The Sundae Delivery Service

By Author / Illustrator

Holly Rivers

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

Publisher

Chicken House Ltd

ISBN

9781912626052

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

06-07-2023

Synopsis

The action-packed sequel to The Boy in the Post: perfect for fans of the Adventures on Trains series! 'Energetic, lively and charming' ReadingZone on The Boy in the Post.

When Dotty moves house, she's delighted to discover the post in her village is delivered by animals trained by local children. This means her family could have their entry into the prestigious Golden Udder ice cream awards delivered by cows! But training cows is the easy part! Dotty soon discovers that rival sundae-makers will do almost anything to take the prize . . . A warm, adventurous and action-packed sequel to The Boy in the Post - though can be easily read as a standalone story A brillantly-imagined fantasy world with a vintage feel and a trio of characters you'll long to be friends with As a child, Holly was a lead actress in ITV's original Worst Witch series! Perfect for fans of M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman's Adventures on Trains series

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Reviews

After their previous adventure, life for Orinthia and the others have settled back into life working for Grandy Brock and his animails at The Mailbox Menagerie. However, the offer of free ice cream is too much for them and this leads to a new friendship with Dotty, daughter of the owners of the 'Penny Lick' ice cream van and the 'Two Scoops Creamery'. Soon, the children are helping with the ice cream parlour's entry for the prestigious Golden Udder ice cream awards and training cows to deliver their entry to the judges. However, the world of ice cream making is more devious than they would ever have believed and they find themselves at the heart of a mystery!

With so many fabulous books around, sometimes you find you've missed a real goodie… and I have to confess that I haven't read the first book in this series, The Boy in the Post - but I will be rectifying this immediately! Whilst it is absolutely possible to read The Sundae Delivery Service without having read the previous book, it seems to me I've missed a treat by not doing so!

Full of quirky originality and charm, the story is a joy to read. The children are very 'real' with their own idiosyncrasies, interests and personalities which creates a cast of engaging characters. Orinthia and new friend, Dotty, are at centre stage for this adventure, but each of the others feels like a fully formed character, not just an add on. The friendship between these two is lovely - an immediate, uncomplicated relationship which survives fallings out and comes back stronger. Both girls are resourceful, curious and determined to solve the mystery surrounding the competition - they make a great team.

The story is also very well written, full of carefully chosen vocabulary and vivid descriptions. It would make an excellent guided reading text as it offers plenty to discuss and explore whilst thoroughly enjoying the story. I very much hope there are more adventures to come for these characters.

304 pages / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher