In "Astercote," the haunting tale unfolds in a remote English village with a dark past. When a group of children discovers a forgotten graveyard near their home, they become captivated by the mysterious history surrounding it. As they delve deeper, they encounter lingering spirits and uncover unsettling secrets linked to an ancient tragedy. The children must navigate their fears and the village's deep-rooted superstitions, revealing the profound connections between the past and present. Themes of innocence, fear, and the struggle against darkness resonate throughout the narrative, creating an eerie and compelling exploration of mortality and memory. [Generated by language model - please report any problems].

This book is part of a book series called Piccolo Books .

There are 166 pages in this book.

It is aimed at Young Adult readers. The term Young Adult (YA) is used for books which have the following characteristics: (1) aimed at ages 12-18 years, US grades 7-12, UK school years 8-15, (2) around 50-75k words long, (3) main character is aged 12-18 years, (4) topics include self-reflection, internal conflict vs external, analyzing life and its meaning, (5) point of view is often in the first person, and (6) swearing, violence, romance and sexuality are allowed.

This book was published in 1996 by Egmont UK Ltd .

Penelope Lively was born in Cairo Egypt. She came to England when she was 12 years old. She went to school in Sussex and studied at Oxford. She has written many award winning adult and children's books and now lives in London. She has four grandchildren.