Illustrated by Freda Chiu.

Published by Pushkin Children’s Books, 2023.

The Wrath of the Woolington Wyrm is the first book in the delightful new mystery series Miss Mary-Kate Martin’s Guide to Monsters.

Dressed in sparkly red shoes and carrying her strawberry-scented notebook, Mary-Kate accompanies her archaeologist mother to the village of Woolington Well in the quiet English countryside to investigate some unusual bones that have been found there.

However, she soon realises that the village of Woolington Well is not as peaceful as it seems; the ground trembles beneath them, there are mysterious noises, and the locals are obsessed with a terrifying old legend about a giant fire-breathing worm.

Could there be any truth in the myth of the beast who lives in the ancient well? With the help of a new friend, Mary-Kate starts getting to the bottom of this monstrous mystery.

My absolute favourite aspect of this story is the character of Mary-Kate herself. She suffers from anxiety and is prone to catastrophic thinking. I have considerable personal experience of both and found the portrayal to be both accurate and believable. Mary-Kate has rituals and coping mechanisms, some firmly-held beliefs linked to her anxiety, and a need for plans and order – she is queen of the bulleted list! It’s refreshing and encouraging to see these behaviours depicted in a children’s book.

I also enjoyed the pairing of Mary-Kate with her new friend Arabella. Where Mary-Kate is cautious and quiet, Arabella is impulsive and loquacious. The two girls are like chalk and cheese but they make a terrific team, bound by their interest in the worm and their desire to protect it.

This is a charming mystery featuring a terrific cast of supporting characters – not least the worm itself – and a methodical determined heroine. There’s excellent female representation too; the experts, professors and monster hunters are all women. I also liked how the book challenges the stereotype that all monsters are malevolent and hell bent on destruction. I really enjoyed Mary-Kate’s sleuthing (and her collection of glitter pens) and I look forward to accompanying her on her future adventures.

Rating: 💙💙💙💙💙

Suitable for children aged 8+

Thank you to Pushkin Children’s Books for sending me this book to review. I reviewed this book as part of The Wrath of the Woolington Wyrm blog tour. Check out all the other posts on the tour for more exclusive content.