😊 Stop Press — March 2022 📚
📚 I am delighted to confirm that Return to the Secret Lake is now out! 📚
Early reviews of this long-awaited sequel, which is full of twists and turns to the end, have been wonderful! It was such a joy to reconnect with the original characters (who had been waiting very patiently for me!) and meet a few new ones…
❤️ 😊 Click or tap here to find out more and read early reviews on Amazon 😊
How to post a review of The Secret Lake
or Return to the Secret Lake
- Scroll down to the comments section, found at the end of the section below called ‘Children’s Reviews’ —its quite a long way to scroll!
- Here you’ll find full instructions on how to post your own review.
- Note that I always reply to reviews – those replies show up in the comments area.
- I then post a copy of the original review higher up in coloured text.
- If you are under age 13 please ask a grown-up to help you, or they can post on your behalf.
Click here to review The Secret Lake on Amazon.co.uk
*5 stars from The Writers’ Advice Centre for Children’s books*
Click here to review The Secret Lake on Amazon.com
*5 Stars from an Amazon Top 1,000 Reviewer*
Virtual School Visits – UK and Worldwide
Parents/Carers: if you think your child’s school might like a virtual school visit, please do ask them to get in touch. Visit the school visits page on my main author website
😊📚Children’s Reviews 📚😊
(You will find my replies to each review at the bottom in the comments area.)
Analina – Age 10 – August 2022
I choose to read the Secret Lake because I love mystery books. The book is about an old lady name Mrs. Moon who forgets about life events and people she meets. Mrs. Moon has a dog name Harry who ran away from her. Tom and Stella who are the main characters in the book are staying with their Uncle Charlie Green while they are on summer vacation. Uncle Charlie lives next to the Secret Lake. Stella and Tom offer to find Mrs. Moon’s lost dog, Harry. On their search for Harry, they discover a secret tunnel and an underground lake.
While trying to find the lost dog, they go on amazing adventures and meet interesting people along their journey. It’s a page turner as their adventures takes twist and turns, and it keeps the audience on the edge of their seat. You cannot put the book down because you want to know what happens next and if they will ever find their way back home as well as finding Harry.
Not only is the Secret Lake a mysterious and captivating read, but I also think the Secret Lake would make an exciting movie to watch. It was fascinating to find out what happens in the past and the present. Sometimes in life, we wish we could travel back or forward in time. This book is perfect for a reader to imagine what life could have been like one-hundred years ago.
I give The Secret Life a 5 out of 5, and I hope you enjoy the story as much as I did!
Hannelore – Age 7 – August 2022
This book was awesome! My mom and I read it together and I really enjoyed the story.
Michael L – Georgia USA – August 2022
I really enjoyed reading Secret Lake and Return to Secret Lake because these books kept my interest.
There was time travel, mystery, friendship, and adventure.
The characters learned to love, forgive, and be kind to each other.
They work as a team and make it through the hardships that they had.
I appreciated how Ms. Inglis included real history in the stories, as she compares modern times and Edwardian times. That was cool!
Thank you, Ms. Inglis, for writing great stories!
Michael L.
Georgia, USA
Eleanor – Age 8 – July 2022
hi! I really liked the book because they had a lot of fun adventures! I can’t wait to read the next book! Eleanor, age 8
Charlie – Aged 10 – July 2022
I’m 10 years old and am obsessed with reading, of all the amazing books I’ve read this is definitely one of my favourites. I have already read this 3 times and can’t wait to get the sequel. this book is perfect for people like me who love reading just for the sake of it. My favourite types of books are by far fantasy adventure and this book fits right into that category. A great book, keep up the good work.
Laura Gray Bridges (via her 10-year-old granddaughter!) – July 2022
Hi, Karen! I borrowed this book from my 10-year-old granddaughter. Loved, loved, loved it! The characters all have their own “voice,” the setting, the action, everything was so well crafted. The mystery (what’s going on here? Can they get home? Can they go back?) kept me turning the pages. Some nice twists–a couple that I suspected but was unsure if I would be right! Five Stars!! We’ll be reading more of your work!
Ella – age 10 – June 2022
I Karen I loved this book so much I had to read it for a book report and as soon as I got the book and saw the cover knew the book was right for me. Thank you so much for publishing this book everybody appreciates it! Ella age 10!
Lukas – Age 8 – June 2022
My name is Lukas and I am 8 years old. I have read both books and liked them both very much. They have a great story line about time travel and friendships between kids like me. Both books really held my attention. My Grandmother bought them for me and we took turns reading them together. We finished each one over a long weekend visit. You will love it too!
Brooklyn – age 9 – June 2022
Hi I’m am Brooklyn and 9 years old. This book was amazing there were a lot of surprises (not going to give any away) I loved the characters and it was a great topic for kids. Can’t wait to read “Return to the secret lake.”
Emmy J – June 2022
I loved this book and would give this book 4 and ¾ stars out of 5. At the beginning of the story, it was a bit confusing how the time tunnel worked between the past and present. That is the only reason I am not giving it 5 starts. I loved the end of the book but won’t give anything away. Emma was my favorite character because she loved adventure and was a thoughtful person. Will Tom and Stella see Emma again in the future? Will Charlie Green come back into their lives? Thank you for writing this book.
Brooklyn – Age 9 – June 2022
My name is Brooklyn and I am 9 years old. Me and my grandma got this book to read together. We both agreed that it was a great book and that there were tons of surprises that we would never have guessed that they would be in there! SUCH AN AMAZING BOOK!!!!!!!! Read this book and you’ll enjoy it too!
Samantha P – May 2022
This book is about two kids: Stella and Tom. They have quite an adventure. I love that they help a boy with an Impossible quest. My favorite character is Stella (but otherwise I loved everybody). Loved this book! Haven’t heard of it? Go to: thesecretlake.com and check out thesecretlake.com/books/.
Willow – Age 9 – May 2022
Hi Karen! This is Willow, I am 9 years old, I have read the secret lake!!! it was Fantastic! You are a great writer! I think every one should be able to get a chance to read The Secret Lake! The Secret Lake is my new favorite book! I think you should keep writing, and I for sure would recommend you to All my family and Friends!
Love,
Willow
Juliana – Age 10 – April 2022
This book is amazing! And at the end when they found out […….], I was so surprised!
Avery – Age 9 – April 2022
I just finished book 2, Return to the Secret Lake! It’s so good! If you read the first book you’ll LOVE this one! My favorite characters are Emma, Stella, Lucy and Sophie! Are you going to make a series? This is my favorite book, and I’m definitely going to recommend both books to my friends!
Jonah – Age 9 – April 2022
The Secret Lake is the book we just finished. The book is really awesome. My favorite character is Jack. I think this book is really good! There was a lot of mystery. This book is great! Jonah Age 9
Gavin N – April 2022
I love The Secret Lake. It has tons of mystery. It has someone going to jail. It is fun and exciting book. I feel like everyone should get this book. I love the surprises. It’s kinda weird at the end.
Mia – Age 9 – April 2022
Hi, my name is Mia. I just finished The Secret Lake. I like it a lot. Why do I like it? I like it because it gets me excited. I wonder what might be next? It is a fun book! It is full of mystery and happiness. I am age 9.
Molli K – April 2022
I just love this book. I like Stella. I love the surprises. It’s about a time tunnel. I’m happy I read it. You should read it.
Jake W – Age 9 – April 2022
The Secret Lake was amazing and cool! My favorite character was Lucy. You should absolutely get this amazing book!-Jake age 9
Graham M – April 2022
I loved The Secret Lake. It was an awesome book. It had mystery, excitement, and clues. It also had sadness. It told you where they went and when they went. It was exciting!
Ella R – April 2022
In Mrs. Haigh’s third grade class we read The Secret Lake. I loved this book! The Secret Lake has a lot of twists and turns. There were many adventures. Some of the characters were Mrs. Moon, Tom, Stella, Charlie Green, Lucy, and Jack. The Secret Lake was one of the best books I have ever read!
Jocelyn K – April 2022
I like The Secret Lake. My favorite character is Stella because she is relatable to me. It was funny at some points. Other children must get this book!
Lauren S – April 2022
I loved The Secret Lake. It had lots of twists and turns and it was mysterious. My favorite character is Stella. All of the characters are cool. I would get this book if I were you.
Kinsley Asmus – April 2022
I like The Secret Lake because it is funny, sad, and fun. I prefer this book over “Catstronauts”. It is great. I love it because it has a lot of twists and turns. I love it! Mrs. Moon is my favorite character.
Max (Aged 9) and Sebastian (aged 6) – April 2022
My mum has just finished reading it to my brother and I and we both think it is amazing! We can not wait to read the sequel.
From
Max (9yrs) and Sebastian (6yrs).
Class 4J – Rupert House School – March 2022
Dear Karen
We are 4J from Rupert House School. We have just finished The Secret Lake, we absolutely loved it! It was amazing! Our favourite characters were Emma and Harry. Every time we opened the book we were excited to see what was going to happen and we didn’t want to stop reading it. You kept us in suspense! We made lots of guesses about who people were during our reading but we didn’t suspect Mrs Moon would […..] and we didn’t guess who Charlie Green was either! Thank you so much for writing this book, we all loved it and we will be buying the next book in school so that we can read more about Stella and Tom!
best wishes
from 4J
Pinky — March 2022
I LOVED the secret lakes! I hope you make the 2nd book. :))))
Ja’leya – Age 10 – February 2022
I love The Secret lake. I love chapter 18 because I love how it was a suprise. Also, it was really, really sad but in my opinion it was the best chapter and book I ever read.
Fernhurst Primary School Book Club – West Sussex – February 2022
Children at Fernhurst Primary School Book Club have enjoyed reading this book!
The friendships within the book showed loyalty. This was seen as a strength of the book because it teaches you about kindness and the importance of this.
Harry linking the past and present together was an interesting twist! It made us consider if we are even real…
The […..]* at the end of the book was considered unusual in a children’s text.
Overall the children rated this as a five star review and they are looking forward to the sequel!
* Karen’s note, I’ve hidden one word here just in case someone reads this who hasn’t yet read the book – but it’s in full in the comments area at the end of this page, where I also reply 
Ruth – Age 7 – February 2022
Dear Karen Inglis,
I really liked The Secret Lake. My favourite character is Stella. What do you like about being an author? I really hope you write a sequel to The Secret Lake. My favourite part is when they figure out […….].* Karen’s note: I’ve hidden a top secret piece of information here just in case someone reads this who hasn’t yet finished the book
From Ruth, age 7
Aadya – February 2022
Dear Karen
Your book was fabulous. I relished it very much. ‘The Secret Lake’ is one of the impressive and delightful books I’ve ever read. I loved the way you have written your book in simple lucid language for the readers to enjoy your spectacular book. It was very exciting and adventurous. I felt like I was right there seeing everything with my eyes. There was an astonishing twist at the end. Loved your book!
Caleb – January 2022
I really liked your book . Please make more books because I really liked this one. Also please make more adventurous books . You are a very good author . I hope I become an author like you when I grow up.
Ella – Age 8 – January 2022
I enjoyed this book because it is interesting and exciting. Tom and Stella are spending summer vacation at Charlie Green’s garden. They have a forgetful and friendly neighbor, Mrs. Moon. Her dog Harry begins their adventure together. You have to read this book!!!
Fiona – Age 8 – January 2022
To Karen,
My name is Fiona. I am 8 years old.
I have read The Secret Lake and it was amazing. 
Thank You!
Eva Graves – Age 12 – January 2022
Hi Karen!
I really enjoyed Secret Lake! I have to confess, I just picked it up off of our bookshelf (I think my sister received it for her birthday last year but never got round to reading it). I have highly recommended it to my sister (age 10) You are a talented and creative author. You invented some amazing characters (and my favourite is Jack), and the plot twists are phenomenal! I really did believe that [……*] was […..*] for just a second after I read that part! I love when authors let a character find something out, but don’t tell the readers until later. Thank you so much for this amazing book, I can’t wait for the sequel!!
I hope your family had a relaxing Christmas and a Happy New Year!
*Note from Karen — I’ve hidden a couple of secrets here just in case anyone reading here has not yet read the book 😊
Amelie Patel – November 2021
Dear Karen,
THIS BOOK IS AMAZING! I love the characters and it has a clever twist. You are a very talented writer thank you for this book. Is a classic. Definitely have it on your bookshelf.
Ava – November 2021
I really liked The Secret Lake because the characters are really gripping! I loved the clever twist and I think that this book really makes you think and makes you look at the world differently. It is a perfect classic, which you should definitely have on your bookshelf!
Summer Dawson – October 2021
This was one of the best books I have ever read! I loved how it kept making the mystery more and more intense, and interesting. I could not stop reading it! I loved the characters, and everything about this book!
Mrs Lacy’s 6th Grade – USA – October 2021
We loved that this book was packed with adventure and mystery. The development of the characters throughout the story helps you make connections and really get to know each character on a different level. The Secret Lake is full of plot twists, emotion, and blossoming friendships to keep you hooked the whole way through. If you are looking for a story jammed packed with adventure, time travel, and a little bit of magic, we highly recommend The Secret Lake. It was the perfect novel study to begin our year!
Gigi Christiano – USA – October 2021
Hello Karen! I wanted to say how very much I enjoyed reading this book to my son. He actually picked it out himself on amazon — it was his first run through of a chapter book. I have not read a children’s book for many, many years and we such had a great time of it, especially because it was about going back in time. The last time travel book I read was Can I Get there By Candlelight by Jean Slaughter Doty! Still one of my favorites to this day! The Secret Lake really brought back to me some of that childhood sentiment of reading a well written book and absolutely falling in love! Thank you for such a delightful and well-written story! Look forward to reading the continuation!
Donovan – Age 8 – October 2021
i loved this book! i couldn’t stop reading it! im so happy you’re making part 2. :)
Alexandra Campbell – September 2021
Dear Karen Inglis,
Thank you for sharing the Secret Lake with us. It is a good and adventurous book. The surprises make the book really interesting. The problem and solution is a great part of the book. Please publish more books!
Christina Feldkamp – August 2021
I write curriculum for childcare and am now writing the summer camp plans for 2022. Our theme is time travel, so your book popped up in my searches for something for children ages five through about 12. I just received my copy the other day and absolutely loved it! The story is very interesting, the characters are fun to get to know, and I loved the mysteries intertwined within the story. I will include this for our first week of camp and look forward to reading more of your books. PS I think a film of it would be great!
Camille – Age 8 – August 2021
I LOVE THE SECRET LAKE !!!!!!!!!!!!! MY FAVORITE CHAPTER WAS 10 ‘CAUSE IT WAS
EXCITING!!!!!!!!!!!
Jacob – Age 7 – August 2021
It was amazing i liked every thing except when […..] Emma was my favorite character. I got a lot of emotion at the end oh and please make a movie because if there was one I would watch it. I also liked when Stella recorded and shown what crawly had said to Emma. and the magic moles YES I said magic moles because making time tunnels is magic. also I want a sequel where Emma is alive so that’s my comment .
*Note from Karen — I’ve hidden a top secret bit of information here!
Emma – Age 8 – July 2021
This is an awesome book! Emma age 8
Penelope – Age 7 – June 2021
Hello, I loved The Secret Lake. It was mysterious and exciting! 
Alma – Age 10 – June 2021
I loved this book! It was amazing! SO. MANY. TWISTS! Please make a series!
Angela – Age 10 – June 2021
To Karen, I have so many things to say I don’t even know where to start! I loved the Secret Lake it may now be one of my favorite books!I really adored the part where Crawley gets […] ,and when they found out that [….]* !Thank you for writing this book,I will advertise it to my friends.
*Note from Karen ~ I’ve hidden a comment here in case anyone reading hasn’t yet finished the book.
Lova – May 2021
I thought the book was really good. And I loved how mysterious the book was.
Niamh – May 2021
I liked it when we found out that Harry had been time travelling back to […]* I think that if there were a book two, I would probably have more of a focus on Sophie and her story because we don’t find out as much about her compared to Emma.
5/5 – I would recommend the book.
*Note from Karen ~ I’ve hidden a comment here in case anyone reading hasn’t yet finished the book.
Teddy – May 2021
I think that I liked Chapter 6 – The Boy Thief. I liked getting to find out who Jack actually is and we discover and wonder who has actually stolen some silver.
We find out it was [….]* in later chapters.
I liked Stella and Tom and how they try and make friends with Jack. There should be a Secret Lake 2 where they get Mrs Moon/Emma from the past and bring her back and go on more adventures.
I want to know if the moles can make another tunnel – probably to another dimension. A future book! What their house is like 100 years in the future?
10/5 rating!
*Note from Karen ~ I’ve hidden a comment here in case anyone reading hasn’t yet finished the book.
Alexandra – May 2021
I really liked the story. I really liked Chapter 18 when Charlie Green wrote a letter and Tom gasped and found out Charlie Green […]*!
I was impressed that my friends had already thought about Charlie Green possibly being […]* at first.
I really recommend this book, I would give it 5 stars.
In book 2, Mrs Moon could come back to life. Chapter 14 – The Forgotten Clue – was also one of my favourites.
*Note from Karen ~ I’ve hidden a few comments here in case anyone reading hasn’t yet finished the book.
Harry – May 2021
I thought The Secret Lake was a really good book. My favourite chapter was Chapter 18 – I looked at the part where Tom went upstairs and found out […]* and it was so surprising. It was sad to hear that […]* . I would recommend the book and actually give it 50 out of 5 stars. There should definitely be another book.
*Note from Karen ~ I’ve hidden a few comments here in case anyone reading hasn’t yet finished the book.
Violet – May 2021
My favourite character was Stella because she was adventurous and kind. I liked it when the characters get caught in the house when they are hiding up the chimney. I also liked the part where Tom finds out that the [….]* in the mud was […]*
I would give the book 5/5 stars and recommend it to others.
I think there should be another book for Stella and Tom!
*Note from Karen ~ I’ve hidden a few comments here in case anyone reading hasn’t yet finished the book.
Mattie – May 2021
My favourite character was Tom because he was really kind – he wanted to go back for Jack.
I would give it 5 stars and definitely recommend it to others.
Nancy – May 2021
My favourite part of the book was when we found out that Mrs Moon [….]* – when we had thought she might […]*. There were lots of cliffhangers that meant we kept wanting to read on. If there were a book 2, I would like to find out if Sophie [….] *in the future.
I’d rate the book 10/5!! I would definitely recommend this book.
*Note from Karen ~ I’ve hidden a few comments here in case anyone reading hasn’t yet finished the book. But they are great comments, Nancy!
Nalisha – May 2021
My favourite part of Chapter 12 was when Stella and Tom were trying to tell everyone that Jack was not a thief. Stella and Tom are really kind friends. My favourite character was Stella because she became more and more adventurous!
I would really recommend this book – I would give it 4 ½ stars out of 5.
Anna – May 2021
This book is awesome! I picked this book for my book report and it was a great choice. I really enjoyed the powerful meanings of friendship. Thank you for creating this book!
Freddie – Age 8 – May 2021
I absolutely loved the secret lake, it was probably the best book I have ever read. I loved that it was a bit of a mystery story and I really liked the ending.
Skye – Age 9 – May 2021
I loved this book it was very exciting and adventuress. It is very mysterious witch I really enjoyed. I loved when in the end they find out that Charlie Green [….]* It made me sad when Charlie moved away because […..]* and it was very upsetting. I loved the character Mrs. Moon, and how she told them the story of everything the night before [….]*, it was almost like she new when her time was going to be over *[Note from Karen — I’ve hidden a few top secret comments in case someone looking here hasn’t read the book! 😊 ]
Poppy – Age 10 – May 2021
To Karen,
I really enjoyed the book I definitely rate is 5/5! I loved the time travelling bit (I don’t think I spoiled the book because it’s in the blurb!) I hope everybody gets a chance to read this great book! I hope you get to reply as I would really like to talk to an author! Oooh! And I loved that Charlie Green [….] A-maz-ing!
Hehe!
Bessi – April 2021
I purchased from Amazon based on reviews. I knew my son (8) would enjoy going on an adventure with Tom and Stella. Little did I know, I would become so emotionally invested. Thank you, Ms. Inglis for writing such a beautiful story.
Rodney – April 2021
Hi Karen,
I love The Secret Lake. I give it a 5 out of 5 stars. I like it when Stella and Tom figure out that [….]* Are you going to make another book similar to this one? There were so many twists that I did not expect.
