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The Griffin Gate Series #2
Molly und der gefiederte Dieb
Endlich ist Molly fertig ausgebildete Wächterin und schon steckt sie mitten in ihrem nächsten Fall: Brot, Marmelade und Maschinen-Öl wurden als gestohlen gemeldet! Jedes Mal wurde am Tatort ein Vogel, genauer – ein Papageitaucher – gesichtet. Alle Spuren führen zu einem alten Schloss, in dem ein Junge ganz allein wohnt, wie es scheint. Hat er etwas mit den mysteriösen Diebstählen zu tun?
Eine Kinder-Detektiv-Geschichte in fantastischem Setting mit vielen Bildern – leicht zu lesen und spannend erzählt.
Eine Kinder-Detektiv-Geschichte in fantastischem Setting mit vielen Bildern – leicht zu lesen und spannend erzählt.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published September 2, 2021
2 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Vashti Hardy
36 books164 followers Vashti Hardy is a children’s book author who lives near Lancashire, England, with her husband and three teens. She has an honors teaching degree and an MA in creative writing from the University of Chichester.
Vashti Hardy est une auteure jeunesse. Elle a enseigné pendant de nombreuse années à l'école primaire. Après avoir quitté l'enseignement pour se consacrer davantage à l'écriture, elle devient conceptrice-rédactrice et cadre dans le marketing numérique. Elle est titulaire d'un M.A. en création littéraire de l'Université de Chichester. Elle compte également parmi les diplômés de la Golden Egg Academy, une école destinée aux auteurs de livres pour enfants et aide régulièrement les nouveaux élèves de l'institution. Vashti Hardy vit avec son mari et ses trois enfants près de Brighton dans le Sussex de l'Est.
Vashti Hardy est une auteure jeunesse. Elle a enseigné pendant de nombreuse années à l'école primaire. Après avoir quitté l'enseignement pour se consacrer davantage à l'écriture, elle devient conceptrice-rédactrice et cadre dans le marketing numérique. Elle est titulaire d'un M.A. en création littéraire de l'Université de Chichester. Elle compte également parmi les diplômés de la Golden Egg Academy, une école destinée aux auteurs de livres pour enfants et aide régulièrement les nouveaux élèves de l'institution. Vashti Hardy vit avec son mari et ses trois enfants près de Brighton dans le Sussex de l'Est.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 6, 2022
This is the second instalment in The Griffin Gate series.
Vashti Hardy is the god of children's literature and easily makes this adult reader fall in love with every creation. This proved every bit as mystical and magical as the first instalment, with the return of beloved characters and the portal to other destinations their family was prompted to use to forestall crime and solve puzzles and problems. The ones haunting them were trickier to master here, but with the same heart and determination as previously shown, they managed it!
Vashti Hardy is the god of children's literature and easily makes this adult reader fall in love with every creation. This proved every bit as mystical and magical as the first instalment, with the return of beloved characters and the portal to other destinations their family was prompted to use to forestall crime and solve puzzles and problems. The ones haunting them were trickier to master here, but with the same heart and determination as previously shown, they managed it!
July 18, 2024
A sweet continuation of the story with perfect blend of adventure, mystery and good moral values to teach young children.
April 3, 2022
A delightful continuation of the series.
April 30, 2022
Book 2 in the series so far..
I loved the first book so when I found out there was another installment I was so excited! In saying that, this book felt like it lacked the mystical excitement of the first. I did enjoy meeting the new character Tom but I feel like the story was cut short..
Would be a brilliant book for 8-12 year olds with strong themes of family, friendship and helping others
I loved the first book so when I found out there was another installment I was so excited! In saying that, this book felt like it lacked the mystical excitement of the first. I did enjoy meeting the new character Tom but I feel like the story was cut short..
Would be a brilliant book for 8-12 year olds with strong themes of family, friendship and helping others
September 29, 2022
This book is part of the dyslexia friendly range. As a dyslexic this book was a nice easy read. The way all the text was split in to smaller paragraph made it easier to read and with some of the words that are harder to pronounce being spilt up phonetically it made it a more fluent read due to not having to spend time figuring out how a word would be pronounced
August 20, 2021
I bloody love that Vashti Hardy’s books always feature clever female characters who are STEM whizzes. The Puffin Portal continues that! This is a great story featuring mysterious theft, a strange boy and what it means to actually be family. I love how kindness plays a massive part in this… and how much it means to listen to someone’s story and not just write them off! Can’t wait for the next!
September 16, 2021
Myself and my daughter aged 9 enjoyed the first book in this series, The Griffin Gate, and so were waiting in anticipation for the next book, The Puffin Portal.
Grace is now a qualified warden and since things are very busy in the map room, she is in charge of checking out all the blue light calls (minor problems) while her mum and brother deal with the important red light calls. There seem to be quite a lot of these however and it is not long before Grace realizes that perhaps they are connected. With her trusty sidekick Watson, the mechanical raven, she sets out to solve a series of small thefts which lead her to the mysterious Eely Isle.
My daughter says about the book…
My favourite character is Watson because he can be a bit cheeky towards Grace, he is smart and is always there to help her. I thought the new character of Tom Eely living in a ruined castle on Eely Isle was good and I quite quickly wondered where his family were. This book is about friendship and family and the meaning behind the story (or moral) is that you don’t have to be related to people for them to be family. Also it is about noticing people’s talents. The only thing I found hard to believe was that the robot puffins are evil, because they are SO cute!
Both of us really enjoyed this story and thanks to Barrington-Stoke for sending us a read and review copy. We will be eagerly awaiting the third book in the series, The Raven Riddle.
Grace is now a qualified warden and since things are very busy in the map room, she is in charge of checking out all the blue light calls (minor problems) while her mum and brother deal with the important red light calls. There seem to be quite a lot of these however and it is not long before Grace realizes that perhaps they are connected. With her trusty sidekick Watson, the mechanical raven, she sets out to solve a series of small thefts which lead her to the mysterious Eely Isle.
My daughter says about the book…
My favourite character is Watson because he can be a bit cheeky towards Grace, he is smart and is always there to help her. I thought the new character of Tom Eely living in a ruined castle on Eely Isle was good and I quite quickly wondered where his family were. This book is about friendship and family and the meaning behind the story (or moral) is that you don’t have to be related to people for them to be family. Also it is about noticing people’s talents. The only thing I found hard to believe was that the robot puffins are evil, because they are SO cute!
Both of us really enjoyed this story and thanks to Barrington-Stoke for sending us a read and review copy. We will be eagerly awaiting the third book in the series, The Raven Riddle.
November 20, 2021
A delightful sequel to the first. All designed and printed in Barrington Stoke's unique dyslexia-friendly style too. Grace might be the youngest Warden of the Griffin family but she's inquisitive, kind and full of smarts so when the residents of Moreland begin to complain of items from their shops disappearing she goes above and beyond to solve the mystery.
Super for established readers and newly independent ones too. Smillie's illustrations are lovely also. A nice narrative length too -enough to hook you in but not too long to put those newly independent readers off. I really like the slightly steampunk vibe to this series.
Super for established readers and newly independent ones too. Smillie's illustrations are lovely also. A nice narrative length too -enough to hook you in but not too long to put those newly independent readers off. I really like the slightly steampunk vibe to this series.
April 22, 2022
In THE PUFFIN PORTAL, Grace is now a fully qualified warden and is investigating a spate of thefts across the world of Moreland. Except they're particularly baffling thefts as it's only small, almost valueless items being taken, and it seems like a bird is responsible!
As the world and premise has already been established by THE GRIFFIN GATE, THE PUFFIN PORTAL can dive right in to the mystery without having to spend so much time setting up the world. There's also more sleuthing in this book as Grace investigates the thefts and then a strange island with an abandoned castle (!!! As someone who grew up on Enid Blyton, I love a good crumbling castle full of mystery!)
The book also feels more intricate, with more components working together to create the mystery. It feels a bit like Vashti Hardy was more confident with the format when writing this book so was able to spin more clues and more red-herrings into the book. (A pretty impressive feat for the size of it!)
We also have the introduction of a new character who looks like he's going to be a major player in the coming books! Grace's family are here as background characters again, but the mystery centres around new character Tom. I like series that expand with new entries, and new characters are a great way of doing that. Plus spending more time with characters allows you to get to know them better, and the majority of this book is spent with only grace, Watson (the robotic crown who helps the Griffins), and Tom.
As the world and premise has already been established by THE GRIFFIN GATE, THE PUFFIN PORTAL can dive right in to the mystery without having to spend so much time setting up the world. There's also more sleuthing in this book as Grace investigates the thefts and then a strange island with an abandoned castle (!!! As someone who grew up on Enid Blyton, I love a good crumbling castle full of mystery!)
The book also feels more intricate, with more components working together to create the mystery. It feels a bit like Vashti Hardy was more confident with the format when writing this book so was able to spin more clues and more red-herrings into the book. (A pretty impressive feat for the size of it!)
We also have the introduction of a new character who looks like he's going to be a major player in the coming books! Grace's family are here as background characters again, but the mystery centres around new character Tom. I like series that expand with new entries, and new characters are a great way of doing that. Plus spending more time with characters allows you to get to know them better, and the majority of this book is spent with only grace, Watson (the robotic crown who helps the Griffins), and Tom.
September 30, 2021
The Puffin Portal is the latest release in the wonderful Griffin Gate series, a collection of fantasy adventure books for children from author Vashti Hardy. One of the good things about this entry, however, is that readers don't really need to have read the previous book in order to jump in and enjoy this latest adventure.
The story begins by introducing readers to Grace, the youngest member of the Griffin family. Following the invention of a series of portals by her great grandmother that allow people to instantly teleport across the country of Moreland, her family have been acting as guardians for its people. Whenever there's trouble, or people need help, they can ask the Wardens, the members of the Griffin family, to help them.
Having just recently been trained up and allowed to go out on simple missions on her own, Grace has been looking into a string of odd robberies across Moreland. There have been no clues left at the scenes, and only strange items have gone missing, such as a tool here and there, and the occasional item of food. Determined to find out if there could be a connection between these crimes Grace sets out to find answers with the help of her robotic raven Watson.
Very soon the two of them start to believe that the crimes could be connected, thanks to several witnesses having reported seeing a puffin in the area, and a strange feather being found at one of the crime scenes. But how can puffins be involved? Staking out a likely target, Grace and Watson see a puffin breaking into a shop and making off with a loaf of bread. Following the bird through a strange portal the two of them find themselves on a remote island with a tumbling castle.
The mystery of The Puffin Portal is a fun series of crimes that on the surface seem unconnected, but thanks to some clues laid out by Hardy, and some inventive investigation by Grace, the answers soon start to unfold; allowing the younger readers the opportunity to try and figure things out before everything is revealed.
Whilst it is a fairly simple mystery, this is a children's book after all, it's still one that will keep younger readers interested. And because the mystery isn't the most important part of the book, it doesn't really matter if some of the readers figure it out early on. The real heart of the book, instead, is the relationship that forms between Grace and Tom, the young boy found living in the ruined island castle. Hardy does a good job of building something between the two children, and leading you to come to the conclusions that Grace does; as well as decisions that will lead to a lovely resolution.
The Puffin Portal is not only a good follow up to The Griffin Gate, but a good book in its own right. It is able to introduce readers to this interesting new world and the characters that inhabit it, whilst also expanding on what came before for those that have already experienced the first book. It also comes with some wonderful illustrations by Natalie Smillie that really helps to bring it all alive.
Whether you're new to this world, or a returning fan, you're sure to love The Puffin Portal.
