The Midnight Guardians

Product Information

Even though a large part of the story is about the supernatural world and the Midwinter King wanting to destroy everything I think the WW2 aspect creates sympathy for the reader towards the people who had to live their nightmares in the London Blitz. And the thousands of people who spent time away from the family just to help the civilians in London, such as Col’s sister. I think this makes a difference to the way the story is read as there is a real life aspect. There is absolutely nothing I hated from this book. This is the Greatest Book I Have Ever Read. That is my rating! I thought the book had a lovely balance of the mythical and magical, but with plenty of war time information thrown in that's loosely based on fact. I felt as though this would be a great way to introduce readers to some of the elements of the war and the Blitz, and potentially pique their interest enough to maybe look into things themselves and learn about this terrible part of history. The Midnight Guardians is torch-under-the-duvet, can't-stop-reading magic . British folklore rebooted … in an edge-of-your-seat, heart-filled search for hope in the darkest hour." Piers Torday

Thirdly, even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, you’d still enjoy this book still because Christmas is not the main focus. It’s rather a setting for time and more of like a culture rather than a religious matter. Funny, thrilling, moving ... everything that is brilliant about children's literature. A triumph." Sophie Anderson Beautiful. A magical, big-hearted adventure full of wit and warmth. One of the best children's books I've read for ages." Anna James My reason for reading this one is twofold. Firstly, it was shortlisted for the Costa Children's Book Awards 2021. Secondly, it has a very pretty front cover.

About Ross Montgomery

Spectacular. A story of real and rare power - The Midnight Guardians is one of the best books I've read in years." Kiran Millwood Hargrave I would recommend these books to people who really want to feel how those people during the war went along with it. The comedy behind it was funny.

Another thing I really did enjoy reading about, however, was the humour between each of the characters. The jokes were neverending and quite often had me laughing out loud - but again, I feel that the humour was perhaps too sophisticated for some younger readers and may just have confused them. But there are darker forces at work, even than the Nazi bombings. Soon Col is pursued by the terrifying Midwinter King, who is determined to bring an eternal darkness down over everything. Beautiful. A magical, big-hearted adventure full of wit and warmth . One of the best children's books I've read for ages." Anna James The Midnight Guardians is timeless story-telling with a magical heart; a tale of enchantment and friendship in the cold of adversity; has all the charm of the The Box of Delights, all the magic and fellowship of The Lord of the Rings, all the warmth of a timeless story, told between friends round a winter fire. It's also brilliantly inventive - funny where it needs to be, and true in the way all good stories are. - Thomas Taylor Funny, thrilling, moving ... everything that is brilliant about children's literature . A triumph." Sophie AndersonThis lovely adventure story has the feel of a classic children's book.\" Book of the Week, The Week Junior This amazing planning guide was created by BAY3 student Lauren Green, linking SPACE TORTOISE to a variety of different subjects. Thanks Laura! But there are darker forces at work, even than the bombings. Soon Col is pursued by the terrifying Midwinter King, who is determined to bring an eternal darkness down over everything. I really enjoyed reading this book because of the links between fantasy and World War 2. It taught me about what some people had to go through during the Blitz. But it also taught me about how much people had cared and helped one another during such hard times. I liked nearly all of the characters for different reasons, but one of my favourites is Pendlebury, because of her strength and resilience throughout the whole book, like how she gave anything to help Col. I also liked the amount of effort that Col would go through to save his sister, all his actions were driven by love for her. The story had me hooked from the start and I loved every part. From the nastiness of the Midwinter King to the loyalty of the Guardians. This plot was very exciting but also a bit light-hearted at parts. I would recommend this book to other pupils because of its teaching about World War 2 and its level of magic and wonder. But in short words, this is a great book! The King of Rogues has to be my favourite character. He is everything I look for in a character as he is brave, a master knight and has a constant comedic quarrel with many characters as well as making all the other characters call him just Rogue which creates some comedic arguments.

Imagine a delicious milkshake made with the blended ingredients of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Lord of the Rings, Five Children on the Western Front, and a special pinch of additional magic. There you have The Midnight Guardians. Drily humorous at times, utterly terrifying at others, this tale will whisk you away to another time that is both instantly recognisable and completely alien. The Midnight Guardians is a classic in the making, and I loved every second of it. - The School Librarian This is a beautiful, mystical, and magical tale that brings together family, love, and friendship. The story is inviting and imaginative and I didn’t want to put it down or for it to end. It is pure escapism in a book. The Midnight Guardians is torch-under-the-duvet, can't-stop-reading magic. British folklore rebooted … in an edge-of-your-seat, heart-filled search for hope in the darkest hour." Piers Torday

Ross Montgomery Press Reviews

This book set in WW2. Even though it has magic in it, it didn’t take away the importance of what happened then. Which I appreciate more than anything! The book is like two plots that interweave themselves into one story. You have the friends and their travels to London and the adventures that happen along the way. Then there is the nasty Mid-Winter King who wants power no matter how he gets it or what pain and mayhem he causes to get it, including banishing The Green Man so that he can rule all year round. The Midnight Guardians was a very enjoyable book, and taught me a bit more about the average person's life in 1940, during World War 2. I found the guardians the most interesting, because you’re left to think whether they are real or not. I learnt a bit about how differently they acted in war times compared to modern day actions. The book was set in World War 2, so it made it more interesting because there was more action in those times. What stands out the most for me, is that they try to live their lives like the war wasn’t happening. I would definitely recommend this to other pupils, as it is really good and educational in a fun way.