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The Sleeping Stones
Gruff and his new friend Matylda live on a small island off the Welsh coast, where legends are beginning to stir. Islanders find themselves irresistibly drawn to the Sleeping Stones, a line of rocks like stepping stones out to sea, and Gruff and Mat soon realise they must risk everything to save each other and their community from a terrifying storm driven by an ancient, magic anger.
- GenresMiddle GradeFantasy
306 pages, Paperback
Published February 2, 2023
3 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
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January 19, 2023With a name like "The Sleeping Stones" I Reckoned this would be A Fantastic Fantasy Novel for Children & It DID NOT Disappoint! 5 Stars, Highly Recommended!
(Thanks to Net Galley for this Book).
(Thanks to Net Galley for this Book).
January 31, 2023
A fantastic upcoming release! Will come highly recommended to my pupils. It’s thoughtful and well-written. Truly a joy to delve into.
August 7, 2023
A very good children's adventure novel with mythological elements.
As an adult reader, some aspects are very unrealistic (in particular a sequence where a boy, alone, rescues dozens of sheep from the sea in a storm), but kid readers might not mind this as much.
As an adult reader, some aspects are very unrealistic (in particular a sequence where a boy, alone, rescues dozens of sheep from the sea in a storm), but kid readers might not mind this as much.
August 14, 2024
The Sleeping Stones by Beatrice Wallbank is a wonderful blend of Welsh myth and legend and is a perfect book for any middle-grade child whose curious nature has them wondering about mermaids and other mythical beings.
I couldn't put the book down so I can guarantee a young reader who loves the idea of being something 'more'. The author has brought an isolated Welsh island to life, with atmospheric description that swept me away to childhood holidays in Anglesey climbing hills and swerving for shells and rocks along the shoreline. With a blend of the beauty of the countryside, and the bleakness of the secluded isle, the reader can wander alongside Gruff at his sheep farm, and newcomer Matylda as adventure crashes into them head-on.
The attention to detail with the inclusion of the Welsh language makes this book a unique one and Wallbank has given the reader a story filled with spirits, magic and a legend that's united the residents of the island for centuries. A storm that can destroy everything in its wake is just around the corner and it's already left Gruff's family shaken before and then there is The Sleeping Stones.
Woven into every legend both dark and light, these vast stones are dangerous and enticing. I loved how Beatrice Wallbank brings these monoliths to life and gives them a legend that feels real.
The Sleeping Stones is a wonderful book, and I can imagine if it's a bedtime story there will be many a call for 'just one more chapter' because Wallbank's storytelling and ability to keep you on the proverbial edge of your seat; is as magical as the legend she's created.
Can't wait to see what else this author will bring to capture young readers' imagination.
I couldn't put the book down so I can guarantee a young reader who loves the idea of being something 'more'. The author has brought an isolated Welsh island to life, with atmospheric description that swept me away to childhood holidays in Anglesey climbing hills and swerving for shells and rocks along the shoreline. With a blend of the beauty of the countryside, and the bleakness of the secluded isle, the reader can wander alongside Gruff at his sheep farm, and newcomer Matylda as adventure crashes into them head-on.
The attention to detail with the inclusion of the Welsh language makes this book a unique one and Wallbank has given the reader a story filled with spirits, magic and a legend that's united the residents of the island for centuries. A storm that can destroy everything in its wake is just around the corner and it's already left Gruff's family shaken before and then there is The Sleeping Stones.
Woven into every legend both dark and light, these vast stones are dangerous and enticing. I loved how Beatrice Wallbank brings these monoliths to life and gives them a legend that feels real.
The Sleeping Stones is a wonderful book, and I can imagine if it's a bedtime story there will be many a call for 'just one more chapter' because Wallbank's storytelling and ability to keep you on the proverbial edge of your seat; is as magical as the legend she's created.
Can't wait to see what else this author will bring to capture young readers' imagination.
February 14, 2023
Excellent | Really well balanced, while the ultimate resolution to the non-mystical problems was clear very early, young readers might easily miss the setup for that solution, so it doesn't feel too obvious. The island is populated by people who feel like they have real history and back story, even those the reader barely meets, and it's a population of all sorts of people, which makes it feel true. I know how much I would have loved this as a child, especially after reading the Dark is Rising Sequence, with its two outstanding volumes set in Wales.
If it were up to me, this would receive the Tir na n-Og award right now.
I would be so happy to see more books with Gruff and Mat.
If it were up to me, this would receive the Tir na n-Og award right now.
I would be so happy to see more books with Gruff and Mat.
November 11, 2022
An enjoyable adventure, weaving myth, legend and magic. When Matylda arrives on the small Welsh island where Gruff lives, she finds they are the only two children of their age on the island. But ancient forces are stirring and legends are coming to life. The sleeping stones are luring people into the sea, and the wounded sea storm is coming. And mysterious things keep happening around Mat and Gruff. Will they be able to save the island and save Gruff’s farm? I liked the legends and the interactions of the small close-knit island community, and of course the sheep!
February 12, 2023
Things are afoot on the island. Mat and her family (it's short for Matylda) have just arrived, to the slight pique of Gruff, whose family's wool farm is under threat. But what nobody else knows is that the whole place is also at risk, but from whom, what, and why? It probably has something to do with the fact the six large stacks of rock leading off the beach into the cold Irish sea are pulling people to clamber on them, and use them as stepping stones to their doom; Gruff has also started to see a seventh rock and someone stood on it. Just what the hell kind of mysteries does the legacy of the island lore have in store for Gruff and Mat?
This is a flawed book, but the flaw is not an insurmountable one. Finding what Gruff and Mat will face is just delightful, the way the place has a legend running through its core the humans barely know about seeming to my mind like something a young Alan Garner may have thought of. But it's too delightful, too early – and by the time Gruff sees the thing on the thing and learns about the thing we're relishing every aspect of the fantasy here, but it's all been ramped up to eleven too soon. So by the time the pair know they have to do a weird, mystical variant of something quite mundane, you feel right in the doldrums. I'm not asking for a linear plod of a plot, but something a bit less front-loaded and a bit more sustained.
That said, there are merits galore here, including three very nice characters – his, hers and the place's. That latter is vital, as Gruff would seem a bit silly doing what he does and thinking what he thinks were it not for the legends and stories he vaguely knows about – he still seems to put things together and accept everything with too much naivety. And nobody can deny the high drama of the final, storm-drenched third, meaning one's final thoughts are very much in its favour. While there are questions remaining about the balance of fantasy earlier on, this is a strong debut novel.
This is a flawed book, but the flaw is not an insurmountable one. Finding what Gruff and Mat will face is just delightful, the way the place has a legend running through its core the humans barely know about seeming to my mind like something a young Alan Garner may have thought of. But it's too delightful, too early – and by the time Gruff sees the thing on the thing and learns about the thing we're relishing every aspect of the fantasy here, but it's all been ramped up to eleven too soon. So by the time the pair know they have to do a weird, mystical variant of something quite mundane, you feel right in the doldrums. I'm not asking for a linear plod of a plot, but something a bit less front-loaded and a bit more sustained.
That said, there are merits galore here, including three very nice characters – his, hers and the place's. That latter is vital, as Gruff would seem a bit silly doing what he does and thinking what he thinks were it not for the legends and stories he vaguely knows about – he still seems to put things together and accept everything with too much naivety. And nobody can deny the high drama of the final, storm-drenched third, meaning one's final thoughts are very much in its favour. While there are questions remaining about the balance of fantasy earlier on, this is a strong debut novel.
December 4, 2022
I really enjoyed this story with its mix of myth and magic, danger, adventure and the power of the sea.
In particular, I loved the Welsh island setting, the rural community, the farm, the sheep. I really loved those sheep, especially Guinevere the master of escape, and I was terrified for them during the big storm.
I also really enjoyed the story of local myths about sleeping stones and weeping rocks turning out to be true. I loved that the sleeping stones lured people out to an invisible seventh stone (and to their demise!). I loved the magical items, especially the sword, which was so fantastical. The morgen, Welsh merfolk, added to my enjoyment.
Gruff, with his anxiety over the island, his occasional jealousy of Mat, and his love for the family farm, was likeable and resourceful. As was Mat, and I felt for her insecurities about belonging.
A few elements in the story weren’t clear to me. For instance, who cursed Dylan and the blacksmith? Who moved the seventh stone? How did Mat have the sea inside her, when there didn't seem to be a family history? Also Gruff's mother abandoned the family when Gruff was little, and I felt this was glossed over.
However, these are minor points. Overall The Sleeping Stones is an enjoyable tale with magic and myth (and completely endearing sheep!), in a wonderful setting.
In particular, I loved the Welsh island setting, the rural community, the farm, the sheep. I really loved those sheep, especially Guinevere the master of escape, and I was terrified for them during the big storm.
I also really enjoyed the story of local myths about sleeping stones and weeping rocks turning out to be true. I loved that the sleeping stones lured people out to an invisible seventh stone (and to their demise!). I loved the magical items, especially the sword, which was so fantastical. The morgen, Welsh merfolk, added to my enjoyment.
Gruff, with his anxiety over the island, his occasional jealousy of Mat, and his love for the family farm, was likeable and resourceful. As was Mat, and I felt for her insecurities about belonging.
A few elements in the story weren’t clear to me. For instance, who cursed Dylan and the blacksmith? Who moved the seventh stone? How did Mat have the sea inside her, when there didn't seem to be a family history? Also Gruff's mother abandoned the family when Gruff was little, and I felt this was glossed over.
However, these are minor points. Overall The Sleeping Stones is an enjoyable tale with magic and myth (and completely endearing sheep!), in a wonderful setting.
April 23, 2023
My review ~ Gruff and Mat are in danger. Huge danger. But, can they save themselves and the island?
When Matylda, her step father and her mum move into a small Welsh island where Gruff, his dad an d Nain live, Gruff doesn’t know how to approach Mat as he has never met another eleven year old, other than himself. But, they become the best of friends in no time. But, when Gruff starts to talk to a strange blacksmith, he realises that the whole island is in danger. Can him and Mat save the island before it’s too late?
Wonderful and gripping story, and I would recommend it to all Welsh folklore lovers.
January 15, 2023
This was absolutely gripping. As usual I read a little of the book myself before reading it to my grandchildren, we then enjoy the book together. Not this time, I started reading and just kept going till the end, losing sleep in the process ! The story is about a small communities myths, legends and struggles to survive on a small island off the coast of Wales. It is about friendship and accepting who you are and what makes home. I cannot recommend it highly enough, read it now.
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March 14, 2023Welsh children save an island from disarray. Cute story. Fun mythology. Reminds me of Susan Cooper.
April 4, 2023
Very sweet, young story.
February 8, 2025
4.5, really good, read this for English homework and really enjoyed it
May 8, 2023
Gruff and Mat are in danger. Huge danger! But can they save themselves and the island?
When Mat, John and Mat’s mum move in to the small Welsh island where Gruff, his dad and Nain live. Gruff doesn’t know what to do to become friends with Mat, as he has never met another 11 year old before. But, they become good friends in no time.
When Gruff starts to talk to a strange Blacksmith, he realises the whole island is in danger.
Can him and Mat save the island before it’s too late?
We chose this for this months @thechickenandfrog bookclub book and I am so glad we did. It was a wonderful and gripping story, and I would recommend it to any Welsh folklore lovers.
When Mat, John and Mat’s mum move in to the small Welsh island where Gruff, his dad and Nain live. Gruff doesn’t know what to do to become friends with Mat, as he has never met another 11 year old before. But, they become good friends in no time.
When Gruff starts to talk to a strange Blacksmith, he realises the whole island is in danger.
Can him and Mat save the island before it’s too late?
We chose this for this months @thechickenandfrog bookclub book and I am so glad we did. It was a wonderful and gripping story, and I would recommend it to any Welsh folklore lovers.
February 3, 2023
A magical story steeped in Welsh folklore and farming.
I loved The Sleeping Stones. The first half is a really intriguing mystery, replete with prophecy in the form of old stories, strange standing stones, and unexplained feelings, as powerful magics begin to unwind across an isolated Welsh island. The second half is pure magical fantasy action adventure as Celtic gods unleash their power and draw on their influence (though none of them are actually named as gods, just as strange beings, either ghost like or mysterious sea-beings).
It's so richly steeped in Welsh mythology and folklore, a delicious mix of old songs and stories and mythological creatures of great power and fury. It speaks to every child who believed in the old tales about the standing stones and the old warnings about meddling with things beyond their ken. It's also rich with Welsh culture and language, with much of the dialogue presented in Welsh and translated into English. There's nothing that would provide an obstacle to those of us ignorant in Welsh, rather it adds another layer to an already strong sense of place.
As well as the mythology, it also reads at times like a love letter to the farming tradition. Gruff is so at home on his farm, and his love for it and all who dwell on it is palpable. It's quite beautiful, but it also gives him so much more to lose. When the storm hits, we're so invested in the farm and the sheep that every potential loss cuts keenly. It's quite remarkable really, the way this book builds up empathy for a herd of sheep so effectively!
The friendship at the core of this book is beautiful. Gruff and Mat are both presented as such flawed people, something quite unusual in young protagonists in middle grade fiction really, that watching them bond and become friends is really lovely. I love Gruff for all of his flaws, from the anger and bitterness at being lied to, his fear of losing his home, and his frequent bouts of jealousy towards Mat, he feels like a real person and not some idealised child hero. Mat's fear of being surrounded by new people, of being the outsider, always on the move and never allowed to settle also helps to humanise her and provides a sharp contrast with Gruff that's echoed in his fears of losing his home on the island just as she's starting her new life there.
As Welsh as an incredibly Welsh thing in Wales, and as magical as a fairytale, The Sleeping Stones is a beautiful book.
I loved The Sleeping Stones. The first half is a really intriguing mystery, replete with prophecy in the form of old stories, strange standing stones, and unexplained feelings, as powerful magics begin to unwind across an isolated Welsh island. The second half is pure magical fantasy action adventure as Celtic gods unleash their power and draw on their influence (though none of them are actually named as gods, just as strange beings, either ghost like or mysterious sea-beings).
It's so richly steeped in Welsh mythology and folklore, a delicious mix of old songs and stories and mythological creatures of great power and fury. It speaks to every child who believed in the old tales about the standing stones and the old warnings about meddling with things beyond their ken. It's also rich with Welsh culture and language, with much of the dialogue presented in Welsh and translated into English. There's nothing that would provide an obstacle to those of us ignorant in Welsh, rather it adds another layer to an already strong sense of place.
As well as the mythology, it also reads at times like a love letter to the farming tradition. Gruff is so at home on his farm, and his love for it and all who dwell on it is palpable. It's quite beautiful, but it also gives him so much more to lose. When the storm hits, we're so invested in the farm and the sheep that every potential loss cuts keenly. It's quite remarkable really, the way this book builds up empathy for a herd of sheep so effectively!
The friendship at the core of this book is beautiful. Gruff and Mat are both presented as such flawed people, something quite unusual in young protagonists in middle grade fiction really, that watching them bond and become friends is really lovely. I love Gruff for all of his flaws, from the anger and bitterness at being lied to, his fear of losing his home, and his frequent bouts of jealousy towards Mat, he feels like a real person and not some idealised child hero. Mat's fear of being surrounded by new people, of being the outsider, always on the move and never allowed to settle also helps to humanise her and provides a sharp contrast with Gruff that's echoed in his fears of losing his home on the island just as she's starting her new life there.
As Welsh as an incredibly Welsh thing in Wales, and as magical as a fairytale, The Sleeping Stones is a beautiful book.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews