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When I was young, my parents never asked me what I wanted for my birthday. Instead they asked me which book I wanted for my birthday! So I grew up with a love of reading and writing, in a house of overflowing book shelves.
I made up stories every night. First I thought of a word, or a simple situation. Then I worked out a story to match, and wrote the story in my head until I fell asleep. I must have written hundreds of stories over the years, but there weren’t many on paper. I wrote a play for my primary school all about a peasant girl, but I spelled it wrongly and it came out as pheasant girl, which really confused my teacher. I wrote fairy stories too, but I expect they were terrible.
I have a love for both history and fantasy, and have written many books of both kinds. Most of these books have been written for adults, but I love to write for children too.
And so the new Bannister’s Muster series began. It also combines history with fantasy, and adventure. I have written three so far and intend having six in this series, and I am enjoying every minute.
Although I was born in England, I live in Australia amongst the kangaroos, koalas, and thousands of parrots. This is a great way to encourage my imagination, and I still love to dream.
Reviewed by Michelle Stanley for Readers' Favorite
Snap, Book One is an exciting children’s adventure from the Bannister’s Muster series by Barbara Gaskell Denvil. Nathan Bannister is snatched from his bedroom one night by a strange man called Brewster Hazlett. He’s transported to medieval London where Brewster literally dumps him on a street and disappears. Confused, Nathan wanders the streets and some street ruffians befriend him. Alice, the only girl in the group, hides from her stepfather, Baron Darling. He wants her inheritance and can only fleece it if she is under his control. Nathan devises a plan to help Alice, but somehow things always backfire. He realizes there is a magical link between the future and medieval London, and wonders why Hazlett hints that his family is involved, especially Granny October.
I really think Bannister’s Muster is a wonderful novel that children will like immensely. There are lots of never-ending adventures and engaging action that Nathan and his friends find themselves in. Barbara Gaskell Denvil’s depiction of life in medieval times is interesting and realistic, especially the parts involving the homeless kids who struggle to survive on the streets, as well as Nathan's adjustment to it. Her descriptions of Baron Darling and his brother and their antics are funny. It’s an intriguing, fast-paced story that is hard to put down once you start reading. The author’s writing is clear, the plot creative, and she ended the story in a suspenseful way as Nathan’s adventures will continue in the upcoming sequel, Snakes and Ladders. Snap: Bannister’s Muster is highly recommended for pre-teens.
