THE SECRET LIBRARY OF HUMMINGBIRD HOUSE BY JULIANNE NEGRI

Hattie is having a bad time. Things at home aren’t so good as her parents have split up and now she and her little sister Ivy must live one week with their mum and one week with their dad. All she longs for is for things to get back to how they were. Even one of her favourite places is going to change. Family picnics in the garden of Hummingbird House and climbing her beloved Mulberry tree are going to end because the house is being demolished and an apartment block built.

One night, when Hattie can’t sleep, she visits the house and somehow slips back in time. The house is freshly painted and the garden not overgrown. Someone is living in the house and Hattie makes a new friend. Hypatia’s family story is complicated and filled with sorrow. She lives with her aunt and longs to go back to Lebanon and her memories. She has found a hidden library and a wonderful book called Glossographia of Lost Words and as a consequence has an absolutely amazing vocabulary.

Together they decide to find a book called the Complete Compendium of Hummingbird House which may hold the secret to where a treasure is hidden. If they can find out the secret behind the house and its inhabitants perhaps both Hypatia and Hattie can solve their problems.

Hattie and her mum’s campaign to save Hummingbird House ramps up and so do their emotions when they discover that her dad is helping the developer. Hattie can’t believe he would betray her in such a way. She enlists the help of her best friend Patrick but he has problems too. Hattie needs to help so many people and time is running out. Can she solve the mystery behind the old house? Can she stop the development? Will her family ever be the same?

Julianne Negri’s novel is filled with wondrous words. Hypatia’s language is magical in itself and makes you want to live with a dictionary by your side. The themes of family and friendship run through the narrative and Hattie’s family, although very normal, is also delightfully quirky. Negri has created a magical combination of time travel and mystery that any reader who enjoys words will love.

For Ages: 10-13 years

Number of Pages: 296

Published: June 2020

Themes: Family, friendship and activism

Rating: 3.5/5

I wish: I knew so many wonderful words