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Still Water
Evacuated from London at the outbreak of war, Rosie is taken in by kind Mrs Taylor and her daughter Mary. But all is not as it seems. Mary resents and bullies Rosie, and Mrs Taylor is hiding a dark secret. When Rosie comes across a strange girl swimming in a local pond, she hopes they will become friends. But instead her appearance leads to a horrifying revelation that will have terrifying consequences...
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2018
12 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
Chris Priestley
58 books400 followersHis father was in the army and so he moved around a lot as a child and lived in Wales. He was an avid reader of American comics as a child, and when he was eight or nine, and living in Gibraltar, he won a prize in a newspaper story-writing competition. He decided then “that my ambition was to write and illustrate my own book”.
He spent his teens in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, before moving to Manchester, London and then Norfolk. He now lives in Cambridge with his wife and son where he writes, draws, paints, dreams and doodles (not necessarily in that order). Chris worked as an illustrator and cartoonist for twenty years, working mainly for magazines & newspapers (these include The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Economist and the Wall Street Journal) before becoming a writer. He currently has a weekly strip cartoon called 'Payne's Grey' in the New Statesman.
Chris has been a published author since 2000. He has written several books for children & young-adults, both fiction and non-fiction, and
has been nominated for many awards including the Edgar Awards, the UKLA Children's Book Award and the Carnegie Medal. In recent years he has predominantly been writing horror.
Ever since he was a teenager Chris has loved unsettling and creepy stories, with fond memories of buying comics like 'Strange Tales' and 'House of Mystery', watching classic BBC TV adaptations of M R James ghost stories every Christmas and reading assorted weirdness by everyone from Edgar Allen Poe to Ray Bradbury. He hopes Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror will haunt his readers in the way those writers have haunted him.
He spent his teens in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, before moving to Manchester, London and then Norfolk. He now lives in Cambridge with his wife and son where he writes, draws, paints, dreams and doodles (not necessarily in that order). Chris worked as an illustrator and cartoonist for twenty years, working mainly for magazines & newspapers (these include The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Economist and the Wall Street Journal) before becoming a writer. He currently has a weekly strip cartoon called 'Payne's Grey' in the New Statesman.
Chris has been a published author since 2000. He has written several books for children & young-adults, both fiction and non-fiction, and
has been nominated for many awards including the Edgar Awards, the UKLA Children's Book Award and the Carnegie Medal. In recent years he has predominantly been writing horror.
Ever since he was a teenager Chris has loved unsettling and creepy stories, with fond memories of buying comics like 'Strange Tales' and 'House of Mystery', watching classic BBC TV adaptations of M R James ghost stories every Christmas and reading assorted weirdness by everyone from Edgar Allen Poe to Ray Bradbury. He hopes Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror will haunt his readers in the way those writers have haunted him.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 18, 2021
A good little read for 11+ starting their journey into ghost stories.
August 22, 2021
Creepy and a good choice of setting. Makes a change to have some historical horror fiction in short story form for kids.
May 23, 2020
I read this book as a bet since my younger cousin didn’t believe I could read it in a day. Poor child had no idea I could read fast. All 112 pages were read in under thirty minutes. She then quizzes me and reluctantly agreed I was a good reader.
The book was a nice short read, especially if you want something simple and a tad creepy. Excellent if you want to pick up more horror and want to ease into the genre.
The story was simplistic, but it kept me hooked and if I was younger, I’m sure I would love this book more. Either way, a nice little read.
The book was a nice short read, especially if you want something simple and a tad creepy. Excellent if you want to pick up more horror and want to ease into the genre.
The story was simplistic, but it kept me hooked and if I was younger, I’m sure I would love this book more. Either way, a nice little read.
October 19, 2020
Really enjoyed the first half of the book. However the second half just seemed to drag.
Spoiler
When Mary's mother was killed what happened to Mary? Rosie returned back to London with her mother but the story didnt conclude where she went? Would of been interesting to send Mary to London with Rosie and her mother.
Spoiler
When Mary's mother was killed what happened to Mary? Rosie returned back to London with her mother but the story didnt conclude where she went? Would of been interesting to send Mary to London with Rosie and her mother.
Read
January 9, 2020Really disappointing! Flakey. Not smooth or flowing. Babyish.
January 31, 2020
Not the greatest book ever, but I found the edge of horror gripping me!!
