100 Summers

by Ali Sparkes

What's an inner city kid like Dante doing in a posh old mansion house in the country? Having ADHD and dyslexia has 'won' him a place in a free summer school - so he can feel extra stupid, get into fights and be accused of stuff he didn't do.

Finding an old journal changes everything. Written by a girl who lived in Candlesham Hall a centuary ago it's really hard to read. Yet Dante has to keep reading - because Bea's journal is filled with clues to treasures hidden around the house and grounds.

And the treasures are still there...

212 pages, Paperback

Published January 15, 2024

About the author

Ali Sparkes (born 1966) is a British children's author.

Reviews

[Georgina Lippiett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ali Sparkes is a master storyteller and so it's no surprise that this is a beautifully formed and captivating treasure-hunt of a book. 100 Summers is a proper treat of a tale that evokes a similar sense of tingly goodness as The Secret Garden and will enthral any readers keen on ciphers and puzzles. It revolves around neurodiverse children who come together to help learn new ways to navigate the world in a safe, supported space - but things get pretty exciting pretty quickly.

The story is hugely empowering for children of all ages, and is divided into short chapters with an episodic feel, making it a really accessible and compelling read. The characters, whether adult or child, are brought vividly to life and the dynamic between them all has been handled like a pro, and the attention to detail when it comes to the house and grounds means you just know the author made a cracker of a map - which wasn't in my ARC but might well be now the book's out in the wild. . .

'What’s an inner city kid like Dante doing in a posh old mansion house in the country? Having ADHD and dyslexia has ‘won’ him a place in a free summer school – so he can feel extra stupid, get into fights and be accused of stuff he didn’t do.

But finding an old journal changes everything. Written by a girl who lived in Candlesham Hall a centuary ago it’s really hard to read. Yet Dante has to keep reading – because Bee’s journal is filled with clues to treasures hidden around the house and grounds.

And the treasures are still there…'

[Sarah-Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

49 year old here: Well I fully admit that I only read this book because I needed something to do on a train journey, hadn’t got my current book with me and so wanted to find something that would be an ‘easy read’. So I opened up the Sora app (I work in a school) and found this book under the ‘mystery’ section. I thought it might be an ok enough read as was drawn to it as I have ADHD myself.

Well I couldn’t put it down! Really interesting story with plenty to keep you wanting to turn the page. I was actually sad when I’d finished it.

Oh and very slight spoiler here:
—-
I did all the ciphers either before they were revealed or checked them after as I happen to have copies of the books in question - they all worked! 😁 (Ok, there were one or two where it didn’t quite work for a word but I think that’s down to errors/differences in punctuation in different editions. It was always close enough for me to work out.)

[Childrens Sequels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dante has been given a place at a summer school. He suffers from ADHD and is dyslexic so he is expecting to be teased and bullied and get into fights while he is at Candlesham Hall. But after his room mate falls ill, he has his own room and discovers a book hiding in the ceiling. Great, he's dyslexic and he's found a book! But the book is intriguing, and tells of another time when someone else lived in at Candlesham Hall. Someone who left clues to a treasure. So begins Dante's adventure discovering the Hall and it's grounds, and discovering more about himself as well. I loved this story, the history, the secret codes. A great adventure.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed it Loved the premise