amitha, 6/2/2012" These are charming books, with terrific characters and writing. Each one ends in a cliff hanger and they never feel quite complete as a story, but while you're reading them they're amazingly good fun. "
— K.P.B., 4/7/2012" Charming - I need a mini scanner to print out the best little witticisms that I want to think about or read again. The Incorrigible children really are a back-story in this one, will read the 1st one next to see how they came to be... "
— Carrie, 4/5/2012" I enjoyed this book, but not quite as much as the first one. I'm still willing to read book three! "
— Samantha, 6/6/2011" Just so darn cute and fun! The Incorrigibles are of on an adventure in London! "
— Lisa, 5/13/2011" Thank you Agatha Swanburne for your gems, this one just in time for summer reading; "'No panicking, no complaining, no quitting'--six words to the wise that are well worth learning and following." <br/> <br/>I'm looking forward to more books about Penelope and the Incorrigibles. "
— Julie, 4/28/2011" Absolutely hilarious. I can't wait to read more about Penelope and the Incorrigibles. Plus, I would like to get some answers, but the journey is quite fun and full of laughs. "
— Heather, 4/21/2011" Good read, but I liked the first one better. "
— Liz, 4/13/2011" Still love Lumawoo and the Incorrigibles! "
— Katie, 4/6/2011" This series is getting more interesting. Is Lord Ashton are werewolf? Is Penelope related to the incorrigible children? Hopefully book 3 will offer more answers. "
— Jane, 4/2/2011Maryrose Wood is the author of the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series, a continuing series about the Incorrigible children and their governess. In addition to writing, she has taught fiction writing and playwriting and is a popular speaker at schools, libraries, and conferences.
Katherine Kellgren (1969–2018), narrator and actress, appeared onstage in London, New York, and Frankfurt, including in the role of Laura in a regional production of The Glass Menagerie and appearances on Comedy Central. In recognition of her mastery of audiobook narration, she received many honors, including the prestigious Audie Awards, with four for best female narrator; the Odyssey Award; Publishers Weekly Listen Up Award; dozens of AudioFile magazine Earphones Awards; an AudioFile Golden Voice Award; Booklist Voice of Choice award; and acclaim from press and listener reviews.