[*Note from Karen — I’ve hidden top secret info from here! 😊 ]
Ruth Bambauer – April 2021
Dear Karen,
This book was so AMAZING! This made want to go back in time and see my ancestors and what it was like back then! I got to read this everyday during one of of my classes! This made the day so much better and go so much faster! My favorite parts of the book were when Tom and Stella figured out that […]*. Also when they followed Harry to the hole and went down. This book was so good because every time I got done reading for that day I had another prediction about what was happening. You should write a Secret Lake 2.0!!You are such a good author! I would love to meet you some time! Thank you for writing such a good book! *
Sincerely,
Ruth Bambauer
[*Note from Karen — Top secret info is hidden just in case you’ve not read the book! 😊 ]
Sara – April 2021
I really love this book! It is very funny. I love the twists at the end! I would give it 5 stars. I definently recommend reading this book. :)
Ellianna – April 2021
I give it 5 stars it was grate. i new that…. [Note from Karen – top secret information is hidden here from Ellianna’s review, just in case anyone reading hasn’t finished the book!…I have explained in my reply to Ellianna that I have to do this sometimes!.]
Molly – Age 11 – April 2021
I have read this novel multiple times and each time I read it it makes me want to laugh, cry and smile all at once. Packed with shocking and stunning scenes, I would recommend this to any budding writer or reader to show what true writing is. This book is 100% one of my favourites and I would love Karen to write some more books, perhaps one for slightly older children? This novel is one for children who aren’t avid readers as it inspired me to read more, and now (unsurprisingly) I love reading as much as my dog! Thank you for reading my review!
Hailey – Age 13 – April 2021
Hi! I’m Hailey and I am 13 years old. I love to write books and The Secret Lake was a great read! I did not expect the twists at the end! Please write more books about Stella and Tom, maybe they get transported to a different timeline in each book. Please keep writing, as I would love to keep reading.
Jakob – April 2021
Hi, Im jakob this book was Stunning I will 100% read this again Karen ill also buy more of your books!
AA – age 8 – April 2021
Dear Karen Inglis,
Ever addictive chapter made me want to read for hours of this suspenseful story, full of friendship, and adventure. I suggest many people should purchase this fabulous book.
– AA, age 8
Janae – March 2021
Dear Karen Inglis, I think your book The Secret Lake is an amazing book. It is very interesting, and I love how you did the cover of the book. When I saw it, I knew it was going to be very interesting. I love reading, and reading always made my day better! Thank you for making this book, and stay safe! By Janae.
Shritika – Age 9 – March 2021
Hello!
hi, It is Shritika. I can’t believe that I am talking to an author! I really liked this book. I love time traveling. One day, my mom bought me this book, and I thought it would be bad. Turns out, I loved it, and it was amazing! (Fantabulous!!!!!) You must absolutely get this book if you like time traveling!!!! Out of 10, I would give this book 10 stars! ‘Twas nice talking to you! Bye!
Ellie – Age 10 – and Hannah – Age 8 – March 2021
Thank you Karen Inglis for writing The Secret Lake. We really enjoyed it! Please write more adventures of Stella and Tom!
Andy – March 2021
Good book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Harper – Age 8 – February 2021
Dear Karen,
My grandmother gave me this book for Christmas. I loved this book! It felt like I was actually there when I read it. it was a great mystery. This is the longest book I have ever read. I hope to read more of your books.
Love,
Harper Hamm, age 8
Janiel – February 2021
It was ghood but one thing I don’t like is Charlie Green being rude to Tom
Emily – Age 7 – February 2021
Hi Karen my name is emily from liverpool in England and I am 7 years old. This was my first chapter book and I read it with my dad. I thought it was a 5 star book and loved it so much I was wondering if you was thinking about doing the secret lake 2! We would love it if you could. Thank you for a great book.
Anonymous – February 2021
i really like the book and like the part when stella and tom find out […..] Note from Karen — I’ve had to hide this bit I’m afraid just in case someone reading here hasn’t read to the end of the book! I hope you understand
Anees – February 2021
I enjoyed the mystery of the book. The main characters are Tom, Stella, Jack and Emma.The mystery of Jack’s son was interesting. I liked the part when Tom and Stella rescue Jack.
Great story. I would recommend for you to check this book out because it has a lot of surprises.
Kenneth – whose 3rd grade daughter read The Secret Lake to him… February 2021❤️ 😊
I bought this book for my 3rd grade daughter’s book report. I must say what an amazing book this was. I had her read it out loud so I would know that she was following along and understanding what was going on. We were both hooked! What an amazing story and the twists, outstanding. I couldn’t believe I was so intrigued! My daughter wanted to say thank you for writing such an amazing book! Best wishes!
Dominic – Age 9 – February 2021
My name is Dominic and this book is so awesome!
It has so much action and surprises. Also, my favourite part was when Tom and Stella save Jack.
I would recommend you to check this book if you haven’t.
It is a very cool book with full of surprises.
Alex – Age 8 – February 2021
I really enjoy this book and give it a 10/10 specially in chapter 7 I was really surprised. My teacher introduced me too this book and now I really want to read more but there isn’t a other one.
Ismail – February 2021
This book was really fun and I wish it could go on TV and my favorite part was they can travel in time. I wish I could read it again but I don’t have the book and I am sad. My favorite character was Stella.
Madison – Age 8 – February 2021
I really enjoyed this book because it has so much action. Action books are my favourite kind of books, so for me it was PERFECT! My favourite part was when they found out Charlie Green’s secret and my favourite character was Emma because she is adventurous and pretty. I hope that the readers enjoy this book as much as I did!
Alexus – Age 10 – February 2021
I thought this was fabulous and more then fabulous it’s wonderful I just love it I can not say how much I love it. Alexus said age 10
David – February 2021
Hi my name is David, I read your book, and I find it is one of my favorite books. I love the suspense throughout the book, and all the excitement I had reading it. I love all the characters, they all tell a background story about them. I also noticed that Stella and Tony’s friendship, I can tell hey have a really strong connection. I have a friendship like them, his name is Kenujan and we’ve been friends for 6 years. I recommend this book to everyone. Thank you
Nikko – Age 9 – February 2021
Dear Karen,
Hi Karen Inglis I am Nikko age 9 this book was really good because there were really cool twist I have one question Why did you come up with this book ??? Who ever does not like this book is weird because this book is one of my favorites Stay safe Karen and hope you reply!!!! (Make more books because these are the best books)!!!!
Sincerely, Nikko
Cindy Romero – retired teacher – February 2021
I am a retired teacher in California and have been reading this book to my just turned 12 year old grandson every night before bed via Facetime. We loved the book! I would finish a chapter and have him beg me to continue so we could see what was going to happen. Very intriguing story about time travel, great characters and he had already guessed the ending mid-way through the book. He couldn’t figure out who the gardener was though…lol! Thank you for writing such an entertaining book that we both enjoyed. Waiting for another please!
Tyler – January 2021
I LOVE this book and how Jack and Stella go back in time through the tunnel. I also liked the book because I couldn’t put it down why I couldn’t put it down was how much detail there was. I adore this book because of all the characters usually I don’t like books that have two or three characters because there isn’t as much action as there is with a lot of characters. Thank you sooooooooooooo much for this book! I loved this book and I think you will too!
Hayden – Age 8 – January 2021
Wow I can’t believe how good this book is my name is Hayden and I am 8 and I just love this book if I was rateing it from 1 the worst and 10 the best I would rate it a 10. It’s just so awesome 
I love the book so much my favorite part is when Stella and Tom find the time tunnel and find out where Harry is going I toatally recommend this book if you want to get one I think you should get this book. I had no books to read only one I read I have so many books but they all are ones I don’t want to read AGEIN. So I love this book and thank you for making it!!!
Lisa – January 2021
I bought this book for my 10 year old daughter during the lockdown. I read the first chapter with her ,then Got so hooked I took the book and read it over 3 nights… Took me back to all the books I used to read as a child. Loved it x
Sophia – Age 9 – January 2021
I wasn’t really interested at first, but as I got deeper into the book, I liked it so much that I didn’t want to stop reading. My favorite character was Harry, because he was a dog and I pictured him as puppy. I hope you write another book like this.
Madie – January 2021
Hi,
I really love this book, at first I thought this would be a bit young for me, considering the size but don’t judge because I read it all in one night! I literally couldn’t put it down! I want to see a part two! When They meet Emma again in the future!
Chloe – January 2021
I absolutely love this book!! you should get it. it is so fun to read when i saw the title and picture i thought i wasn’t gonna like this book but seriously don’t judge a book by it’s cover! i am in love with this book im glad santa got me this book! you should get this for real it addicting to read! thank you for making this book! its amazing i have so much to say!! but thanks its sooooooooooooooooooo good!!!!!!
-Chloe
Vidhathri – Age 9 – January 2021
Dear Karen,
A very Happy New Year !!
I am 9 years old and my mother is helping me write.As I live in Germany I don’t have access to many English books here at the library , my Mom saw very good review about this book and ordered it from Amazon and she is very Happy about her decision .
I just loved your book so much , each night we would read this as my bedtime story , infact when we reached chapter 14 , I could not resist to finish it the same day , the end was very interesting , I enjoyed reading it with my mother.
Some how jack’s accent was a bit difficult to follow .
Have you written or plan to write more books like Secret lake , if not I would request you to please make Secret lake part 2 , it will be fun to meet Tom , Stella and Emma once again.
Best Wishes and Regards,
Vidhathri.
Domenica – January 2021
I really like this book! It is mysterious at the end of the book when they find out *[…….] secret. It is very interesting when they time travel. This book was very good so I read it in 3 or 4 days! My favorite character is Emma Gladstone because she is very kind and likes to go on adventures.
•[…Karen’s note: I’ve masked a couple of clues here, just in case anyone coming to this page has not read the book yet. However, I’ve left them in at the bottom of the page where I reply to the reviews!]
Umama – Age 11 – January 2021
Hi Karen, I hope you are doing good. I loved “The Secret Lake”, it was so mystery filled. So enjoyable to read. My Aunt gave the book to me on my Birthday (December 22nd 2020). I had turned 11 at that time so now I’m 11! I’ve read a few more kid’s reviews and I totally agree that you should make a “The Secret Lake 2”! Also when I was reading the book Jack’s part was the most hard to read because he speaks like I might say in an accent:) Mrs.Moon was my favorite character. Again I want to say great job on the book and keep up the hard work.
Madyson – Age 10 – January 2021
Hi my parents are helping me write this and I really like this book! My mom gave it to me for Christmas and I reread it because I like the book a lot. Also Happy New Year!
Bradley – Age 7 1/2 – January 2021
hello my name is Bradley. I am 7 1/2 years old. my grandad is helping me write this. I liked The Secret Lake because it makes me want to keep turning the pages and I was sorry when we got to the end.
Binyamin – Age 13 – January 2021
Oh my god what a short book written by a master teller it was so good that it had suspense that had a flow from start to finish so was the short chapters. Way too good. So suspenseful I read it in one sitting and that should win a book of the year for suspense. Please write a sequel (reason being because you are a good writer) and add me to your mailing list.
I love this book because it was really mysterious .
Please could you write a secret lake 2 ?
My favorite character is Harry beacause when he plays it sounds a lot of fun.
Theo aged 7
Dear Karen,
I am leaving a review for your book, The Secret Lake because I want to tell you how good it is, I am amazed at how your book hooked me in and the cliff hangers at the end of most chapters, which kept me exited and sad that the chapter had ended. You are an amazing author and how you keep your books exiting and nerve racking is incredible! of your book. I liked reading this book with my mum and it was so amazing . Thank you for sharing this book with everyone. I would love to have a sequel to describe what Tom and Stella do in the future, because Mrs Moon says that she sees Tom and Stella in the future. So it sounds like their are more adventures to be had. My favourite character is Tom because I love how cheeky he is and always getting in trouble! I also loved how Harry remained with Mrs Moon that was a lovely part of the story too,
Please write another book about these characters because I would really like to read it!
From Oliver
Aged 9
Eamon – December 2020
I think that this book was great. There was so much description about Tom’s feelings, about Charlie Green and the inside of Emma’s house. My favorite character was Jack because he is so adventurous, like me, .and I loved all of the time travel. It was a very good book, and I will recommend it. Thank you so much for writing it.
Lulu – Age 12 – December 2020
This was a very good book my name is lulu with the age of 12 this is the best book i have ever read in my life! I love how the good parts give SO MUCH exitment :)
Ashaaz – Age 9 – November 2020
I LOVED this book! The sad part was when, Charlie Green ran off(not exactly!) and Mrs. Moon/ Mrs.Gladstone [….] *
My favourite characters were Tom and Jack
*[Note from Karen: I have edited the very end part of Ashaaz’s comment in the first paragraph above, just in case someone reads this page before reading the book 😉 ]
Jovie – Age 12 – November 2020
Hi- my name is Jovie and I’m 12 years old, and I feel very out of place here because it seems like everyone leaving a review is from the UK, which I am not, but whatever, haha-
I read The Secret Lake for school. It wasn’t required, but I had to choose a book to write a report on, and since I had already read every book in my house like three times, I read this one, which was my brother’s. I know it’s recommended for ages 8-11, so it felt a little young for me, although I still really enjoyed it, especially the twists at the end. I must add, it was also fun to read a book in UK English and figuring out what each word meant that’s not commonly used in the USA. Anyway, I saw that you are still active and replying to reviews on here, so I thought I’d post one:) I love reading and writing and thought this book was great!
Charlotte – Age 6 – November 2020
I loved this book. It was so exciting and I liked the twist at the end. My favourite character is Emma. I hope there is a part 2 book as I would love to see what happens next!
Nora – Age 6 – November 2020
I really enjoyed this book, I can’t wait to read it again. I particularly enjoyed it as it was very mysterious in parts and a little scary.
My favourite bit was when they first discovered the boat and also when we finally realised [who…] I kind of guessed. (Karen’s note: I’ve had to edit here so as not to give away a clue!)
Overall a great read….8.5/10
Scarlett – November 2020
This book was so good that I think it should be made into a movie!
Benjamin – Age 9 – October 2020
After moving to London, Tom started to dig in the communal garden and found a boat. It was strange because there was no lake or river in the garden.
Tom and his sister Stella then have an amazing adventure, solve a mystery and make new friends.
I enjoyed the mystery, the fantasy and the short chapters.
Benjamin Beale (Age 9)
I had only read the first few chapters of The Secret Lake when I lost it. I had forgotten about when during recess one of my best friends said I should read it. She loaned it to me and i started reading it during morning work. I had read the first three chapters online, so I was super excited to read more of it. I could not stop reading it, as soon as I got home I read for a loooooooooog time. Then once I was in bed I only had a few more chapters left and I finished it. I love every part of it and I love the part where Stella and Tom meet with Mrs.Moon. I definitely recommend this book.
Manjeet – Age 9 – October 2020
Once you turn a page you can’t stop turning pages!
Manjeet Age-9
Cecelia – October 2020
Adeline – October 2020
Every day at school I’d be waiting with anticipation to get home so I could open The Secret Lake and get sucked into Tom and Stella’s world. They are a brother and sister who have just moved back from Hong Kong, and when they realise there’s a time tunnel in the gardens, that’s where I really couldn’t put it down. On their second trip down the tunnel, I was almost caught sitting in awkward positions, my eyes moving frantically across the pages, wondering, How were they going to save Jack?
The things I loved most about The Secret Lake was its hope, because of Mrs. Moon’s hint, and friendship, because of Emma accepting Stella’s token of friendship and keeping it safe. I also loved it because time travel is so interesting to me because it’s so complicated.
Everyone should read The Secret Lake!
Sofi – Age 10 – October 2020
A lost dog goes missing. Stella and Tom try to find him, but instead go back in time, a hundred years in the past. What they find is a secret lake with many mysteries and adventures. Stella and Tom make new friends and enemies, and they will never forget their adventure with a lost dog and a secret tunnel. At one point, they get stuck in the past. Can they get out? Or is there some other trouble lurking towards them and their friends? If so what can they do to help? And could someone disappear out of the blue?
This book is fantastic, has great mysteries, and is full of thrill and excitement.
Age 10. -Sofi
Chloe – Age 10 – October 2020
Stella and Tom are two kids who have moved from Hong Kong and into “The Garden.” Stella, missing a friend from home, and Tom, ready for adventure, find that they don’t live in your normal everyday place. A dog takes them into a time travel adventure where they make friends, and enemies. When a mystery comes to hand, can they solve it? Or get caught trying? When the truth doesn’t make sense, what does? All we know is magic is real.
This book is full of mystery, adventure, and even some comedy. It is my type of book!
age 10 Chloe
Janelle – Age 9 – September 2020
I totally recommend reading this book! I know that some of you out there might think that this book is boring and think ” this is so boring, I don’t want to read this, do I have to?” I was like that too but, after I started reading a few chapters, I just could not put it down! I got so absorbed in my book that when my mom called ” Janelle put that book down and come eat some dinner. “… Ten minutes later… mom, ” Janelle put that book down and come eat or there will be consequences! ” me, “OK mom, just let me get to the next chapter, I’m almost there! ” I’m telling you I could not put The Secret Lake down, and I think that you will enjoy it as much or even more than I did!!! I think that Karen Inglis did a really great job on The Secret Lake and that you will love it. Good job Karen!!!!
– Janelle age 9 Casper, WY
Kat – September 2020
Hi, this is my name that I wish I had, not my real name.
So anyways, I love the Secret Lake. I kind of wish it were longer, though, I’d finished it in two days since I read faster than the average kid.
Stella’s probably my favorite character, with her personality and all, but Jack is a close one too.
I love how it’s a mystery book also intertwined with a time travel theme. It’s one of those hybrid-genre books that really catch your eye.
I hope the author makes a sequel!
Lucas – Age 8 – September 2020
Dear Karen,
I liked your book because it’s about a secret tunnel. I loved reading about how they discovered it and about how Harry could come back to Emma through the time tunnel by the magic moles. Your writing is impressive! Thank you for writing this excellent book. I would like to read any other adventure books you have written.
From,
Lucas
Anonymous – September 2020
Hi i can not tel you my age but i love your book it is very good hope you well and hope you doing good :D
Brittany – and daughter age 6 – September 2020
What an enchanting story. I read this with my 6 year old daughter. She understood it well with some explaining here and there. I love all things old times. This book was a beautiful combination of enchantment and adventure with some old fashioned warmth. Such a lovely story. We couldn’t put the book down. Especially towards the end we had to keep reading and ended up finishing the last 5 chapters in one sitting to find out the end. The book leaves it open for a follow up story in my opinion, which I would adore to read. So cute! Highly recommend this fun enchanting adventure and mystery. We are also in the USA.
Hayley – September 2020
The Secret Lake was very very good, I enjoyed every part of it. I think you should make more of these kinds of books.
Hayley
Ava – Age 6 – September 2020
I loved this book, it is very mysterious. My mom read it to me at night time and it really calms me down. My favorite part was when Tom and Stella would go down the tunnel to the other time. This is one of my favorite books in world.
If you like mysterious books, then read this!
Francesca – August 2020
Hi Karen
My name it Francesca and I loved the Secret Lame . I loved the book because there was mystery and adventure. The Secret Lake is one of my favorite books. I’m had so much fun reading the book. You should make a Secret Lake 2 then it would have more adventure and fun in it
Bye hope you make more book in the future
Francesca :) 👍
Yoonjae – Age 8 – August 2020
Hi Karen, I am Yoonjae. I loved your book. I like the way I do not have to wait all the way to the middle to get an interesting part throughout the whole story, which is full of entertainment. The book is a page turner, you choose a lot of good words to make the reader keep reading. I also like that your book has a very good topic, theme, and very mysterious mysteries. The last thing that I like about your book is Jack, Charlie Green, and Crawly speak with lisps, which sounds really funny. I would like to read another book about the secret lake. Thank you for writing this story.
Yuju – August 2020
I think this book is great because it has a very interesting story. My favorite part of this book is when Stella and Tom meets Sophie and Emma. I really liked when they met other new characters. Also if I were a author, Instead of Secret Lake I would change it to secret tunnels. I would change it because I want it to be more magical. Otherwise I love this book:).
Aiden – August 2020
I liked this book. I love adventure and exploring part of the book. I want to recommend this book to my friends because the book is fun. This book would come into my top ten favorite books.👍👍👍
Arjun – Age 10 – August 2020
The Secret Lake is an good book.I read to my sister everyday.
Leo – August 2020
The secret lake is a excellent book ( thank you karen Inglis) , my favourite character is tom because he is very relatable and loves diging like me. The book is such a page turner I read it all in one go (something I rarely do). I Think you sould make secret lake number 2 .😀
Visaly Flora – Age 6 – August 2020
i lovd the seecrut laik
i had it red to me by my mum becos i hav sevear dislexeeya
from visaly aje 6
Alice – age 8 – August 2020
I loved ‘The secret lake’. I have been reading it by myself and my favourite characters are Stella and Emma. I would love it is you did a follow on of that book! 📙 I would give this 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars!
Alice
age 8
Lucy – July 2020
I loved the secret lake because it was entrancing, intriguing and magical! On top of that, the characters were so realistic I felt as though I was there and the author was so inspiring that I wrote my own story and now I want to become an author too! This book has everything: time travelling, educational information aboutf the past and present day, an AMAZING storyline and even a DOG!
I hope anyone who reads this review makes the RIGHT decision and buys ‘The Secret Lake!’
Megan – July 2020
I thought the book was great. It was so good I could not put The Secret Lake down! I like the characters Tom, Stella, Jack, Lucy and Emma. I could really picture every scene in the story because you described the places so well. There is so much action. After mummy or daddy has read to me I want to read more and more and more. I would like to hear when Tom and Stella go home.
Max (Age 7) July 2020
I am 7 years old and me and my mummy read this book together. It was epic! I loved that they went through the time tunnel and the mystery got solved bit by bit as the story goes on, (I won’t spoil it!). I loved all the exciting parts and I really hope there is another secret lake part 2 so we can go into the future tunnel and find out what’s going on. Thank you for writing such a fun book I will tell my class all about it.
Joyanti (Age 6) July 2020
Dear Karen,
My name is Joyanti and I’m 6 years old. Your book was simply lovely. My favourite characters were Lucy, Stella, Tom, Jack and Emma. My favourite part was when Stella and Tom discover that they were in the past and my favourite part was when Stella said,’Tom, look, I do think that is our house, but, well not at the moment. Look, don’t ask me how, but that tunnel we found seems to have taken us back to our garden in past time. That’s why everyone is wearing those funny clothes!’ I liked it because Stella and Tom had finally discovered that they were in the past time.
Regards,
Joyanti
Aaheli – July 2020
I loved the story! My favourite character was Lucy
Eve – July 2020
Dear Karen inglis
My name Eve and I loved this book My favorite part was when we found out who….
(Karen’s note: I’ve hidden the last bit of Eve’s comment here, just in case someone is reading this who hasn’t yet finished the book 😊…Thank you, Eve, anyway! Your full comment is in your post down below!)
Aurelio (Age 10) July 2020
I liked so much the story that i want to read more. Are you writing a part two with some more travelling to the future? I would love to read about Jack, Emma and Lucy travelling to the future.
Luke Melton (Age 13) June 2020
This book was really good, I’m 13 and I enjoyed it, but I feel like 8 year olds would like it!! It was really good, and probably one of the best books I’ve read in a long time!!! I know you probably aren’t reading this, but if you are, Mrs. Karen Inglis thank you so much for writing this book!
Amelia (Age 10) June 2020
Hi Karen,
I absolutely loved The Secret Lake, it was one of the best books I have ever read. It was a page turner from beginning to end and I just couldn’t believe the ending, what a brilliant author you are.
Do you plan to write any more books on the adventures of Stella and Tom? I would be so interested to read them.
Thank you for publishing this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Kind regards,
Amelia, age 10
Katy (Age 10) June 2020
Thank you for writing this book! I really enjoyed it and liked all the friendship in it. My favourite character was Tom, Stella and Emma. It was really clever how you put time travel I in there! The moles also had a big part in there to let people (and Harry) time travel. I liked it when they were all hiding up the chimney. :D thank you! x Kate age 10
Danny Murray (Age 5) June 2020
I really loved this book! I really like the part at the end of the book with Charlie Green. I won’t give it away for the other kids, but it was a wonderful book! Thank you. Danny Murray, age 5
Jacob (Age 10) June 2020
I really enjoyed reading your book!
I thought it was intriguing and I really liked how real yet unreal it was.
It was truly an amazing book!
Sometimes I had to read something twice because you need to think about what’s happening and it’s fun to guess what is going to happen.
I’m glad my school chose this book to read.
Yours Truly,
Jacob age 10
William Taylor – June 2020
I think it’s the best story i have ever read. I hope there will be a other one because it was awesome. :)
FruitRuby – June 2020
I LOVE the book so many interesting twists and turns. Sometimes I didn’t understand what’s going on but no hate because I honestly think that the book is AMAZING 😍💕
Alfie – June 2020
I thought the book was really good especially how the secret moles were appearing everywhere and Tom sore them before they found the tunnel which was very lucky. And how Mrs Moon [….] * which was really cool and how Charlie Green […]* I really enjoyed reading it and I think it might be one of my favourite books I have ever read
Thank you
Thomas Cunningham (Age 9) June 2020
To Karen Inglis
I really enjoyed this amazing book because it was page turning and exciting.
from
Thomas
age
9
Hi, I absolutely loved this book ⭐️✨!! and the reason why I liked this book was because it is very page turning and you want to know what happens next
I liked your book because I thought it had a good element of mystery and was interesting.
Marijane, (Age 85 😊) June 2020
Dear Karen Inglis, a friend gave me your book and said that I had to read it. So right. I am Emma! I had the most wonderful dog in the world, and I began crying soon after page 100 (no spoiler, but it is NOT a sad book). I’m not sure what those deep sobbing tears meant, but you will know, since I AM EMMA!
I loved your book. Thank you first to my insistent friend, and then to you for writing it.
Best wishes, Marijane: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marijane_Osborn
Ted (Age 8) June 2020
Everything about the book was good. What I liked the most was how Tom and Stella were able to escape from Crawley. I am 8 years old. I give it 4.99 stars.
Amy Allen (June 2020)
The secret lake is a great book and you’ll feel like your on the adventure with them!
Loved it😍😍
Oliver (age 7) June 2020
It is a great book! You should make a second :) thank you for writing this book I love reading! 👏 I’ve always wished that I could time travel.
Ella (June 2020)
Hi I am Ella I loved your book so much I read it twice I loved how it was so mysterious at some points and not at others.My favourite character is definitely Stella because she is so adventurous but I also quite like Emma because she’s really kind.
Blair (age 8) June 2020
dear, Karen Inglis, i love this book so much this book got me really attached and it lured me in, this book was really well done and i love it, but i am only on the 7th chapter and it is AMAZING!!! and i am going to review this book again after i finish reading it. worm regards, your friend, Blair Herman (age 8)
one more thing. are you writing another book right now ??? from blair herman
Olivia (age 10) June 2020
This book was amazing! I love the way you describe things. This book definitely made my top 5! My favorite character is probably Emma, she is just so kind and caring, I don’t know who else I would pick. All I can say is that you are an amazing author, and there is no denying that! Thank you for making this book Karen! 👍
Myra (May 2020)
Hi!!! My name is Myra. I really loved this book, it was so adventurous, and I couldn’t stop reading after the first few pages! You are a amazing author, and you should make a 2nd book of this, or make another book like this
Olivia Rose (May 2020)
Dear Karen, I loved the book the best book I have read and I have read loads of books, millions!
I really like the mystery, excitement and friendship. my favourite character is Tom because he likes going on adventures like me. My favourite part is when they find the tunnel and the ending. I like when they go to the tunnel and go into the past and come back into the present and meet friends, you must get this book.
Julia (age 9 ) May 2020
Your book was very intriguing. At the end I got very curious and then I understood. I would never think of a story like that. That story was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!
Zahra (age 9) May 2020
Hi Karen my name is Zahra and I am 9 years old. I really enjoyed the secret lake as you don’t have to wait till the middle of the book for the interesting part. I think I have an idea for your next book. It is about 3 siblings called Bella, Lilly and Mark. They get send to live in an orphanage after their parents die. When Lilly goes to the basement to get some cleaning supplies she finds a secret door. She also notices that she needs a key to open it. She tells Bella and Mark and they all try to find the key without getting caught. They finally find the key and when they open the door they found a picture of their parents and they found out that they lived there before them. Hope you like my idea Karen!!!!
From Zahra
Noah (age 8 in 3 weeks!) May 2020
I really enjoyed this book and read it with my Mum. I liked how the characters were described at the beginning and you got to know Tom and Stella really well. Sometimes I felt sad for Stella because they had just moved back to London and she was missing her friend but the adventure they went on soon meant she forgot all about that! I thought Tom was very brave how he was always trying to help people that were in trouble. Once he set his mind to something he would do it. I also liked Harry the dog and I wanted to read more because he was very mysterious, the way he kept disappearing! I liked how everything linked together at the end and want to know if you will be writing a second book about the garden and the lake. An adventure where they go into the future this time would be so awesome!
Yeshe Amma – May 2020
I absolutely loved reading this book! Once I started, I couldn’t stop!
Emma K (on behalf of her daughter) May 2020
My daughter loved this book, this is what she had to say “This was one of the best books ever! I really liked it because it has a dog in it and because it is very secretive and fun.”
Katy R (Age 8) May 2020
My name is Katy and I am 8. I am a real bookworm and absolutely gobble books!! I am a bit fussy about books so lately, me and my mummy went on the internet as we didn’t have any more books for me. This was one of the first books that we found!! It also arrived first and I was very keen. I have finished it from 1 chapter on Sunday 3rd May to Monday 4th May morning. I thought it was really good. How did you come up with the idea for that book? Did you do something that inspired you to write this book? What other books do you recommend to me that are by you??? I don’t really like scary books and I have only just finished book number three of Harry Potter and everyone is saying don’t read it as it will be too scary for me. I have got an idea for your next book. It is about 4 children who like going to the park. Then they are discovered by their horrid aunt. They have to go and live there. Then they find a trapdoor in their room and escape!! I would say that book would be for 6-12 year olds. In the book, I like how the moles make the tunnel so that Stella and Tom could escape. Would you be able to do a series like that book but maybe have more children or they go up to the future??? Also in the book, is Sophie still alive or did she die??
Katy 🐦🐝
Julia (Age 9 ) April 2020
It’s one of the best books ever! You must get this book!
Nathaniel (Age 10) April 2020
I thought this book was amazing. My favorite character was Tom, because he is funny. I would recommend this book to anyone.
I LOVED this book it was a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter and was written so well I also loved having to decode Jacks words.And my favorite character is Emma because she seems so sweet and adventurous and that is so me.I would recommend this book to someone looking for a cliffhanger and an adventure book
This book is one of my favorite books. I wish this was a series! The end of the book is the most shocking. My favorite character is Emma because she is thoughtful and when she hears something most people wouldn’t believe, she still goes along with it. I highly recommend this book because it is mystery, but it’s also adventure and suspense.
This book was one of the best books I have ever read! From all the cliffhangers to the intriguing surprises that lured me into the book it was all in all SPECTACULAR! How did you get the idea of the storyline Karen? Anyways, I hope that one day I would get to go into a time tunnel and find out that later I would become one of the best authors, just like you are.
xx love from Elena 💫 age 10
Jessica (Age 10) April 2020
This is one of the best books ever! I loved it! You are one of my favorite authors and everyone should read this book!