April 17, 2023
3,5. Bra uppbyggnad, den är rätt lättläst. Lite platt kanske i slutet men gillade att den utspelade sig under andra världskriget
December 15, 2025
The creepy tale of a young evacuee, the mother and nasty daughter who take her in, and a tragedy at a pond.
Good pacing and mood, just right for middle school readers.
Good pacing and mood, just right for middle school readers.
October 22, 2018
how is this a children’s book lol
April 9, 2020
It was an okay read. Felt like like the short paragraphing with double lined spacing just padded the thickness out. I'm sure my daughter will like it though
August 29, 2024
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Rosie lives in London at the start of World War II, so is sent out of the city with her classmates and her teacher, Miss Baxter. The group ends up in a very picturesque village. Rosie isn't picked by a local resident until most of her classmates have already gone to homes, but Mrs. Taylor and her daughter Mary seem nice. Rosie is polite, and thanks them, just like her mother told her to. She settles into her new accomodations, but Mary takes an evil turn, tells her that she doesn't want her there, and then bites her own arm! Of course, her mother is alarmed, and ready to send Rosie back, but attributes the behavior to missing her mother. Mary tells Rosie that she thought about sending her away, but thinks it would be far more fun to torture her! Rosie tries to be brave, even though Mary tells all of the children of the village and the Evacuees not to talk to her. Rosie does see one friendly face, a girl swimming in a pond, but Mrs. Taylor is alarmed when Rosie asks if they might all swim there. The pond was the site of a witch execution that killed seven women years ago, and also the site of a drowning of a young girl when Mrs. Taylor was a child. When the girl in the pond asks Rosie to bring Mary to her, she's worried. Eventually, Mrs. Taylor tells her the real story; the girl who drowned was named Vera, and was Mrs. Taylor's best friend. The two fell out, and Vera wouldn't talk to Mrs. Taylor, so she dared Vera to swim in the pond. The girl ended up drowning, and Mrs. Taylor has always felt bad. Rosie tells her foster mother that Mary is with other children at the pond right now, planning to swim. The two rush there, and manage to save Mary, but Mrs. Taylor drowns. Rosie's mother comes from London to retrieve her, and on the way out of town, Rosie sees Vera and a young Mrs. Taylor together, and figures that Vera was just lonely all those years.
Strengths: Of all the scary ways that ghost could try to kill you, I think luring your into water and drowning you is probably the worst and scariest! I'm a huge fan of evacuee tales and often think about what it would have been like to have been one of the teachers sent out of London with the children. Makes ANYTHING that happens in my school day seem easier. Pairing a murderous ghost with this historical period was brilliant, and adding in Mary as this needlessly evil character makes it even better. I really enjoyed this one. This is a quick 100 page book, in a dyslexia friendly font, so great for emerging readers, like all of the Barrington Stoke books.
Weaknesses: While many young reader in the UK probably have heard of the Evacuees during WWII, it's not common knowledge in the US, and my readers might need a bit more information, unless they've read Albus' A Place to Hang the Moon or Bradley's The War That Saved My Life. Also, the ending is a tiny bit disturbing, since Mrs. Taylor does die, leaving Mary seemingly alone, just so she can keep a ghost company!
What I really think: If Brown's The Girl in the Lake or Hahn's Wait Til Helen Comes are too difficult for a reader who wants a good murderous, drowning ghost, this is a great choice to offer instead.
Rosie lives in London at the start of World War II, so is sent out of the city with her classmates and her teacher, Miss Baxter. The group ends up in a very picturesque village. Rosie isn't picked by a local resident until most of her classmates have already gone to homes, but Mrs. Taylor and her daughter Mary seem nice. Rosie is polite, and thanks them, just like her mother told her to. She settles into her new accomodations, but Mary takes an evil turn, tells her that she doesn't want her there, and then bites her own arm! Of course, her mother is alarmed, and ready to send Rosie back, but attributes the behavior to missing her mother. Mary tells Rosie that she thought about sending her away, but thinks it would be far more fun to torture her! Rosie tries to be brave, even though Mary tells all of the children of the village and the Evacuees not to talk to her. Rosie does see one friendly face, a girl swimming in a pond, but Mrs. Taylor is alarmed when Rosie asks if they might all swim there. The pond was the site of a witch execution that killed seven women years ago, and also the site of a drowning of a young girl when Mrs. Taylor was a child. When the girl in the pond asks Rosie to bring Mary to her, she's worried. Eventually, Mrs. Taylor tells her the real story; the girl who drowned was named Vera, and was Mrs. Taylor's best friend. The two fell out, and Vera wouldn't talk to Mrs. Taylor, so she dared Vera to swim in the pond. The girl ended up drowning, and Mrs. Taylor has always felt bad. Rosie tells her foster mother that Mary is with other children at the pond right now, planning to swim. The two rush there, and manage to save Mary, but Mrs. Taylor drowns. Rosie's mother comes from London to retrieve her, and on the way out of town, Rosie sees Vera and a young Mrs. Taylor together, and figures that Vera was just lonely all those years.
Strengths: Of all the scary ways that ghost could try to kill you, I think luring your into water and drowning you is probably the worst and scariest! I'm a huge fan of evacuee tales and often think about what it would have been like to have been one of the teachers sent out of London with the children. Makes ANYTHING that happens in my school day seem easier. Pairing a murderous ghost with this historical period was brilliant, and adding in Mary as this needlessly evil character makes it even better. I really enjoyed this one. This is a quick 100 page book, in a dyslexia friendly font, so great for emerging readers, like all of the Barrington Stoke books.
Weaknesses: While many young reader in the UK probably have heard of the Evacuees during WWII, it's not common knowledge in the US, and my readers might need a bit more information, unless they've read Albus' A Place to Hang the Moon or Bradley's The War That Saved My Life. Also, the ending is a tiny bit disturbing, since Mrs. Taylor does die, leaving Mary seemingly alone, just so she can keep a ghost company!
What I really think: If Brown's The Girl in the Lake or Hahn's Wait Til Helen Comes are too difficult for a reader who wants a good murderous, drowning ghost, this is a great choice to offer instead.
September 28, 2025
The rumours of war are beginning and city children are being moved to the countryside. Rosie doesn’t want to leave her mum and she has a rough start to her stay in her new home. But soon things get creepier as Rosie sees a girl no one else can see.
This is a great read for young readers that are really wanting a start in the horror and paranormal genre. It’s done in a really mild way, you get enough eerie and creepiness, but it’s not overwhelming in anyway. It also fits in with the rest of the story so perfectly that it feels really natural within it.
I didn’t care for Mary she was a major bully and got away with way too much. I didn’t care for Mrs. Taylor much either, I found her to be a bully too, which was interesting to see as the story progressed honestly. Rosie deserved a way better host family than she was given, the girl was so sweet and was going through so much, but no one around her even cared.
I loved the story of the witches, the witches pond, of the drownings within that pond, I liked uncovering more of the answers for it all. That was certainly the part that I enjoyed an awful lot more than most of the other storyline. Though I liked how everything was eventually linked together. A perfect easy haunting dyslexia friendly book for young readers, I think they’ll really enjoy the light spooks within this story and the history within it too.
This is a great read for young readers that are really wanting a start in the horror and paranormal genre. It’s done in a really mild way, you get enough eerie and creepiness, but it’s not overwhelming in anyway. It also fits in with the rest of the story so perfectly that it feels really natural within it.
I didn’t care for Mary she was a major bully and got away with way too much. I didn’t care for Mrs. Taylor much either, I found her to be a bully too, which was interesting to see as the story progressed honestly. Rosie deserved a way better host family than she was given, the girl was so sweet and was going through so much, but no one around her even cared.
I loved the story of the witches, the witches pond, of the drownings within that pond, I liked uncovering more of the answers for it all. That was certainly the part that I enjoyed an awful lot more than most of the other storyline. Though I liked how everything was eventually linked together. A perfect easy haunting dyslexia friendly book for young readers, I think they’ll really enjoy the light spooks within this story and the history within it too.
September 21, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. I thought the character of Rosie was portrayed well, she came across how she was meant to, polite, well mannered, and a young girl who was trying to be brave for her mum as the war began. It gives this generation of children a small glimpse into what it was like for children caught up in the war and what they had to sacrifice, as well as their parents they left behind to flee to safety. I enjoyed the way the author wrote about Mary too and did it simply for young kids to understand without too much detail. It showed her nice side and her not-so-nice side. The story itself with the girl in the pond was also interesting and made me want to read on and it got my attention from the get go. The story was simple but effective. I read it in a couple of hours and now my eleven-year-old son is reading it and is also enjoying it. It is only 112 pages long, but I thought it was well written and very easy of children of a certain age who are struggling with reading or have dyslexia. I would highly recommend this book. I will be looking for more books by Chris Priestly. Great Read!!
June 13, 2022
Evacuated from London at the outbreak of war, Rosie is taken in by kind Mrs Taylor and her daughter Mary. But all is not as it seems. Mary resents and bullies Rosie, and Mrs Taylor is hiding a dark secret. When Rosie comes across a strange girl swimming in a local pond, she hopes they will become friends. But instead, her appearance leads to a horrifying revelation that will have terrifying consequences...
This, being a child horror fiction still have few horror elements because it makes an eerie environment for the reader. The weather being changed from sunny to dark clouds all of the sudden made me feel shivers. It was a short read so I needed more of the story and character's background to connect well because the book was way too short to even connect to the main characters well. The ending felt incomplete could do better. Writing style and language were easy, Overall a good read.
This, being a child horror fiction still have few horror elements because it makes an eerie environment for the reader. The weather being changed from sunny to dark clouds all of the sudden made me feel shivers. It was a short read so I needed more of the story and character's background to connect well because the book was way too short to even connect to the main characters well. The ending felt incomplete could do better. Writing style and language were easy, Overall a good read.
January 6, 2022
Chris Priestley was one of the first horror authors I ever read, back when I was a know-it-all pre-teen. His works introduced me to horror and if I'm being honest are probably what hooked me on the genre as well.
So, when I saw this at the library I had to reat it. I am glad I did because his stories are still as good as I remember. I hope I can find some more of his to read in the future.
Favourite Quote: "She felt less lonely on her own." (p. 63).
So, when I saw this at the library I had to reat it. I am glad I did because his stories are still as good as I remember. I hope I can find some more of his to read in the future.
Favourite Quote: "She felt less lonely on her own." (p. 63).
April 17, 2024
Dip your toe into young adult horror with Chris Priestley!
A haunting tale of child evacuees during the Second World War.
"Do you believe in ghosts, Mrs Taylor?"
When one of the evacuees sees a girl in the witches' pond, she can't begin to imagine the secrets she's about to unravel.
A story of bullying, self-awareness, and teen angst holding valuable lessons for us all.
A haunting tale of child evacuees during the Second World War.
"Do you believe in ghosts, Mrs Taylor?"
When one of the evacuees sees a girl in the witches' pond, she can't begin to imagine the secrets she's about to unravel.
A story of bullying, self-awareness, and teen angst holding valuable lessons for us all.
November 7, 2021
Loved this. A great introduction to ghost stories for anyone. It’s aimed at 11+ year olds but I still enjoyed it as a quick read as a way to take a bit of me time without committing to a big book. Definitely recommend
January 24, 2023
I picked this up from a free book library just to tick off a square on a book bingo im doing and was not expecting much but what i got was unpredictable, creepy treat.
Read in one sitting as its only 112 pages.
Read in one sitting as its only 112 pages.
January 7, 2020
Good starter horror for youngsters.
January 19, 2020
It is amazing it is about an old friend of Mrs Taylor's who drowned in a pond that is called the 'witches pond'
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2020
I wish I'd had the opportunity to read something so morbid when I was younger 😂😂 would've given me nightmares for years
December 27, 2020
Classic and creepy.
June 13, 2021
Very eerie and a really good quick read, it has you gripped from the start and a really easy book to read !
August 15, 2021
Predictable yet I liked it.
I did however expect abit more but then again what more can you expect from a 10+ age range book.
I guess it was the front cover that pulled me in 😤😅
I did however expect abit more but then again what more can you expect from a 10+ age range book.
I guess it was the front cover that pulled me in 😤😅
October 9, 2021
Not my normal style of book but I really did enjoy this. There was a decent amount of horror and some life lessons. My only concern would be that I think the age suggestion for it is wrong.
July 9, 2023
A Good but creepy thriller
October 25, 2023
don't ever lie as you always get found out and it will come back to get you
April 29, 2024
I absolutely loved this book! Filled with some awesome cliff hangers at the end of chapters telling me to keep reading.
August 13, 2024
It was an adorable short story that I couldn't put down once I started. Seriously had me hooked. Just requires some imagination to fill in the blanks
January 22, 2025
Another great book for older students with dyslexia. I have been pleased with this publisher's EVERYONE CAN BE A READER series in the layout, length, and quality of stories.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews