The historical time period and the Georgian London setting are reflected really well by the atmosphere that prevails throughout and the meticulous attention to detail. The attention given to the study of antiquities and the descriptions of things such as Dora's jewellery, the objects at Blake's Emporium, and Lady Latimer's soiree, all help to give the story even more depth. After the tragic death of her parents during an archaeological excavation, Dora Blake is now living with her uncle, Hezekiah, in her parents’ antiquities shop. But Hezekiah does not have the interest in antiquities her parents had and he is slowly destroying her parents’ once loved business. Dora is desperate to escape from her uncles’ care, and is hoping to turn her love of drawing and jewelry making into a career, giving her the independence she craves. When her uncle imports a Grecian vase, one so old that it predates time itself, Dora feels an immediate connection. While anyone else who touches it or means it harm is instantly cursed, Dora continues to be the only one to open it and she uses its Greek inscriptions and drawings as inspiration for her jewellery. But Hezekiah has darker plans for the vase, and even darker plans for Dora, and when Dora realizes the true importance of the urn, her life is put at greater risk.

But when they discover the secrets about the case, Dora’s entire life turns upside down. Anything she knows about her life, her past, her family is questionable! It seems like some things should be buried forever! Steeped in mystery and rich in imagination, an exhilarating historical novel set in Georgian London where the discovery of a mysterious ancient Greek vase sets in motion conspiracies, revelations, and romance. Pandora was such an all consuming read. I loved how it brought Georgian England together with Greek mythology. The result was a stunning story, with clever characters, ones to really invest in and some to revile.Overall: I loved the historical setting, the intriguing mystery, lovely romance, riveting pacing! One of the greatest historical functions I’ve read lately!

The author’s writing gives a sense of a lurking, oppressive dangerous presence felt…no spoilers from me.All of it is written in the third person, focusing on the three separate perspectives of Dora, Edward, and Hezekiah. This worked well and brought a good degree of contrast, with the tone of Hezekiah's chapters noticeably darker than the others and providing more of an insight into his motives. Also, the storylines of Dora and Edward compliment each other nicely as they are both enduring difficult lives until they meet. I also love books with a central female character who doesn’t bow down to men & stays focused on bettering herself against the odds, especially in a time when women were expected to do as they were told! Again, Pandora lives up to my expectations in this regard. I was hugely invested in Dora’s story & was intrigued to discover the truth behind her uncle’s underhand dealings. Dora's deepest desire is to make a living as a jewelry designer. Reading about her designs was fascinating. Each month we receive sample copies and manuscripts from all the leading children’s publishers to review. We read all of the books that we find suitable for our collections and level the texts. It is only by reading the books that we can be sure that the text level is consistent and that the content is appropriate for a school library. It is at this point that we would weed out any books that include language that is inappropriate for the classroom; which contain themes or scenes that children reading at this age may have difficulty with; or which do not significantly meet our ideal criteria for primary school reading books. We are looking for books which are not only at the right text level but which also promote reading for pleasure, use language well or introduce interesting vocabulary and ensure that as many different styles, text types, themes and genre are included in each collection as possible to broaden children’s reading.

New for Autumn 2022, blending practice and stretch and challenge books plus 50 for pupils aged 7+ and a brand new SEND programme. When a highly anticipated Greek pithos is delivered to the shop, Dora wonders why her Uncles behaviour is so suspicious and wants to find out the mystery for herself. Dora enlists the help of Edward Lawrence, a bookbinder looking for acceptance into the Society of Antiquities, for help on information of the pithos. Dora sees the pithos as a chance to escape her life and restore her parents shop to its former glory. One thing I will say is that the author has left me with some interesting questions that I need answering! the thing that lost my attention was the writing itself. the story definitely could have been condensed, the dialogue could have been tighter, the references could have been more seamless, and the narrative itself could have had more consistency. Banded books ultimately provide children with a pathway of progression in reading but also support teachers who are making book-buying decisions to meet the needs of individual pupils, bringing variety and breadth to children’s reading diets.I really enjoyed this especially that it was set during the Georgian period which is fast becoming one of my favorite eras. Big Cat Phonics for Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised books and resources support the DfE Validated Little Wandle Systematic Synthetic Phonics Teaching Programme that has been developed in collaboration with two English Hubs, Wandle Learning Trust and Little Sutton Primary School. All books are matched perfectly to the Little Wandle progression and support all the Letters and Sounds phases. This is not a Greek retelling but an intriguing historical fiction novel set in late 1790s London. However, the myth of Pandora's box (which should hereby be renamed Pandora's Jar) is central to the plot. Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.