Evie (Age 8) April 2020
Oh my Gosh! This book is so good and it has got so many lovely details. It’s always left on a cliff hanger and it made me feel excited when I finished each chapter – I couldn’t wait to read the next and find out what happens. When I finished the book I felt like I wanted more. Stella was my favorite character because she was funny and I could imagine what she was like in real life. I pictured her a bit like my big sister. :-)
Anonymous (April 2020)
This is such an awesome book! It is definitely one of my top 3 books. I would love to hear the story of Stella and Tom meeting Mrs.Moon in the future. If you have already published a book telling this story let me know. I would LOVE to read it. If not, please consider my request. But if you decide not to do it, that is fine, I know that I’m just one out of millions of fans. Thank You!
TheTNTteam (March 2020)
Awesome book – every chapter was left on a cliff hanger
Eliza (March 2020)
Gaby (Age 10) March 2020
Dear Karen
I thought your book was so amazing and interesting! when it was time to go to bed I just simply couldn’t put your awesome book down. However my favourite part was when [* Note from Karen – I have hidden this top secret comment and one more so as not to give away the story to those have not yet read the book! 😊] But when mrs.moon said that harry [***] I thought she was going to say he turned into a ghost dog but she did not say that Im just crazy! Alright back to the beginning your book rocked don’t let anyone tell you any different obviously they won’t because your book is the best of the best!
From Gabby (age 10)
Elaine Phillipson (School Teacher, Kuwait) March 2020
Dear Karen,
I just finished reading The Secret Lake. I had selected it to use with my class out here in Kuwait. While there are some challenging words in the story, the children will love learning their meanings and expanding their own vocabularies.
The story is wonderful. I didn’t know what to expect when I began reading it, but I couldn’t put it down. As a teacher, I know that this story will get my class hooked from the beginning and we are going to be able to do some great activities based around it, culminating in writing their own stories in a similar style.
I would recommend your book to everyone, regardless of age or gender. It gets a full 5-star rating from me and I am looking forward to reading more of your work. ‘Walter Brown and the Magician’s Hat’ sounds fun and will be my next purchase.
Thank you, Karen, for writing a great story. Pl3ease keep writing!
Katerina Anderson – March 2020
Your book Was amazing! I really loved it.It is a ten out ten. It is was my favorite book in the world . I totally give you a good review. I especially loved when Tom and Stella were in the past. And when they met Emma and Jack. Love it so much my sister wants to read it.
Kitty Jay, (Age 8) – March 2020
Dear Karen
My Book Review of The Secret Lake by Karen Ingles
This story is about a brother and sister who find a hole which has a ladder which leads on to a tree and into the past. They meet a boy called Jack who is suspected to be a kidnapper. They meet Emma and her sister Sophie, they are quite posh. They have lots of adventures. At the end they find out that {*****Note from Karen: I’ve hidden some top secret information here, just in case children who have not read the book are reading this review 
With my apologies, Kitty Jay – I love your comments here and in the other places about the story!}. It is sad because on the night they find {*** More top secret information hidden here by Karen again!*}.
My favourite part was when they find out that {***} I wasn’t surprised because they gave clues during the story. I thought it was a bit like Tom’s Midnight Garden.
{More top secret info hidden here – Kitty Jay is great at guessing things and nearly being right!*****}
I really liked guessing what happens next and I really love doing that.
I would recommend it to people that like reading adventures and guessing what happens next.`
I would give it 5 stars but I think Charlie Green should have been more included.
Kitty Jay, age 8
Newmill Primary School, Scotland – February 2020
Dear Karen,
We are P123 from Newmill Primary School and we have just finished reading The Secret Lake and we loved it. After a conversation about mysteries and suspense stories our teacher chose your book as an example. We have been hooked into the story trying to predict what would happen next. The story held our attention throughout as it unravelled with lots of twists and turns. We really enjoyed getting to know the characters and have our own personal pictures in our mind of the different settings. We were glad that Harry was safe too!
We highly recommend this book. Our next step is to create our very own stories of going down a time tunnel.
Kind regards,
Mrs Watt and Primary 123
Reem (Age 6 1/2) January 2020
To Karen, I think the book The Secret Lake is really exciting. I read it before I went to bed every night. My favourite part is when they go down the time tunnel and see The Gladstone’s! I highly recommend this book to other children so they can discover the Secret Lake’s secrets,
Reem
Adam (Age 6 1/2) January 2020
Dear Karen, I thought The Secret Lake book was really exciting. My favourite character was Harry the dog. I think this one of the best books I’ve ever read. I would like to read some of your other books now.
Adam
Hannah (Age 6) January 2020
I love your book, The Secret Lake. My dad read it to me and made some of the words a bit easier to understand. I think you should write lots more books. I think it might be good if you add some pictures too. I hope that I can become an author like you when I grow up.
i loved your book!!!! must read this book!!!!- clara age 9
Harmony (Age 7) November 2019
Volodymyr V (and daughter) October 2019
Tassia (Age 10) October 2019
I am ten years old and my name is Tassia. I really enjoyed reading The Secret Lake and finding out that […….]* was in on the secret too! I loved how close Stella and Tom were and all of there adventures. Please write a second one!
*Note from Karen — I’ve hidden something here so as to keep the storyline top secret 😊
Julia (Age 10, Houston) September 2019
My mom just got me this book a few hours ago and already finished i always surprise my parents when it comes to reading super duper fast lol^^
Grandparent / Granddaughter (August 2019)
I bought this book on kindle to read with my granddaughter. I am already done as I don’t have her everyday but I thought it was absolutely wonderful. So full of adventures and twists and turns. A good book transports you to that time and this is one of them. Two thumbs way up!
Elsie (Age 7, nearly 8!) August 2019
The Secret Lake is one of my favourite books because the characters are like me and the story has lots of action in it. It is one of those books that I will probably read for a second time. I really enjoyed reading this book and I look forward to reading more books you write. Elsie (7 almost 8!)
June (On behalf of her three granddaughters😊) August 2019
I bought this book to take on my kindle to read to three granddaughters, aged 7 and 10 on holiday. Each day we read three chapters and it became quite an integral part of the week. The girls loved it and it was very special time for me to read it to them. They loved the adventure and the descriptions of the characters, especially Tom and thought it would make an excellent film with CGI for the trip down to the Lake, Thank you Karen for a wonderful story.
Totty (Age 10) July 2019
Merken, June 2019
This book was one of the BEST books I have ever read !! My mum bought it for me as a present and the tittle sounded very interesting which made me want to read it and because of that I finished it in two days. I told two of my friends to read it and that it was a amazing book !!!
Molly (aged 8), Isle of Wight, June 2019
I chose to read this book because the title sounded interesting and adventurous. My favourite part was when Stella and Tom found out that [ …….*] – that was really cool! I also really liked finding out that [……*] another amazing surprise. I could picture what everything and everyone looked like in my head really easily because of the fantastic descriptions. I would like to read this to my own children one day! Me and my mum enjoyed this book so much, thank you. Molly Stone, age 8, Isle Of Wight, UK.
[*note from Karen: .these parts of the review have been hidden as they are top secret until you read the book! :-) ]
Blake (aged 10) May 2019
This was a really good book. I had to do a book report on Sci-Fi and had a hard time getting into the first three books I attempted to read. I tried this book and enjoyed it. Having a dog in the story did help since I love dogs. I cannot wait to turn in my report and see how I did. I think other kids in my class will want to read this book after I talk about it. Blake, age 10
Sasha (aged 10) May 2019
Hi Karen!
I thought your book was incredible!!! On the first page it had already drawn me in. I just loved everything about it😁! I would DEFINITELY recommend this book!
Sasha age 10
Nieve (April 2019)
I found this book amazing I think it would be one of my favourite books and I loved how it was about a time tunnel. I really want you to write what happens next. Will you be writing a sequel? I recommend this for 8/12 year olds.
Leo (aged 8 & 3/4) February 2019
This book was brilliant, because I love adventure stories, they’re the best. I like the way in other stories they fly through space and fight dragons but in this one they time travelled through a mole hole. I recommend that everybody should have this book. I like the way the authour made Jack speak and Tom because he is adventurous and likes digging up mole holes but he gets told off by Charlie Green. They met someone called Jack, Emma and Sophie down the time tunnel. Leo aged 8,3/4
Carson (in Canada) November 2018
This book was great because there was time travel. I recommend this book to everybody. I live in Canada and I really liked Jack’s accent, or I think he does because some of the words were cut off and a flashlight was called a torch. The characters are really interesting because they would always find something or do something that was surprising. This book was really exciting and it’s fiction and those are my favourite types of books to read. I’m going to ask my dad to buy me Walter Brown and the Magician’s Hat and Henry Hayes and the Great Escape, next. Thank you Ms. Inglis for writing this book!
Sincerely, Carson
Johnny, aged 6 & 3/4 (September 2018)
I loved The Secret Lake, it’s the best book ever. I really liked the pictures and the writing pushed me up a level with my reading, I learnt some new words!
I liked all the characters because they were exciting, especially the dancing moles.
The book was so much fun my mummy had to pull the book away to stop me reading at night! I’d recommend The Secret Lake to children aged 6-12 years old who enjoy mystery, adventure and surprises!
Beatrice (March 2018)
I thought this book would be amazing the first time I heard about it! I don’t want to give away the story because i don’t want to spoil it so you will have to wait and see when you read the book. It is about two siblings called Stella and Tom and they have just moved in a apartment in London in Notting Hill.Until one day Stella and Tom have just realised that they have gone back one hundred years back in time!WHO WILL THEY MEET! WHERE ARE THEY ! Those a probable all the questioned you are asking .Well you will have to wait and find out for yourself.
Freya , Cheshire (Age 10 )
The secret lake is very thrilling and exciting book; it has an exciting plot and I like the way it is so mysterious until the end when everything becomes clear. I like the way it is written because even though there are no pictures the description is so good that you can picture every single thing.
I also think that the Secret Lake is a very intriguing book; I picked it up this morning and couldn’t stop reading until I had finished. I liked it because there were some funny moments and some dangerous points in the story. It also brought lots of questions into my head which were cleverly tied up at the end. I really enjoyed the part where Sophie’s and Emma’s dad thought that crawly was inside Stella’s phone, because it was quite funny. I think it is a great book which I would recommend to anyone between the ages of 7-12. I am going to tell my friends about how good it is!
Please may you write another book involving the same characters on a new adventure in the garden?
Phoebe, West Sussex (Age 10)
I thought that the Secret Lake was an amazing book. I don’t want to give away the story or anything, but I thought that the contrast between modern and olden times was very funny, especially when the iPhone kicked in! I liked the characters both old Mrs Moon and her ever disappearing dog Harry because of their mysterious secrets. The book is quite hair-raising at times, but that just draws you in, and that makes the book difficult to put down! My sister now can’t wait to read it too!
