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The Valley of Lost Secrets Paperback – January 1, 2021

by Lesley Parr (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 507 ratings
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"Beautifully told. This appealing book is about losses healed, lies uncovered, cruelty defeated and goodness rewarded." The Sunday Times

September 1939.

When Jimmy is evacuated to a small village in Wales, it couldn't be more different from London. Green, quiet and full of strangers, he instantly feels out of place.

But then he finds a skull hidden in a tree, and suddenly the valley is more frightening than the war. Who can Jimmy trust? His brother is too little; his best friend has changed.

Finding an ally in someone he never expects, they set out together to uncover the secrets that lie with the skull. What they discover will change Jimmy - and the village - forever.

A mesmerising mystery about bravery and brotherhood from an outstanding new voice.

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Bloomsbury Children's Books
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2021
  5. Dimensions
    7.76 x 1.06 x 5.08 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1526620529
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1526620521
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury Children's Books; 1st edition (January 1, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1526620529
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1526620521
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.76 x 1.06 x 5.08 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 507 ratings

About the author

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Lesley Parr

Lesley Parr

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Lesley Parr is the author of three novels for children. Her debut, The Valley of Lost Secrets, was published in 2021 and was both a Waterstones Book of the Month and longlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal. It won the Tir na n-Og Award, the King’s School Chester Book Award and the North Somerset Teachers’ Book Award, as well as being shortlisted for many others. Her second book, When the War Came Home was nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal.

Lesley grew up in South Wales and now lives in England with her husband. A former primary school teacher, she shares her time between writing stories and tutoring adults. Apart from books, rugby union is her favourite thing in the world, especially if Wales is winning.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
507 global ratings
Amazing!
5 Stars
Amazing!
Wow! This was even better than I was expecting it to be! I think this was my 1st read about children evacuees from WWII. It was a nice change to see the time from their perspective. The author even says in the back she read real life accounts, & even spoke to someone who’s was evacuated to South Wales w/his brother-just like the brothers in the book were! This is set in Fall 1939. Jimmy & his little brother Ronnie are evacuated to a small village in Wales. It’s VERY different from London, & he feels very out of place. Then he finds a skull in a tree, & the valley seems more dangerous than the war. Who can he trust? His best friend has become a stranger, & his brother is too little. He finds an ally in someone he never expected to, & they set off to find out the secrets that lie w/the skull. What they find will change Jimmy, & the village, forever. When they 1st get there, Mrs Thomas picks them & takes them home. Her & Mr Thomas are such amazing people. Their whole backstory was great. The whole town & its citizens, all made it such a believable/relatable atmosphere. Small town life seems the same everywhere, & at any point in history lol You have the welcoming kind hearted people, & you have the judging gossiping people(always the ones looking out their windows 24/7). The horrible people were truly horrible-even more so b/c I’m sure there were really people like that then. The names they called these kids who came to their village for safety..& what they accused them of..I was seeing red & wanted to fight some of these women in a book!😆 The characters in this book just steal the show. Terrifically written. They steal your heart, & make you feel everything they’re feeling. Ronnie has my heart. Jimmy & his anger reminds me a lot of myself at that age. Florence reminds me of myself at that age too, for different sad reasons. I really felt for her, & loved seeing her blossom in this environment that gave her what she deserved. The kid bully(s) were evil little things! Ugh! The mystery of the skull was so engrossing too. When it all came together I was blown away. A twist I never saw coming, & I loved it. The ending was perfect & just beautiful. I can’t wait for more books from this author. Also, another author who gave evil the name he had. Hitler was an evil man, & his hate affected many lives in many places in many different ways. This book shows just 1 of those ways, & I think it did a brilliant job. Highly recommend! Beautiful cover & inside chapter page illustrations by David Dean too!💜
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Top review from the United States

