She was a great author: One of England’s hidden treasures. Sadly, she is without a statue anywhere. Some of the titles from her children and Young Adult fiction are:
Which Witch?
Journey to the River Sea
The Star of Kazan

And the list goes on.

Since my Ibbotson’s education began, I’ve read: Monster Mission and The Secret of Platform 13 – Excellent stories. Of course, Dial-a-Ghost and The Beasts of Clawstone Castle are on my summer must read list.

The Secret of Platform 13 might sound familiar from the Harry Potter books and there are some haters who feel Ibbotson should have sued J.K. Rowling. But, she didn’t.

Okay, they both books mention King’s Cross and have secret portals to other worlds. But, that’s where the similarities end. The portals function differently in each story. It is like Tolkien suing anyone who ever wrote about an elf. Silly to the extreme.

So, if you read one new author this summer, run to a library or down load her books today- you are missing something truly special.