Honor M (nrly 9!) Twickenham
I am 8 (nearly 9!!) and I love reading but not too girly books! My favourite books are Harry Potter. I really loved ‘The Secret Lake’ because it was really cool. It was very imaginative and the characters were brilliant. I liked the way the character Jack spoke and his clothes were very well described as well as his dirty face! I loved the character Harry and the way he came back very wet and came through the bush but I don’t want to give away too much of the story! I really got excited reading this book and I didn’t want to stop reading. At the end there was a really big twist and it was so cool. I wish I could have adventures like in this story. I would like to read other books by this writer. I liked the cover because they look about my age :)
Siân W (age 10) Leamington
I think that “The secret lake” is a great book with a very imaginitive storyline! Firstly the first few sentances draw the reader right in and makes sure that he or she reads on to find out what happens next, secondly the characters are described really descriptivly therefore it makes it an even better story to read by yourself or to others aloud.
Becuase I enjoy history I found this book fasinating as it made history come alive in my mind. It has everything, humour, history, adventure and much, much more!I particularly enjoyed the humour in the book and my favourite part was when Jack was given a listen on Stella’s ipod, his exact words were ‘Jeepers! Ya got people in ere or what, how d’ya do that then?’The scenes in the book are magically realistic and you can imagine the picture in your head and can almost hear the voices in your mind. Although there are no pictures in the book you can see all the characters and the scene that they’re in perfectly in your imagination.
The storyline is two children called Stella and Tom move to England and in their back garden they find a hole on the ground in a bush and when they go down it they travel in time back to the Victorian era and meet Jack the victorian boy whose father used to once work in a rich family’s house that in our times is a block of flats that the two children live in. The house belongs to a girl and her sister, mum, dad and servants, when she finds out that the kids are from a different time she quickly befriends them and tries to help them find their way home, but her sister and family think that Jack is a thief and try to catch them. I love how the story ends on a cliffhanger and out of ten i’d give “The secret lake” by Karen Inglis 10!
Mathieu (age 9) Barnes
This book is about Tom and Stella going back in time through a tunnel and I really liked it because it is about friendship.
The main characters are Tom, Stella, Jack and Emma. The main events are when Stella and Tom go for the first time in the time tunnel and meet Jack, Emma and Sophie who lived in their house a long time ago. Emma and Sophie invite Tom and Stella to their house but then Mrs Gladstone comes along with Crawley and some policemen because someone has stolen their silver and Mrs Gladstone’s purse. Tom and Stella decide to go home. But….! [Author’s note: A little edit here…I’m afraid that you will need to read the story to find out what happens next!]
My favourite character is Charlie Green because I like gardens and Charlie tries to stop Tom digging up the molehills. The molehills are all over the garden and a big part of the story!
Sophie (age 7 ) Carshalton
I loved this so much I could’t put it down! It’s about two siblings who have come to London for the holidays and they’re staying with a gardener called Charlie. They really do get up to loads of mischief when they find a time tunnel and travel 100 years back in time and discover an important secret from the past!
Ellen B (age 10) Leamington
I think that ‘the secret lake’ is a gripping novel and that it is a educational and exiting read. I love the fact that it does not just include one or two good points but a whole selection of them- such as humor,adventure, mystery and a whole range more! I believe that it would be a great read aloud to a child or a parent.
My favourite character is Emma Gladstone because she is very understanding and polite with a helpful attitude and a hint of cheek. My favourite scene is when…. I found it very moving when…. [Author’s note: I’m afraid I’ve had to edit these and one other little bit out because they gave the story away, but they were lovely!]
In summary I think that ‘the secret lake’ is an amazing story where everybody is everybody. It really is a time-slip adventure! :)
Issy F (age 10) Leamington Spa
The Secret Lake is a book packed full of adventure, suspense, and fun. It ensures that it is completely impossible to put the book down before you have read it through thoroughly at least three times. It is almost like a giant hand reaches out and grips you all the way from the first couple of sentences right up to the last page.
Personally, my favourite part was when Stella and Tom find out about Mrs Moons’ secret. Everything seems so exciting, and it’s clever how it all slots into place at the end.
The book does not include pictures, but they are replaced by imaginative descriptions that give the reader a clear picture of what was going on. I could almost hear the voices in my mind…”If Charlie Green finds this mess we’ll be grounded indoors for a week! “…
An addition to this, I found it hilarious when Stella let Jack listen to her IPod, and Jack simply couldn’t work out how earth a little box could make all that noise on its own, and he merely assumed that there were little people trapped inside!
I highly recommend this book.
Elia M (age 7 nrly 8!)
The very first page made me want to read more and more. I’m 7 years old, and I read it with my Mum – we took it in turns. Sometimes we had to stop but I never wanted to, it really kept me excited all the way through. My favourite character is Jack, because he is scruffy and fun (a bit like me). I’m keen on history, so I liked that the children went back in time to another era. I’m going to give a copy to my best friend.
Declan S (age 8), USA
I loved The Secret Lake because there was a big garden and I like the outdoors and lakes. I think the kids in the book were very nice. I think I am just like Tom because I love to dig and get dirty and get out of trouble. Stella is a great big sister. I learned that torch means “flashlight” or flashlight means torch. It was a very exciting book with many things going on, lots of adventures and many surprises. The nasty people (aka the bad guy) were very mean and scary. Stella has an iPod, its awesome! I want an iPod. I was very happy to read this story. I’m going to buy one to share with my friends and tell them to read it. I am going to encourage my friends to read it because it is a great book and you are a great author Karen Inglis!
Lily G (Age 7)
i think the secret lake was very good, interesting and surprising. i really loved it!
lily g – age 7 Thanks, Lily! I’ve replied below! Karen
Charlotte C (Age 11) London [Reviewer for Families SW Magazine :-) ]
When you pick up the Secret Lake,you follow Stella and Tom on an exciting adventure in their strange new house. Travel back in time with them and discover a seeming thief, some curious moles and a sinister butler. Meet iconic characters from the past, from kind inhabitants of the house to the mysterious ragamuffin you see rowing on the lake. Travel with Tom and Stella from the world of blaring iPhones to the much more unknown world of governesses and crocheting.
I found this book really enjoyable and literally un-put-down-able! You will be engulfed in this magical tale and as the plot thickens you’ll be with the characters every step of the way…I was enticed by the mystery and twist in the story. I also found Stella and Tom surprisingly familiar and easy to relate to. I recommend this book to any avid reader between ages 8 – 12 who loves a good adventure.
See Charlotte’s review here Thank you, Charlotte, for this lovely review! Have a great Christmas! Karen
Tara (age 11) (Tara left 3 comments when I was away so I’ve merged them! :-)
I am 11 years old. My birthday is November 2000. My name is Tara. My friend Lorna met you.
I love your book and I cannot wait for “Eeek: The Runaway Alien” to come out ! I hope to meet you one day! When you met my family’s friend Lorna she got your autograph in my copy of “The Secret Lake !
I am so glad you actually write back to people
I love the book so far Karen! My friend Lorna got your signature in the book! As I said before I absoloutly love everything in it … the descriptions … the characters (especially Stella)… EVERYTHING!
My friend Lorna was so lucky to meet you… I hope to meet you soon!
As I’m typing, my dear book is on my lap and every now and then I stop typing to admire it. It is so beautiful , Karen. I’m only 11 and if I was someone from a newspaper I’d put you on the front page!
Karen you aren’t like any other author , who has people to write for them , and I’m glad you aren’t!
I am really pleased that my friend Lorna inroduced me to you, you aren’t very well known but you truly will be!
Loved writing to you,
Tara xxxx :D
Rebecca (Age 9 ) Hereford
I loved the way the story unfolded. It was thrilling. I liked the bit about the dog – it was very exciting and adventurous. I felt like I was there and it was happening before my eyes. It was a fantastic twist at the end – very surprising – you would’t have thought it. Karen Inglis is my favourite author!
Dominika (Age 8) Hanwell
I love your books my best is The Secret Lake! Enjoy it! Dominika P.S.I AM 8 YEARS OLD
Abigail Stafford (London)
Thank you for the lovely book Karen! I absolutely loved reading it! I met you in waterstones and you signed the book for me. The way you wrote it was lovely. I really want to be an author one day! For anyone else who is interested in reading it, you should!!!!! How did you get the idea of the storyline Karen? It’s wonderful!
Love from Abigail xx
Savannah (Age 8)
It’s really good and I loved reading it.
Thankyou for your amazing book Karen.
How did you get such an amazing idea?
How did you think of the characters?
How to leave a review
I’d love to hear what you thought of The Secret Lake! You can leave a review by using the comments form at the bottom of the page below: it’s probably a good idea to type and save your review in a Word document first then copy and paste it into the form. Tips for posting:
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The Secret Lake 
I loved this book and would give this book 4 and ¾ stars out of 5. At the beginning of the story, it was a bit confusing how the time tunnel worked between the past and present. That is the only reason I am not giving it 5 starts. I loved the end of the book but won’t give anything away. Emma was my favorite character because she loved adventure and was a thoughtful person. Will Tom and Stella see Emma again in the future? Will Charlie Green come back into their lives? Thank you for writing this book.
Dear Emmy
Thank you so much for writing and I am honoured that you have awarded The Secret Lake 4 and 3/4 stars 😊! I’m also glad that you understood out how the time tunnel worked even if it was a bit confusing to start with :) You know, it was partly inspired by the idea of moles burrowing down into the ground and living below us — and partly by the tunnel in Alice In Wonderland, which takes her to another world. I loved that book as a child! Those two connections made me wonder if a tunnel might lead us to past lives all living far below us… and thus it became the time tunnel which appeared when the moles danced…
Thank you so much for keeping the secret about the end of the book by the way :)
I do agree with you that Emma is a wonderful character and filled with goodness. In answer to your questions about whether the children will meet in the future, or if they will see Charlie Green again I would suggest that when you are ready for more time travel, you read the sequel ‘Return to the Secret Lake’ (see the link at the top of this page). It’s only been out a short while and was such fun to write — the characters were all very pleased to see me I think as they had been waiting for their next adventure! As with book one, it is filled with twists and turns and surprised to the very end. I won’t say any more as I don’t want to spoil the fun!
I hope you find many more adventures to get lost in over the summer and thank you again so much for writing!
Karen ❤️ .🚣 🌺 😊 📚
My name is Brooklyn and I am 9 years old. Me and my grandma got this book to read together. We both agreed that it was a great book and that there were tons of surprises that we would never have guessed that they would be in there! SUCH AN AMAZING BOOK!!!!!!!! Read this book and you’ll enjoy it too!
Hi Booklyn!
Thank yo so much for taking the time to let me know how much you enjoyed The Secret Lake 😊. We writers love hearing from our readers .It definitely makes all those weeks sitting alone coming up with our stories worthwhile! (We are never sure until the book is out whether readers will enjoy the story!)
I’m also glad to hear that your grandma enjoyed the book too! My latest fan to leave a review on Amazon in the UK said she is aged 70 (actually that may have been for book 2…?) and I think my oldest fan of The Secret Lake who has written was a lady in America who was over 90! It really is a book for all ages :) ❤️
Now that you have read book one you might want to try the new sequel — Return to the Secret Lake. It’s double the length so will take longer to read, but the chapters are mostly quite short — and it starts off with Lucy coming forward in time to get help for Emma. It was such fun revisiting the characters and taking them back and forth through the time tunnel again! (And, just like The Secret Lake, it’s full of twists and turns and surprises to the very end!)
Thank you again so much for writing and I hope you have a lovely summer break when the time comes! I also hope you find many more adventure stories to get lost in!
With very best wishes,
Karen ❤️ .🚣 🌺 😊 📚
Hi I’m am Brooklyn and 9 years old. This book was amazing there were a lot of surprises (not going to give any away) I loved the characters and it was a great topic for kids. Can’t wait to read “Return to the secret lake.”
Dear Brooklyn
I have just found your review sitting hidden on my website. I am so sorry for my delay in replying to you. There was a bunch of reviews that somehow didn’t show up for me in May and June!
I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed The Secret Lake — and I do hope you enjoyed ‘Return to the Secret Lake’ if you’ve now read it? We authors love hearing from our readers — it really does make all those hours and days and week spent writing so very worthwhile!
My huge apologies again for such a later reply (it’s now August!). Also to say that there was another review that came in a bit later from someone called Brooklyn who had read The Secret Lake with her grandma —I did catch that one and reply to it. If that was also you, my apologies for replying twice! But better safe than sorry!
I hope you are having a wonderful summer and staying cool! (It’s very hot here in London at the moment and we have no air conditioning! London isn’t used to it being so warm so very few houses have a/c!)
With very best wishes,
Karen 🚣 🌺 😊 📚
I Karen I loved this book so much I had to read it for a book report and as soon as I got the book and saw the cover knew the book was right for me. Thank you so much for publishing this book everybody appreciates it! Ella age 10!
Dear Ella
I am so sorry that I’m replying to you so late! I have just found that a technological issue means that I missed a bunch of reviews posted to my website in May and June. You probably wondered why I didn’t reply!
Thank you so much for letting me know how much you enjoyed The Secret Lake and I’m so glad you have fun reading it for your book report. We authors love hearing from our readers — most of us spend a lot of time worrying that no one will read or enjoy our stories while we sit there dreaming them up! Getting feedback from readers and knowing our books are loved is a very special feeling!
As you may know there is now a book 2 out (Return to the Secret Lake). If you enjoyed book one I’m sure you will love this. Tom, Stella, Lucy, Emma, Tom and the others were all waiting very patiently to meet up again and they had another great adventure when they did, with many twists and turns and challenges to overcome. If you read book 2 I hope you will enjoy it as much a the first one!
Thank you again for writing and I hope you have having a relaxing summer!
My apologies again for such a late reply!
With very best wishes,
Karen ❤️ 🚣 🌺 😊 📚
This book is about two kids: Stella and Tom. They have quite an adventure. I love that they help a boy with an Impossible quest. My favorite character is Stella (but otherwise I loved everybody). Loved this book! Haven’t heard of it? Go to: thesecretlake.com and check out thesecretlake.com/books/.
Dear Samantha
I’ve just been going through my website and found a bunch of reviews that I somehow missed for The Secret Lake — I am so very sorry for my delayed reply to you! Sometimes the technology doesn’t work as it should!
Thank you *so much* for writing to let me know how much you enjoyed the story — and how lovely to hear that Stella was your favourite character. (But I do agree that all the characters are good fun!). Stella was based on the daughter of a friend of mine whose family moved into communal gardens in London’s Notting Hill. She has a younger brother called Tom, whose name I kept :) She’s grown up now but still has blonde wavy hair and pale blue eyes. And Tom is as mischievous as ever!
You may or may not know but there is now a sequel out, which was great fun to write and filled with more twists and turns. If you read it I do hope you will enjoy it as much as book one — I certainly had great fun writing it!
My huge apologies again for such a late reply. I hope you are having a wonderful summer and have found many more adventures to get lost in! I also hope that The Secret Lake might inspire you to dream up your own time travel story one day!
Karen
🚣 🌺 😊 📚
Hi Karen! This is Willow, I am 9 years old, I have read the secret lake!!! it was Fantastic! You are a great writer! I think every one should be able to get a chance to read The Secret Lake! The Secret Lake is my new favorite book! I think you should keep writing, and I for sure would recommend you to All my family and Friends!
Love,
Willow.
May, 2022.
Hello, Willow
What a lovely name you have! It reminds me of Wind in the Willows, which my mother used to read for us when we were little. I’m sure that the magical moles in The Secret Lake were partly inspired by that classic children’s story!
Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know how much you enjoyed The Secret Lake — and thank you for offering to recommend it to your family and friends ❤️ . Every little mention of The Secret Lake helps it to find more readers, and we authors are so grateful when children tell their friends and teachers about our books. 😊 📚
I shall definitely keep writing. And hearing from my readers certainly spurs me on to keep doing that. Like many authors, when I sat drafting the story of The Secret Lake I used to wonder if anyone would ever read it! I can hardly believe that almost half a million children have now read it in English around the world, and that it’s been translated into nine languages with a 10th coming soon! Children really are the best judges of a good story!
As you may know the sequel Return to the Secret Lake is now out — and if you are reading this message on The Secret Lake website’s review page you will see that I have now posted a picture of me taken a couple of weeks ago with both books. This was taken at the magical ‘Still Pond’ in London’s Richmond Park, which inspired the front cover and the lake in The Secret Lake. As you can see the crimson pink azaleas are truly stunning, just like in the story. I hope you enjoy the picture!
If you enjoyed The Secret Lake I think you will definitely enjoy book 2 — we get to know Lucy much better and the children face nail-biting twists and turns and challenges in both time periods! It’s such fun being a children’s author!
Thank again you so much for writing and I hope you find many more magical adventures to enjoy over the coming weeks and months as we head into summer.
With very best wishes, and keep on reading!
Karen ❤️ .🚣 🌺 😊 📚
This book is amazing! And at the end when they found out […….], I was so surprised!
Dear Juliana
Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know how much you enjoyed The Secret Lake. And my HUGE apologies for my late reply to you — we have been on holiday in Greece and I must have missed the notification before we left. I also hope you don’t mind that I’ve hidden part of your message about the ending. This is just in case anyone reading your review hasn’t yet read the book! (Don’t worry — I’ve had to do this with other reviews in past!)
And, yes, that ending really is a surprise, and one that is very special in so many ways…
I don’t know if you know, but the sequel ‘Return to the Secret Lake’ is now out. If you ask a grown-up to search online they will find it there — you can also order it from any high street bookshop and they will be able to get it in. This link tells you more about the new story which is full of twists and turns and yet more surprises! https://kareninglisauthor.com/2022/03/08/book-launch-return-to-the-secret-lake/
I hope school is going well and that you are finding many more adventures to get lost in during these spring months!
Thank you again for writing!
With very best wishes,
Karen
🚣 🌺 😊 📚
I just finished book 2, Return to the Secret Lake! It’s so good! If you read the first book you’ll LOVE this one! My favorite characters are Emma, Stella, Lucy and Sophie! Are you going to make a series? This is my favorite book, and I’m definitely going to recommend both books to my friends!
Hello, Avery!
I’m just on my way to bed here in the UK but spotted your comment. Thank you so much for reviewing Return to the Secret Lake. You are my very first ‘sequel’ reviewer on here — Congratulations! 😊 I am thrilled to hear how much you enjoyed book 2 and thank you for keeping what happens secret! Also thank you for offering to recommend it to your friends!
It was huge fun to write this second story and reconnect with all the characters again — they had all been waiting very patiently and led me on lots of twists and turns once they got going!
I have a few ideas tumbling around for a third story but I’m not sure how soon they will turn into a book, so it’s another case of ‘watch this space’! If you ask a grown-up to to sign up to my occasional newsletter on http://www.kareninglisauthor.com I will send updates on progress once I make a start.
In the meantime, if they visit my facebook author page at this link https://www.facebook.com/kareninglisauthor/ they will be able to show you a photo of me and both books taken last Sunday at the beautiful pond that inspired the lake in The Secret Lake! It’s also on my instagram account (kareninglis_childrensbooks)
Thank you again so much for writing, and I hope you find many more adventures to enjoy over the summer months!
With very best wishes,
Karen 🚣 🌺 😊 📚
PS: if there’s a chance an adult can help you copy your review to Amazon (or your other preferred online store) it would wonderful as it will help other families and children find the story! Thank you!
The Secret Lake is the book we just finished. The book is really awesome. My Favorite character is Jack. I think this book is really good! There was a lot of mystery. This book is great!-Jonah Age 9
Hi Jonah
Thank you very much for taking the time to review The Secret Lake :) And I’m so sorry that I seemed to have missed the first review you posted the other day!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this magical story, including meeting Jack! He’s quite a character, isn’t he? I always thought he seemed very grown up for his age — and very caring and selfless. First trying to help his father by getting his tools back and trying to clear his name. And secondly by helping Tom and Stella get away by running out into Mr Gladstone’s path when the grown-ups came looking for the children in the garden at night.
And I’m so glad you enjoyed the mystery! It certainly was fun to make up all the twists and turns and keep everyone guessing. (Including myself sometimes — I often had no idea what the characters might do next!)
If you follow this link you will find information about book 2, which has recently come out https://kareninglisauthor.com/return-to-the-secret-lake/ and where you can join the children on another adventure. It took me many years to start writing this sequel, but I’m so glad I did. It was such fun reconnecting with all the characters again, including Jack, who is as big-hearted as ever!
Thank you again for writing and keep on reading!
With very best wishes,
Karen 😊 ❤️ 📚
The Secret Lake is the book we just finished. The book is really awesome. My favorite character is Jack. I think this book is really good! There were lots of mysteries. This book is great! -Jonah Age 9