Six Storey House

by Geraldine McCaughrean

In separate little flats, the occupants of Six Storey House live separate little lives. Until young Dexi - and a bout of chicken-pox - turns things upside down, and slowly the neighbours grow more neighbourly. A charming and quirky tale for younger readers by an award-winning author, read by Martin Clunes.Six Storey House stands in its little garden like a potted tall and thin and brownly dusty. Once, a single family lived there. They kept servants in the loft, where other people keep luggage, and a cook in the cellar, where other people keep wine. Now each floor has a different Flats 1 to 6, Six Storey House...Dexi lives on the third floor with his mother, but he knows all his neighbours very well. Each chapter follows the owners of a different flat, bringing each character beautifully to life. Gradually all the neighbours lives are woven more closely together until Dexi's final intervention, in the form of chicken-pox, sees the neighbours changing their lives - and their flats...

Genres: Friendship

125 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2002

About the author

Geraldine McCaughrean is a British children's novelist. She has written more than 170 books, including Peter Pan in Scarlet (2004), the official sequel to Peter Pan commissioned by Great Ormond Street Hospital, the holder of Peter Pan's copyright. Her work has been translated into 44 languages worldwide. She has received the Carnegie Medal twice and the Michael L. Printz Award among others.

Reviews

[Ellie L · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful book that I read with a smile on my face the entire way through. McCaughrean tells a series of witty tales about the topsy-turvy lives of the residents of Six Story House, an eclectic mix of characters, who are brought together by the protagonist, and begin to bond as the story progresses. The clever humour and warm illustrations made this an absolute joy to read, and would be sure to win over any reluctant reader. This text would act as a perfect starting point to set young children off on their journey to independent reading, with a plot and characters that would fondly hover in the back of the mind for years to come.

[RhiannaH · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely story about six families who live in one house. Each chapter introduces you to the different occupants within the house, whilst the underlying story-line is subtly weaved through until towards the end of the novel where it becomes the central feature of the story. An ideal book to use when exploring character descriptions.

[Jane Scholey · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a stunning book. A story set over six storeys. A house full of characters. Brilliant read aloud.