“Of especially naughty children, it is sometimes said, ‘they must have been raised by wolves’… these rascals actually were!”
If you enjoy mystery, English elegance, and quirky characters, find them all at Ashton Place. This estate conceals more secrets than a squirrel’s whiskers.
The six-book mystery series, The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, explores the unusual wolf-raised origins of Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia. Their governess, Miss Penelope, strives to teach them Latin, etiquette, and poetry. However, she has her hands full simply trying to teach them that birds are for watching, not for lunch.
Set amid a vast English estate, these mysteries intertwine suspenseful storylines with humor and endearing characters.
Take our free Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place Series Checklist to your local library!
Maryrose Wood has pursued various roles: acting, comedy, award-winning playwriting, writing instruction, and authoring six books about the Incorrigible Children.
Her knack for combining silly situations with an old-fashioned writing style makes the series perfect for readers of all ages. Additionally, her author biography says she “writes books for the sort of reader who is not yet old enough to drive but enjoys taking journeys of the imagination nonetheless.” The intriguing twists of the mystery will keep everyone guessing, and they might even learn a thing or two about poetic meter along the way!
In the first book, The Mysterious Howling, Miss Penelope Lumley answers an ad for governess at Ashton Place. A graduate of Swanburne Academy, her wild charges surprise her—children literally raised by wolves!
Armed only with education, German poetry, and Agatha Swanburne’s sayings, Penelope faces a difficult challenge. Furthermore, the deadline for taming the children, Lady Constance’s Christmas party, rapidly approaches. The children must display their newfound knowledge of subjects like speaking English and using forks, all in front of the guests—if only they could avoid distractions from squirrels!
Now it’s on to London in The Hidden Gallery, where the Incorrigibles meet a mysterious soothsayer. She holds knowledge of their pasts, and maybe their futures. Nevertheless, the woman holds less interest for Penelope than another new friend in the city—a playwright named Simon Harley-Dickinson. He excels at navigating and has a taste for adventure, both of which prove useful when he’s around the Incorrigibles! A misguided guidebook, a peculiar pirate play, and a recommended portrait gallery deepen the mystery.
In the next installment, the Incorrigibles return to Ashton Place, meeting The Unseen Guest. Among other guests are Lord Fredrick’s melancholy mother and her admirer Admiral Faucet. As it turns out, the entrepreneurial admiral has brought along his newest business scheme—a racing ostrich. But the ostrich has escaped into the same woods… The same woods where the Incorrigibles once roamed with wolves! When the Incorrigibles set off to help track down the bird, will they resist the call of the wild?
*Please note: As always, we recommend that you review all reading material before giving it to your child to read to ensure that the books are appropriate for your child.
Author: Maryrose Wood
Genre: children’s fiction, mystery
Interests: mysteries, history, adventure, secrets, poetry
Suggested age range: 8 to 12
Gender preference: boys and girls
In the series: 6 books, 288 to 448 pages
Have you ever tried audiobooks as a voice-saving option for family read-aloud time? The Audible.com recordings of The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place are so much fun to listen to!
Do your kids need a little extra encouragement to read?
Take our free Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place checklist to your local library and have your child check off books as he reads them!
Looking for more great chapter books? We’ve got you covered!
My3Beauties
says:I so appreciate you bringing resources to our attention. Good books are hard to find. However, this one is not a fit for us. As soon as you mentioned “soothsayer” it was a hard no for us. Any type of witchcraft, soothsaying, prognosticating, or fortune telling is against our faith in the word of God. But, please keep on highlighting books for your followers. It helps us in choosing quality literature for our kids. Thank you!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m sorry this series is a poor fit for your family.
Have you seen our other Great Chapter Book Reviews?
My3Beauties
says:I will check them out, thank you.
Jeannie S.
says:What a fun looking series. I am looking for books for our 10 yr old that will keep his interest. This just could be it.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI hope you find this series meets your student’s needs, Jeannie!
Molly
says:We love audio books as a read aloud option! Saves Mom’s voice and makes it possible to read in the car or at the breakfast or lunch table.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYes! Audiobooks are a great option, Molly.
Jami Erickson
says:Can’t wait to start with The Mysterious Howling!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI hope you have lots of fun with it, Jami!
Jami Erickson
says:I just love the word incorrigible, I think the kids would learn to love it to with this!
Kellie Miller
says:We are always looking for books to add to our read aloud collection. Thanks for the recommendation!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Kellie. Enjoy!
Brandi
says:I am so excited to read these books during our family book club! Thanks so much for the recommendation.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Brandi. And I love the idea of a family book club!
Pamela
says:This book series seems like it would be great for a read aloud.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceIt is, Pamela!
Miranda Carter
says:Thank you for sharing this series my daughter would probably love them!
Jessie Robles
says:These books make great read aloud books for all ages. My family has enjoyed them.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceJessie,
Thank you for sharing that your family has enjoyed these books!
Susan
says:Wow!
Stacy
says:I have never heard of this series! It sounds adorable. We will check it out!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m glad we were able to introduce you to this series, Stacy! I hope you enjoy them!
Kristen
says:I hadn’t heard of this series, will look into it for my middle elementary kid!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI hope your child enjoys it, Kristen!
Mary Hoffman
says:This series sounds fantastic. We are definitely going to look for it at our library!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceGreat, Mary! I hope you enjoy it!
Mary Hoffman
says:This book series sounds fantastic. We are definitely going to check it out.
Isylma
says:These books sound fun. I think I will definitely have to find these for our next upcoming road trip.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThis series would be a great one for a road trip, Isylma!
AmyT
says:This looks fun!
Stephanie Dretel
says:My children absolutely love this series! We listen to it on Audible in the car. I appreciate the great vocabulary that these books introduce and my children can’t wait to hear more of the crazy adventures that the wolf children experience. Highly recommend!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceWonderful, Stephanie! It’s great to hear that children enjoy these books as much as we have enjoyed them!
Jacquie Nervick
says:This series looks like a great option for intermediate students that I tutor.
Lindsey
says:Sounds like a great series! I just put them on our reading list at the library. Thank you:)
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Lindsey!
Mary
says:These look so fun!
Sara
says:My 9 year old who is very selective might really enjoy this – history and mystery are huge interests! Thank you for the recommendations :)
Kelly Levesque
says:This looks like a fun series!
Lindsay Gomez
says:So excited to start our chapter book journey! We will definitely be checking these out thank you!
Judith Martinez
says:I think my kids would love this!! I need to pull out more of my chapter books. We’ve been spending a lot of time in picture books and my daughter is getting bored.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceJudith,
The transition from listening to picture books read aloud to chapter books read aloud is difficult for some children. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place may be okay as a start, as it does have some illustrations. However, here are some other chapter book reviews as well:
Mercy Watson Chapter Books
Tumtum and Nutmeg Chapter Books
Gooney Bird Greene Chapter Books
Carol B
says:Thank you for this comment. I will see if my local library has those.
Aja
says:This series is SO good. We especially love the audiobook version.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceOh, great to hear, Aja! Thank you for letting us know the audiobook was also good.
Meredith
says:We’re hoping to start this program for the upcoming school year. A friend recommended it to us!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceHow nice of your friend to recommend this program, Meredith! If you have questions about placement or anything else, I’m happy to help.
Angela
says:Sounds like a fun series!
Becki
says:Can’t wait to read these to my kids a
Shelia
says:Sound like good books!