Jessica Day George
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Castle Glower isn’t like any other fairy tale castle. Every Tuesday, new room appear, existing rooms may find themselves located in entirely new parts of the castle. Guests may even discover their rooms becoming more or less luxurious depending on their behavior toward the king. The youngest in her family, Princess Celie catalogs the castle’s changes in an atlas. When her parents go missing, leaving Celie, her brother and sister behind, the three siblings must work together to thwart nefarious plans by the council and visiting princes, and with the Castle as their ally, they just might stand a chance.
I bought this book because I enjoyed Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George several years ago. My daughter enjoys books about strong princesses, and this looked like an interesting one. I liked that Celie is the one who maps out the castle. She’s smart and sweet, and everyone seems to like her. Her brother and sister each play a role in protecting the crown of their kingdom, but it’s Celie who has clearly won the Castle’s heart and trust. I loved that the castle has an awareness of its inhabitants and interacts with them through the additions and changes in the castle interior. The Castle Glower was possibly my favorite character in the book.
The story has the feel of a light, fun adventure for boys or girls, especially late elementary-aged readers.
None.
Romance/Sexual Content
One of the boys has a reputation as being quite charming. