'Newly qualified warden Grace Griffin couldn't be more excited about using the griffin map to teleport through Moreland fighting crime. But her first mission is proving to be a bit of a puzzle. A series of bizarre thefts have been happening all over the country, and the only link between them is the sighting of a peculiar bird at the scene of each robbery. When the clues finally lead to a ramshackle castle on a lonely island, Grace might find more than just a thief...'
The Puffin Portal is the latest release in the wonderful Griffin Gate series, a collection of fantasy adventure books for children from author Vashti Hardy. One of the good things about this entry, however, is that readers don't really need to have read the previous book in order to jump in and enjoy this latest adventure.
The story begins by introducing readers to Grace, the youngest member of the Griffin family. Following the invention of a series of portals by her great grandmother that allow people to instantly teleport across the country of Moreland, her family have been acting as guardians for its people. Whenever there's trouble, or people need help, they can ask the Wardens, the members of the Griffin family, to help them.
Having just recently been trained up and allowed to go out on simple missions on her own, Grace has been looking into a string of odd robberies across Moreland. There have been no clues left at the scenes, and only strange items have gone missing, such as a tool here and there, and the occasional item of food. Determined to find out if there could be a connection between these crimes Grace sets out to find answers with the help of her robotic raven Watson.
Very soon the two of them start to believe that the crimes could be connected, thanks to several witnesses having reported seeing a puffin in the area, and a strange feather being found at one of the crime scenes. But how can puffins be involved? Staking out a likely target, Grace and Watson see a puffin breaking into a shop and making off with a loaf of bread. Following the bird through a strange portal the two of them find themselves on a remote island with a tumbling castle.
The mystery of The Puffin Portal is a fun series of crimes that on the surface seem unconnected, but thanks to some clues laid out by Hardy, and some inventive investigation by Grace, the answers soon start to unfold; allowing the younger readers the opportunity to try and figure things out before everything is revealed.
Whilst it is a fairly simple mystery, this is a children's book after all, it's still one that will keep younger readers interested. And because the mystery isn't the most important part of the book, it doesn't really matter if some of the readers figure it out early on. The real heart of the book, instead, is the relationship that forms between Grace and Tom, the young boy found living in the ruined island castle. Hardy does a good job of building something between the two children, and leading you to come to the conclusions that Grace does; as well as decisions that will lead to a lovely resolution.
The Puffin Portal is not only a good follow up to The Griffin Gate, but a good book in its own right. It is able to introduce readers to this interesting new world and the characters that inhabit it, whilst also expanding on what came before for those that have already experienced the first book. It also comes with some wonderful illustrations by Natalie Smillie that really helps to bring it all alive.
Whether you're new to this world, or a returning fan, you're sure to love The Puffin Portal.
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