June 2014 Guest Editor Freya North on Carbonel...
I read this as a child and lost myself in it utterly. It was one of the first occasions when I truly experienced how books can provide the reader with the pleasure of a parallel universe. I really did ‘live’ this book. Written in 1955 it's still a terrific read. A wonderful, exhilarating adventure story about a young girl who goes on an errand for her mother but comes home with a witch's broomstick and a fabulously aloof black cat. Carbonel is a royal cat bound by spell placed on him by a cranky retired witch. Rosemary and her chum spend the summer tracking down the hat, the cauldron and the book of spells to free Carbonel. I loved reading it to my spellbound children. This book is a big part of my family.
| Primary Genre | Temporary Thema |
| Recommendations: |
This is the story of a cat, a broomstick and an ordinary schoolgirl called Rosemary. She bought them both in the market, quite cheaply. Of course, neither the cat nor the broomstick were just what they seemed, and they turned up just when Rosemary badly needed something nice to happen to her. A good cat is apt to be independent, so she did not have things all her own way, and as Carbonel proved to be a Royal cat in a very special sense, that was understandable. Between the cat and the broomstick, Rosemary picked up some useful spells and magic, and the adventures they brought about turned a dull-looking holiday into one long to be remembered for its unexpected excitements and rewards.
Carbonel features in the following genres: eBooks of the Month, Recommendations, Temporary Thema
Carbonel is available in Paperback
Carbonel was written by Barbara Sleigh and published by Puffin Books an imprint of Penguin Books Ltd
