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The Ravenmaster’s Secret: Escape from the Tower of London Audiobook
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(3.04) - 776 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In London in 1735, eleven-year-old Forrest Harper is living with his family in the Tower of London. There he helps his father tend the ravens and guard the prisoners. Still, life is lonely. When vicious Scottish Rebels are captured, Forrest is delighted. Perhaps now he can prove his courage and impress the local bullies who torment him. His happiness is short-lived, though, when the Harpers are only given custody of Maddy, a Scottish Rebel’s daughter, for a rebel in a dress will surely make Forrest a laughingstock.
As the days pass, Maddy’s beauty and warmth and her touching stories of life in Scotland seal a friendship between them. But when she is slated for execution, Forrest is faced with a horrifying choice: commit treason and help her escape, or obey the law and allow his innocent friend to be executed.
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"this book was so cool and historically wonderful. i loved the plot and read it through several times in the same year. the ravens are so fun and i really liked the maps and such in the front of the book, not to mention that the book is not only historically wonderful but presently wonderful as well because the british are a bit superstitious and still keep ravens ar the tower of london."
— Dianna (5 out of 5 stars)
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“An absorbing historical adventure with a unique and colorful setting…The novel can be read for its exciting plot and sympathetic characters, but readers will also sense its underlying theme of courage.”
— Booklist -
“Vance’s characterizations are amazingly realistic. The story provides wonderful facts about the era, surroundings, and daily lives of characters from various economical strata. The action is fast-paced with surprises around every corner.”
— Kliatt -
“Suspense, excitement, and interesting characters…[The] message of judging people on their own merits and not on the basis of stereotypes comes across strongly.”
— School Library Journal -
“Historical fiction with all of the danger, excitement, heroism, and adventure that attracts young boys—and many young girls—and helps make them life-long lovers of literature.”
— Faith & Family
The Ravenmaster’s Secret Listener Reviews
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" Woodruff does a great job of creating the atmosphere of 18th century London and in particular the area of the Tower of London. The main characters Forrest, Rat and Maddy are very well portrayed. The action moved along quickly, but the ending was rather abrupt. "
— Tory, 2/13/2014 -
" Great historical fiction. Accurate portrayal of life in the Tower of London. Great book for both boys and girls! "
— Debbie, 2/8/2014 -
" Set in London in the 1700s, Forrest is the Ravenmaster's son. His father's job is to care for the protected ravens, and some of the prisoners, in the infamous Tower of London. Forrest and his friend Ned, the rat catcher, want nothing more than to escape their lives in the Tower. Then one day a young girl, the daughter of a Scottish rebel, is confined to the Tower. Forrest must decide whether saving Maddy is worth the risk of discovery and the danger to himself and his family. A wonderful piece of historical fiction that discusses the cost of courage and the importance of friendship. "
— Dayna, 2/4/2014 -
" creepy. reccomended for people who like gross stuff like cutting heads off "
— Daniel, 2/1/2014 -
" (Mom's note: This book is a little more violent that I would probably recommend. Aaron seemed to do okay with it but there is a pretty gruesome hanging in it that's not really recommended. I meant to read that part aloud to him so I could skim over the details but he read it before I remembered.) "
— Aaron, 1/29/2014 -
" Fun kids book, it was a nutmeg book last year and Kathryn wouldn't read it because of the execution in the second chapter. I enjoyed it though. I think she would have too, if she had gotten past the hanging. "
— Bonnie, 1/22/2014 -
" A simple book, but it is still very well written. It shows a clear message of friendship and how it can live a lifetime. "
— Samantha, 1/20/2014 -
" in the beginning it was boring but whaen you got deeper and deeper in to the book it is a very good book!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "
— Veena, 1/9/2014 -
" Absolutely amazing. I want to read it again. "
— Rachel, 12/24/2013 -
" I tried not to cry at the end, but I did. Every tear was earned by Ms. Woodruff. "
— Sarah, 12/21/2013 -
" I never thought I would like this book, but I assigned it as a literature circle book so I began to read it. Well, I literally could not put it down! It was so suspenseful! Read it! "
— Karen, 12/18/2013
About Elvira Woodruff
Elvira Woodruff is the author of many popular novels. Her books have won numerous awards and honors. The hundreds of letters from children that she receives each year keep her excited about writing. She lives in Martin’s Creek, Pennsylvania, where she keeps a garden that is filled with morning glories.
About Simon Vance
Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and narrator. He has earned more than fifty Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration thirteen times. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London. He is also an actor who has appeared on both stage and television.