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Merryshields: The Island In The Attic
Merryshields isn’t your average big country house - it’s massive, mysterious, and undoubtedly the most magical mansion the world has ever seen. Hidden deep in the countryside, abandoned for years, it is surrounded by trees and filled with secrets bursting to be discovered. When cousins Piper, Jack, Willow and Kit move into Merryshields, the magic is beyond exciting… at first. A silver dog?! A ghostly cook?! A self-drawing map that shows treasure ?! But then the cousins spy a flag waving from a window high among the rooftops and before they know it, the magic of Merryshields begins to intensify… Behind the attic room door, pirates Johnny Two-Legs and Taishi are awaiting rescue from Bad Babs, the Witch of the Seas, who raises storms, senses gold and steals children. But before Piper, Jack, Willow and Kit can rescue them and save Merryshields, they find themselves trapped as Babs sails nearer - and her sights are set firmly on the Merryshields treasure that she can sense through the waving palms… Can the children save themselves and their beloved magical house? Or will they be trapped forever in a strange world, working as slaves for Bad Babs Bembridge’s evil empire? Buy now to join the magical world of Merryshields, and find out…
259 pages, Paperback
Published March 11, 2022
About the author
Jen Jones
9 books3 followersJen Jones is the author of Parenting With The Moon, a gentle, astrology-based guide to connecting with your child's emotional world — and she also writes magical middle-grade fiction, including the Merryshields series, and standalone novel Kingdom Of Birds. Whether you're here for the stars or the stories, welcome!
✨ Non-Fiction (Astrology & Parenting)
Jen is passionate about helping parents understand their children on a deeper, soul-centered level. Her book Parenting With The Moon introduces astrology as a gentle, insightful tool for connecting with your child’s emotional world and supporting their unique needs.
Alongside astrology, Jen has studied tarot, reiki, human design, and other holistic practices, weaving these modalities into her intuitive and compassionate approach. She offers one-to-one readings — both in-person and online — to support parents, creatives, and anyone seeking a little more clarity and connection in their life.
You can learn more or book a session at www.inkystars.com.
📚 Fiction (Middle-Grade Magic & Mystery)
Since she doesn't have a magical mansion of her own, Jen writes about mysterious events, fantastic feasts, and secret islands hidden inside ordinary rooms. She loves imagining worlds filled with pirates, dragons, or ice creams growing behind a hedge in the garden.
She lives in the north-east of England with her family - a husband, four kids and a cute but crazy cockerpoo, all of whom provide plenty of inspiration for the adventures her fictional characters get up to. When not writing about pirates in the attic, ghostly cooks creating fantastical feasts, or dragons whose breath can steal your memories, Jen can probably be found eating ice cream on the beach, playing swing ball in the garden, or snoozing while holding a crochet hook and yarn.
✨ Non-Fiction (Astrology & Parenting)
Jen is passionate about helping parents understand their children on a deeper, soul-centered level. Her book Parenting With The Moon introduces astrology as a gentle, insightful tool for connecting with your child’s emotional world and supporting their unique needs.
Alongside astrology, Jen has studied tarot, reiki, human design, and other holistic practices, weaving these modalities into her intuitive and compassionate approach. She offers one-to-one readings — both in-person and online — to support parents, creatives, and anyone seeking a little more clarity and connection in their life.
You can learn more or book a session at www.inkystars.com.
📚 Fiction (Middle-Grade Magic & Mystery)
Since she doesn't have a magical mansion of her own, Jen writes about mysterious events, fantastic feasts, and secret islands hidden inside ordinary rooms. She loves imagining worlds filled with pirates, dragons, or ice creams growing behind a hedge in the garden.
She lives in the north-east of England with her family - a husband, four kids and a cute but crazy cockerpoo, all of whom provide plenty of inspiration for the adventures her fictional characters get up to. When not writing about pirates in the attic, ghostly cooks creating fantastical feasts, or dragons whose breath can steal your memories, Jen can probably be found eating ice cream on the beach, playing swing ball in the garden, or snoozing while holding a crochet hook and yarn.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 9, 2024
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Merryshields: The Island In The Attic
Author: Jen Jones
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Content: 7/10
Cover: 3/5
Of the 15 readers:
11 would read another book by this author.
10 thought the cover was good or excellent.
14 felt it was easy to follow.
12 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 10 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 2 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
9 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
11 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“This is a fun, magical adventure. I liked all the kid characters, but Piper was the best. I think if you enjoy Enid Blyton books, you’ll like this.” Boy, aged 11
“I think this is a good novel for 9 – 12 year olds. There’s lots happening, and the old house is cool and sort of atmospheric. There are good characters and bad characters, and there’s a twisting adventure for the reader to enjoy. I don’t like the title very much. I would just call it The Island in the Attic. Also, it’s sort of slow to get going. The second half is the best as it’s filled with suspense. I would read another book by this author.” Girl, aged 12 – with a little help from her TA
“This is a fantasy novel about a group of children who move to a magical house and have an adventure there. I would recommend it to children aged around 11 or 12 who enjoy magical adventure books like Harry Potter. I was never bored reading this book. I particularly liked that there was lots of talking and it wasn’t too descriptive. The best part was how the kids got on and worked together.” Girl, aged 12 – with a little help from mum
“Not too scary, exciting in parts with a good ending. Liked it.” Boy, aged 10 – with a little help from mum
To Sum It Up:
‘A thrilling fantasy adventure for 9 – 12 year olds. A RED RIBBON WINNER and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: Merryshields: The Island In The Attic
Author: Jen Jones
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Content: 7/10
Cover: 3/5
Of the 15 readers:
11 would read another book by this author.
10 thought the cover was good or excellent.
14 felt it was easy to follow.
12 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 10 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 2 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
9 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
11 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“This is a fun, magical adventure. I liked all the kid characters, but Piper was the best. I think if you enjoy Enid Blyton books, you’ll like this.” Boy, aged 11
“I think this is a good novel for 9 – 12 year olds. There’s lots happening, and the old house is cool and sort of atmospheric. There are good characters and bad characters, and there’s a twisting adventure for the reader to enjoy. I don’t like the title very much. I would just call it The Island in the Attic. Also, it’s sort of slow to get going. The second half is the best as it’s filled with suspense. I would read another book by this author.” Girl, aged 12 – with a little help from her TA
“This is a fantasy novel about a group of children who move to a magical house and have an adventure there. I would recommend it to children aged around 11 or 12 who enjoy magical adventure books like Harry Potter. I was never bored reading this book. I particularly liked that there was lots of talking and it wasn’t too descriptive. The best part was how the kids got on and worked together.” Girl, aged 12 – with a little help from mum
“Not too scary, exciting in parts with a good ending. Liked it.” Boy, aged 10 – with a little help from mum
To Sum It Up:
‘A thrilling fantasy adventure for 9 – 12 year olds. A RED RIBBON WINNER and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Displaying 1 of 1 review