Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery: Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor, Book 2
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery is a sequel to Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor, continuing the wildly imaginative, perilous tale of five orphans who've found one another -- and unconventional but determined adult protectors -- in the Home of the title. Their troubles are far from over, however, as the shadowy group responsible for killing off their eccentric, rich guardian's entire family keeps popping up with sinister doings, the guardian (who's secretly an avenging, caped superhero) disappears, and the kids find themselves fending off a woman from Child Protective Services who can't wait to break them up. Along the way there are chases, kidnappings, swordplay with injuries, explosions, and quite a few people who aren't at all what they seem -- for good and ill. There are strong messages of family, including the ones you make for yourself, and also teamwork, in which everyone's talents from scientific genius to con artistry come into play.
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What's the Story?
Time has passed since the events of Book 1, and tween orphans April, Sadie, Colin, Tim, and Violet should have happily settled into life at the WINTERBORNE HOME FOR MAYHEM AND MYSTERY, under the protection of their new guardian, eccentric billionaire Gabriel Winterborne. Who, unbeknownst to everyone but the kids, is also the local, sword-wielding, caped avenger The Sentinel, who comes to the rescue in perilous moments. However, things are running off the rails fast, as Gabriel is completely undone by the disappearance of Ms. Izzy Nelson, his love interest, who everyone hopes will marry Gabriel so that they can all be a family. Adding to the trouble: Butler Smithers, who helped keep order around the place, won an around-the-world cruise, and is temporarily but definitely away. Things get worse when a formidable, pencil-wielding woman from Child Protective Services shows up amid the chaos and seems determined to break up their happy home -- the only one most of them have known. Then Gabriel disappears, leaving the kids to fend for themselves. Violet, the youngest, is sure he's coming back to save their family. April, who waited 10 years for the mother who left her in foster care and said she'd be back, isn't so sure. Meanwhile, the lady with the pencil isn't giving up, and a rich guy who claims to be a friend of the absent Izzy is working very hard to make the kids like him. The shadowy forces responsible for murdering Gabriel's whole family in the past are still in the picture. Then there's the fact that the absent Gabriel may not be the only Sentinel out there. It's a lot to cope with, but the kids have skills and a strong bond.
Is It Any Good?
Ally Carter’s exciting tale of orphans, billionaires, superheroes, swordplay, scheming, and murder finds its tween heroes facing lots of unexpected perils. The Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery takes the characters and the frequently astonished reader through dramatic reversals galore. Surprising discoveries emerge about an orphan's birth family. A private island is well supplied with booby traps. It's a tangled web of plot threads with never a dull moment -- and a satisfying conclusion that leaves plenty of unresolved issues and a hope for further adventures.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the orphans foil villains, help heroes, and have epic adventures in Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery. What other stories have you read that feature orphan characters? Which are your favorites?
How would you feel if -- as happens to a character here -- a stranger showed up and took custody of you because he's your birth father and can prove it? Do you know other stories where something like this happens? How do things turn out?
If your family had a secret legacy of being superheroes, what kind of things would they do?
Book Details
- Author: Ally Carter
- Genre: Adventure
- Topics: Superheroes, Friendship, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: April 13, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 352
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: September 27, 2021
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