“Of especially naughty children, it is sometimes said, ‘they must have been raised by wolves’… these rascals actually were!”
If you love the thrill of a mystery, the elegance of the English countryside, and the fun of intriguing and quirky characters, you’ll find it all at Ashton Place, an estate with more secrets than a squirrel has whiskers.
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place is a six-book mystery series exploring the unusual origins of Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia, and how they came to be left in the woods to be raised by wolves. The children’s governess, Miss Penelope, tries to make sure they learn their Latin, etiquette, and poetry, but she has her hands full just trying to teach them that birds are for watching, not for lunch.
Set against the backdrop of a vast English estate, these mysteries masterfully combine a suspenseful storyline with laugh-out-loud humor and endearing (albeit unusual!) characters.
Take our free Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place Series Checklist to your local library!
Maryrose Wood has done many things: she’s been an actor and a comedian, she’s written award-winning plays, and she’s taught writing. And, of course, she’s written six books about the Incorrigible Children.
Her knack for combining silly situations with an old-fashioned writing style makes the series ideal for readers of all ages. As 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.” Everyone will be kept guessing by the intriguing twists of the mystery, and they might even learn a thing or two about poetic meter along the way!
In the first book of the series, The Mysterious Howling, Miss Penelope Lumley answers an ad for a governess position at a peculiar old estate called Ashton Place. She’s sure she can handle anything—after all, she’s a graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females. But instead of the well-behaved children she expected to tutor, Penelope soon realizes she’s been hired to civilize three wild, barking, nipping children who were literally raised by wolves.
Armed with only her education, a book of German poetry, and the pithy sayings of Academy founder Agatha Swanburne, Penelope has a challenge ahead of her. But the task is made even harder by the deadline for taming the children: Lady Constance’s rapidly approaching Christmas party. The children will have to display their newfound knowledge of subjects like speaking English and using forks, all in front of the guests—if only they don’t get distracted by squirrels!
Then it’s on to London in The Hidden Gallery, where the Incorrigibles meet a mysterious soothsayer. She seems to know something about their pasts, and maybe even their futures. But the woman is not quite as interesting to Penelope as another new friend in the city—a playwright named Simon Harley-Dickinson. He has a knack for navigating and a taste for adventure, both of which come in handy when he’s around the Incorrigibles! A misguided guidebook, a peculiar pirate play, and a highly recommended portrait gallery (that no one knows how to find) are all elements of the deepening mystery of the Incorrigible Children.
In the next installment, the Incorrigibles are home again at Ashton Place and about to meet The Unseen Guest. There are other guests around too, including Lord Fredrick’s melancholy mother and her admirer Admiral Faucet. The entrepreneurial admiral has brought along his newest business scheme—a racing ostrich. But the ostrich has just escaped into the same woods where the Incorrigibles were found roaming with wolves! When the Incorrigibles are enlisted to help track down the bird, will they be able to resist the call of the wild? Can Penelope ever convince them to return to Ashton Place?
*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!