Little Stars (Hetty Feather)

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I love how we get to visit old characters and see where they are and what they are doing (although some characters don't have happy endings). She is recognised as Emerald Star by Mr Benjamin and Ambrose and she goes with them on the tube back.

When exactly was unclear to me, which occasionally felt like a shortcoming, but most of the time I did not mind. Fifteen-year-old Hetty Feather and eight-year-old Diamond have escaped from Tanglefield’s Travelling Circus. I absouloutly love this series, I loved it the first time I ever read it (this was a re-read) and I managed to force a few friends to read it too. Hetty’s and Diamond’s adventures are a marvellous tale of theatrical life based on the stage stars of early days.Although Hetty had told her she didn't have to act anymore, and she was pleased to have Madame Adeline and Bertie with her, the fact remains that she still doesn't have the normal childhood she craves, and deserves.

I still love Hetty and she is still my favourite character but she annoyed me a little in this book. Either way I have heard Hetty makes a couple of appearances in a couple of newer books that take place during this similar time period. A new actors troupe joins and they want Diamond to play Alice in their new show, but she doesn't do well and they have Hetty instead. The author describes the countryside and the scrumptious cooking there and a bawdy audience in a music hall with equal panache. Anyway I love this series so much and now I don't want to read any other books as I just want more books about Hetty.The other characters, no matter how small their role, are deftly and deeply portrayed, from the landlady, Ms. Besides, if I say so myself, he's a perfect match for Hetty, and not just because he's so much closer to her own age and size than. The Victorian era is also fleshed out throughout, and Jacqueline gives you multiple glimpses in varying locations.

The story of Hetty Feather’s life continues with this latest absorbing novel about the feisty young heroine. I also love the developing relationship between Bertie and Hetty, and the brilliant lack of 'instalove'. She moved in with Mr Marvel (the monkey who we met Emerald Start (Book 3) and little Mavis, his baby monkey.Meanwhile, Hetty struggles to understand her feelings for Bertie – and for Jem, whom she has never forgotten. When they move up into the senior school, Hetty defends Polly from getting into trouble for correcting a teacher, and is locked in the Punishment Attic instead. The Illustrated Mum won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award, the 1999 Children’s Book of the Year at the British Book Awards and was also shortlisted for the 1999 Whitbread Children’s Book Award. His wedding was kinda swept under the rug and I would of loved to of seen more interaction between him and Hetty.

Soon the girls are famous and after four other books, you should know, there's no stopping Hetty Feather! Starring a cast of wonderful characters, both old favourites and new, this is the fifth fabulous Hetty Feather story. This is still the ambitious and determined foundling I fell in love reading about, but in a way I couldn't relate to her. For example, she doesn’t get all the suggestive jokes she hears performed on stage (they are not shared with the reader), but she’s wise enough to try to avoid a man, Samson, whose interest in her is clearly inappropriate and would definitely damage her reputation.I just love this entire series, I've read plenty of books, but this is by far one of my favourite series. One of Jacqueline’s most successful and enduring creations has been the famous Tracy Beaker, who first appeared in 1991 in The Story of Tracy Beaker. Although, as aforementioned, a tad abrupt, the ending to this book and Hetty's story is definitely a satisfying one. I’m glad she met Bertie again and although I think she could do better, he’s certainly a better bet than sappy Jem! I don't think that Diamond likes change because it's hard for her to get used to different things at such a young age.