The story begins by introducing readers to Grace, the youngest member of the Griffin family. Following the invention of a series of portals by her great grandmother that allow people to instantly teleport across the country of Moreland, her family have been acting as guardians for its people. Whenever there's trouble, or people need help, they can ask the Wardens, the members of the Griffin family, to help them.
Having just recently been trained up and allowed to go out on simple missions on her own, Grace has been looking into a string of odd robberies across Moreland. There have been no clues left at the scenes, and only strange items have gone missing, such as a tool here and there, and the occasional item of food. Determined to find out if there could be a connection between these crimes Grace sets out to find answers with the help of her robotic raven Watson.
Very soon the two of them start to believe that the crimes could be connected, thanks to several witnesses having reported seeing a puffin in the area, and a strange feather being found at one of the crime scenes. But how can puffins be involved? Staking out a likely target, Grace and Watson see a puffin breaking into a shop and making off with a loaf of bread. Following the bird through a strange portal the two of them find themselves on a remote island with a tumbling castle.
The mystery of The Puffin Portal is a fun series of crimes that on the surface seem unconnected, but thanks to some clues laid out by Hardy, and some inventive investigation by Grace, the answers soon start to unfold; allowing the younger readers the opportunity to try and figure things out before everything is revealed.
Whilst it is a fairly simple mystery, this is a children's book after all, it's still one that will keep younger readers interested. And because the mystery isn't the most important part of the book, it doesn't really matter if some of the readers figure it out early on. The real heart of the book, instead, is the relationship that forms between Grace and Tom, the young boy found living in the ruined island castle. Hardy does a good job of building something between the two children, and leading you to come to the conclusions that Grace does; as well as decisions that will lead to a lovely resolution.
The Puffin Portal is not only a good follow up to The Griffin Gate, but a good book in its own right. It is able to introduce readers to this interesting new world and the characters that inhabit it, whilst also expanding on what came before for those that have already experienced the first book. It also comes with some wonderful illustrations by Natalie Smillie that really helps to bring it all alive.
Whether you're new to this world, or a returning fan, you're sure to love The Puffin Portal.
September 14, 2021
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
What an adorable sequel to The Griffin Gate! I really enjoyed the first installment, and loved this return to the universe. This time we see Grace trying to solve the mystery of lots of petty robberies.
I really like how big a part STEM plays in this series, the characters are obviously smart and I love that. Also I want a pet robot puffin, ngl.
This is one of Barrington Stokes fantastic books which make books accessible for dyslexic and reluctant readers, and I love them. This is short, sweet, and still super engaging and with a surprising amount of plot. I definitely recommend any of the Barrington Stoke books, but this series is particularly excellent.
It also looks like there’s a third book coming which I am excited for!
4 stars.
What an adorable sequel to The Griffin Gate! I really enjoyed the first installment, and loved this return to the universe. This time we see Grace trying to solve the mystery of lots of petty robberies.
I really like how big a part STEM plays in this series, the characters are obviously smart and I love that. Also I want a pet robot puffin, ngl.
This is one of Barrington Stokes fantastic books which make books accessible for dyslexic and reluctant readers, and I love them. This is short, sweet, and still super engaging and with a surprising amount of plot. I definitely recommend any of the Barrington Stoke books, but this series is particularly excellent.
It also looks like there’s a third book coming which I am excited for!
4 stars.
February 14, 2023
This book is incredibly fast paced, possibly too fast paced at times. The events of the book happen very quickly and are resolved with incredibly ease. The actual mystery in this story is kind of a secondary plot to Grace’s mission to find another warden. If I had read this closer to the first book in the series I may have rated this differently, part of my issue was I couldn’t remember the characters and didn’t exactly know why some things should be an issue.
I can see why this book would appeal to children around 7/8/9 years old. The plot moves is fast I can imagine it would be engaging enough to keep a reluctant reader focused. I also love the Barrington Stoke publishing style- off white pages, clear and easy to read font, wide spacing between paragraphs. Absolutely perfect for children who find words get jumbled on the page.
