The Spur on the Plate Maureen Rylance Trafford ISBN: 1412054591 Fiction,  Children, Young Adult, Historical Fiction Reviewed by Kell Smurthwaite

Aimed at perhaps the 12- to 15-year-old market, The Spur on the Plate is one of those books that is just right for getting those not so interested in reading to pick up a book. At 100 pages, it’s not at all intimidating, and from the very beginning draws the reader into the lives of Meg and Rob Armstrong with ease.

The setting of Scotland was especially appealing and the historical aspects of the tale are well-researched (you won’t see any tartan-clad Highlanders tramping through the heather in kilts!). The dialogue flows quite naturally and because of the novella-length, the action takes place over a short period of time which makes the pace quite thrilling.

The themes of growing up and discovering that things aren’t always as they seem to young eyes are universal and ageless, so despite being set almost 500 years ago, young people will still easily identify with the characters.

This is one of those treats to enjoy on a wet afternoon - while the wind whistles outside; the reader is effectively whisked away to another time and place.

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