Belle’s Middle Grade
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2021
Wow! This was even better than I was expecting it to be! I think this was my 1st read about children evacuees from WWII. It was a nice change to see the time from their perspective. The author even says in the back she read real life accounts, & even spoke to someone who’s was evacuated to South Wales w/his brother-just like the brothers in the book were! This is set in Fall 1939. Jimmy & his little brother Ronnie are evacuated to a small village in Wales. It’s VERY different from London, & he feels very out of place. Then he finds a skull in a tree, & the valley seems more dangerous than the war. Who can he trust? His best friend has become a stranger, & his brother is too little. He finds an ally in someone he never expected to, & they set off to find out the secrets that lie w/the skull. What they find will change Jimmy, & the village, forever. When they 1st get there, Mrs Thomas picks them & takes them home. Her & Mr Thomas are such amazing people. Their whole backstory was great. The whole town & its citizens, all made it such a believable/relatable atmosphere. Small town life seems the same everywhere, & at any point in history lol You have the welcoming kind hearted people, & you have the judging gossiping people(always the ones looking out their windows 24/7). The horrible people were truly horrible-even more so b/c I’m sure there were really people like that then. The names they called these kids who came to their village for safety..& what they accused them of..I was seeing red & wanted to fight some of these women in a book!😆 The characters in this book just steal the show. Terrifically written. They steal your heart, & make you feel everything they’re feeling. Ronnie has my heart. Jimmy & his anger reminds me a lot of myself at that age. Florence reminds me of myself at that age too, for different sad reasons. I really felt for her, & loved seeing her blossom in this environment that gave her what she deserved. The kid bully(s) were evil little things! Ugh! The mystery of the skull was so engrossing too. When it all came together I was blown away. A twist I never saw coming, & I loved it. The ending was perfect & just beautiful. I can’t wait for more books from this author. Also, another author who gave evil the name he had. Hitler was an evil man, & his hate affected many lives in many places in many different ways. This book shows just 1 of those ways, & I think it did a brilliant job. Highly recommend! Beautiful cover & inside chapter page illustrations by David Dean too!💜
Customer image
Belle’s Middle Grade
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2021
Wow! This was even better than I was expecting it to be! I think this was my 1st read about children evacuees from WWII. It was a nice change to see the time from their perspective. The author even says in the back she read real life accounts, & even spoke to someone who’s was evacuated to South Wales w/his brother-just like the brothers in the book were! This is set in Fall 1939. Jimmy & his little brother Ronnie are evacuated to a small village in Wales. It’s VERY different from London, & he feels very out of place. Then he finds a skull in a tree, & the valley seems more dangerous than the war. Who can he trust? His best friend has become a stranger, & his brother is too little. He finds an ally in someone he never expected to, & they set off to find out the secrets that lie w/the skull. What they find will change Jimmy, & the village, forever. When they 1st get there, Mrs Thomas picks them & takes them home. Her & Mr Thomas are such amazing people. Their whole backstory was great. The whole town & its citizens, all made it such a believable/relatable atmosphere. Small town life seems the same everywhere, & at any point in history lol You have the welcoming kind hearted people, & you have the judging gossiping people(always the ones looking out their windows 24/7). The horrible people were truly horrible-even more so b/c I’m sure there were really people like that then. The names they called these kids who came to their village for safety..& what they accused them of..I was seeing red & wanted to fight some of these women in a book!😆 The characters in this book just steal the show. Terrifically written. They steal your heart, & make you feel everything they’re feeling. Ronnie has my heart. Jimmy & his anger reminds me a lot of myself at that age. Florence reminds me of myself at that age too, for different sad reasons. I really felt for her, & loved seeing her blossom in this environment that gave her what she deserved. The kid bully(s) were evil little things! Ugh! The mystery of the skull was so engrossing too. When it all came together I was blown away. A twist I never saw coming, & I loved it. The ending was perfect & just beautiful. I can’t wait for more books from this author. Also, another author who gave evil the name he had. Hitler was an evil man, & his hate affected many lives in many places in many different ways. This book shows just 1 of those ways, & I think it did a brilliant job. Highly recommend! Beautiful cover & inside chapter page illustrations by David Dean too!💜
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jorge
5.0 out of 5 stars Ideal
Reviewed in Spain on March 26, 2023
Verified Purchase
Comodidad para encontrarlo. Recomendado.
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The Library Mouse Tales
5.0 out of 5 stars A great evacuee story that will keep you up late while you read just one more chapter!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 20, 2022
Verified Purchase
I chose to read this as I enjoy historical fiction and thought the blurb was intriguing. I also loved the cover design too, so was glad to see that the illustrator has created gradually changing images at the start and end of the chapters throughout the book.

The book is set in Britain in 1939, during World War Two. The main character, Jimmy, is evacuated from London with his little brother Ronnie and the rest of their school. The children all travel by train to a small Welsh town called Llanbryn. Jimmy misses home, his father and Nan. He feels uncomfortable in the quiet, green, Welsh country-side and no matter how kind his host family (Gwen and Alun Thomas) are – he is determined to remind Ronnie that they are with family and Llanbryn is not their home!

But this is not your usual evacuee story. The more time the boys spend in Wales, the more secrets begin to appear. Why do the people of the town whisper about Mr & Mrs Thomas? Where is Jimmy & Ronnie’s Mum? Who are the Campbell family?

Then just when you think you have enough questions, Jimmy finds a skull inside a tree! An actual human skull! What should he do? Who does it belong to and how did it end up inside a hollow tree? Who can Jimmy trust? Not the Thomases, not his old friend Duff and certainly not his baby brother. Jimmy has to learn who he can really rely on as he tries to discover the truth behind all the rumours and secrets.

If you enjoy history, adventure and some mystery – then this could be the book for you. It also has lots of themes like family, friendship, loss and bravery that many people will enjoy. I would definitely recommend reading this book but start early because you’ll probably want to stay up late so you can read just one more chapter!

P.S. IF YOU LOOK CAREFULLY, YOU MIGHT SPOT THE SECRET MESSAGE HIDDEN IN THE BOOK!
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me not you
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in Australia on March 19, 2022
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed this book. It reminded me of Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian.
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Chasbicks
5.0 out of 5 stars A lot, lot more than a book for kids
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 10, 2021
Verified Purchase
I puchased this book for my grandchild and decided to read it before giving it to him to make sure it is suitable for kids of his age. Much to my surprise I sat and devoured it from cover to cover in two sittings because it is absoultely brilliant. One minute it had me laughing out loud, the next I was in tears. If you have any connections at all with the Welsh Valleys you will get some extra value because the way that the author uses so few words to conjure up images of the places that you know (or think you know) is nothing short of incredible. In retrospect I decided it was a bit too advanced for my 8 year old so it's now on my own bookshelves and it will be staying there for a re-read sometime soon. I'd say this book is fine for 10 year olds and above. Plus any adult who wants to read an uncomplicated, evocative, lovely story. You know what? I reckon if Mr Spielberg ever comes across it there's a better then evens chance of this book becoming a film...
12 people found this helpful
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Catherine Anne Cawley
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written, perfectly paced story.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 6, 2024
Verified Purchase
Superbly paced tale about two brothers evacuated to the Welsh valleys during WW2. Nice twist with the telling of a mystery that needs solving alongside the historical backdrop of the 1930s/40s. Unusual and refreshing take on the British home front. Nicely done.
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