I can see why this book would appeal to children around 7/8/9 years old. The plot moves is fast I can imagine it would be engaging enough to keep a reluctant reader focused. I also love the Barrington Stoke publishing style- off white pages, clear and easy to read font, wide spacing between paragraphs. Absolutely perfect for children who find words get jumbled on the page.
January 18, 2025
Flipping perfect Vashti book. (Reading book 1-3 all in on go!)
Grace has become a Warden on the map of Moreland. When she goes to investigate lots of small burglaries all over the country, they have one thing in common - puffins.
Grace and Watson (a robot raven) keep watch. The puffin goes down a hole - on entering it they soon realise it's a portal. And they are on Eely Isle off the coast of Carp Cove. But they aren't alone - the puffin (which they realised is a robot) has disappeared but there's a boy in an old castle.
|The boy is called Tom Eely...but is he alone? And why?
Grace needs to speak to Mum about Tom but he gets angry because he thinks they will take him away from his beloved isle.
Brilliant. everything you expect from Vashti.
Grace has become a Warden on the map of Moreland. When she goes to investigate lots of small burglaries all over the country, they have one thing in common - puffins.
Grace and Watson (a robot raven) keep watch. The puffin goes down a hole - on entering it they soon realise it's a portal. And they are on Eely Isle off the coast of Carp Cove. But they aren't alone - the puffin (which they realised is a robot) has disappeared but there's a boy in an old castle.
|The boy is called Tom Eely...but is he alone? And why?
Grace needs to speak to Mum about Tom but he gets angry because he thinks they will take him away from his beloved isle.
Brilliant. everything you expect from Vashti.
November 8, 2021
Yet another amazing book by Hardy. This book has been written in such a way that there is no pressure on the reader to have read the previous book in this series which makes it more accessible to a wider variety of readers. In the first two pages hardy explains everything you need to know about the background of the characters in a clear and concise way and then the rest of the story flows perfectly from there. This novel explores the importance of friendship and how family is whoever we decide it to be - an incredibly important aspect of life that all children should be aware of. An excellent read perfect for any classroom and accessible for all readers.
October 5, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I loved this book but Grace and Tom should have had a love story not of become siblings. But like they are only like 12-14 so yeah. If they were a bit older and they had met they could have had a great love story but they didn’t get that, and I’m really annoyed and sad by that. I can’t change how a story was wrong but the plot was really good so that a good thing and you can see how Tom grows and changes as the story goes on. Honestly Tom has a really sad back story and I would love to see more of that.
I loved this book but Grace and Tom should have had a love story not of become siblings. But like they are only like 12-14 so yeah. If they were a bit older and they had met they could have had a great love story but they didn’t get that, and I’m really annoyed and sad by that. I can’t change how a story was wrong but the plot was really good so that a good thing and you can see how Tom grows and changes as the story goes on. Honestly Tom has a really sad back story and I would love to see more of that.
September 17, 2021
I really enjoyed this, I adored the first one and this one was just as cute. I really love the simple yet engaging storytelling. Vashti Hardy is an author who I really need to read more of.
A solid 4 star read.
A solid 4 star read.
August 26, 2021
Full review to follow.
March 8, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. It’s a face paced read with a few twists.
March 20, 2022
I had bought the 3rd book in series and read it before I bought this 1 but now it fills in all the back story to Tom
June 28, 2022
I truly am a sucker for the found family trope.
January 22, 2023
It was not as good as the first one but it is getting there but it is cute the lil puffins.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2024
Content Warning:
- Loss of loved one
Representation:
- Orphan
- Loss of loved one
Representation:
- Orphan
May 9, 2025
I loved it because there are lots and lots of puffins.
Read
October 8, 2025I love the use of the dyslexia friendly font
March 10, 2022
Grace Griffin’s family have an important job. They are the wardens of a map that shows their entire country of Moreland. If anyone needsThe Puffin Portal Book Review Cover help across this map, they can contact the Griffin family via red phone boxes in their town. If it’s an emergency, a red light appears on the map. If it’s a theft or a mystery, then a blue light will appear.
Grace, at only 13, attends to the blue lights, and her mum and brother Bren attend to the emergencies. All of them have been very busy as lights are popping up all over Moreland. Grace has been responding to many little reports of theft. A jar of jam, a roll of wire, a loaf of bread or other small items.
When she investigates the common clues are related to birds, but how can that be? Besides her own robot raven named Watson, birds can’t open doors and why would they steal wire? She and Watson decide to do a stake out in a small town and discover much more than they were imagining, and even solve the problem of how busy they have all been lately.
A mystery, small crimes, portals and puffins, The Puffin Portal is another in this illustrated series about The Griffin family and their amazing map. Grace has been keen to get in on the action, but has been too young to be a qualified warden.
Now she has proven herself to attend the smaller crimes, she finds herself with a puzzling problem that leads to a castle ruin. Intriguing read and perfect for reluctant readers.
Author – Vashti Hardy
Illustrator – Natalie Smillie
Dyslexic Read – Reading Age 8 / Interest Age 8-12
Grace, at only 13, attends to the blue lights, and her mum and brother Bren attend to the emergencies. All of them have been very busy as lights are popping up all over Moreland. Grace has been responding to many little reports of theft. A jar of jam, a roll of wire, a loaf of bread or other small items.
When she investigates the common clues are related to birds, but how can that be? Besides her own robot raven named Watson, birds can’t open doors and why would they steal wire? She and Watson decide to do a stake out in a small town and discover much more than they were imagining, and even solve the problem of how busy they have all been lately.
A mystery, small crimes, portals and puffins, The Puffin Portal is another in this illustrated series about The Griffin family and their amazing map. Grace has been keen to get in on the action, but has been too young to be a qualified warden.
Now she has proven herself to attend the smaller crimes, she finds herself with a puzzling problem that leads to a castle ruin. Intriguing read and perfect for reluctant readers.
Author – Vashti Hardy
Illustrator – Natalie Smillie
Dyslexic Read – Reading Age 8 / Interest Age 8-12
December 15, 2021
I’m a big fan of Vashti Hardy’s writing, as well as hugely envious of her incredible imagination, and these novellas are every bit as fantastic as you’d expect them to be. They take place in a world where wardens can immediately teleport to the scenes of crimes via a magical map, and specifically follow the youngest warden Grace Griffin, who is newly qualified and taking on her first mission. There have been a string of strange robberies, where a puffin has been sighted at the scene, so Grace and her robotic raven Watson set out to investigate and put a stop to whatever is going on. Grace is a great character, so clever and capable yet still believable as being a total newbie to her role, and Watson never fails to make me laugh. I also found Tom very intriguing this time round, and I’m looking forward to learning more about him in the next book in the series. The overall message that you come away with at the end is that family is not synonymous with blood relatives, which I think is both very true and very important to emphasise in books, and also very moving in the way it happens here. I’m so excited to read the Raven Riddle when it comes out, although I’m not sure when that will be!
November 5, 2023
This book was another quick and adventurous read that had me hooked from the first page just like the first book did. We went with Grace and Winston on another adventure but this time to an island through a portal.
We met a new character in this story who had a very different backstory to Grace. However, Grace changed his life for the better. We do touch on the found family trope within this book which we didn’t in the first book.
I’m now super intrigued into what is going to happen in the third book.
Highly recommend if you want a quick, simple and entertaining series.
We met a new character in this story who had a very different backstory to Grace. However, Grace changed his life for the better. We do touch on the found family trope within this book which we didn’t in the first book.
I’m now super intrigued into what is going to happen in the third book.
Highly recommend if you want a quick, simple and entertaining series.
June 24, 2023
Cute.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews