Short of Reading Inspiration For Your 8-10 Year Old?

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Barnes mum Karen Inglis may have the answer for you with her book 'The Secret Lake'

Mother of two teenage boys Karen, lives in neighbouring Barnes, and has just published her first children’s book, The Secret Lake, aimed readers aged 8-10 years. We have a signed copy for one lucky reader.

The Secret Lake is a ‘time-slip’ mystery adventure. In Karen's book, children from the present day travel back in time and meet the children who lived in their London home and its shared gardens 100 years earlier. Here’s what you’ll find on the back page:

When Stella and her younger brother, Tom, move to their new London home, they become mystified by the disappearances of Harry, their elderly neighbour’s small dog. Where does he go? And why does he keep reappearing wet-through?

Their quest to solve the riddle over the summer holidays leads to a boat buried under a grassy mound – and a tunnel that takes them to a secret lake.

Who is the boy rowing towards them who looks so terrified? And whose are those children’s voices carried on the wind from beyond the woods?

Stella and Tom soon discover that they have travelled back in time to their home and its gardens almost 100 years earlier. Here they make both friends and enemies, and soon find themselves in deeper trouble than they ever could have imagined…

Registered members can enter the draw to win a signed copy. Simply send your answer to editor@putneysw15.com by noon on October 12th.
Q: What is the name of the pond in Richmond Park that inspired The Secret Lake?

If you are not the lucky member you can buy the book at Waterstones in Putney, which has a limited number of signed copies, or The Barnes Bookshop SW13 & The Sheen Bookshop SW14 or via Amazon. (It’s also available in Kindle format!)

The Secret Lake, Karen told PutneySW15.com:
"…was partly inspired by an apartment some friends moved to in Notting Hill many years ago when my children were knee-high. It backed on to the most fantastic communal garden that the little ones could get lost in safely – they had mini woods to play in and rhododendron bushes to hide inside.

" The story was also inspired by a beautiful pond (called Still Pond) up in Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park -The FT once called it ‘London’s best kept secret park’ – we used to take our boys there when they were younger and for children I think it has the same magical atmosphere as the gardens in Notting Hill because of the freedom to run around safely and hide in bushes and behind trees!"

You can find more information and reviews at www.thesecretlake.com  Karen will be reading from The Secret Lake at Castelnau library in Barnes on 8 October from 3-4pm. All welcome!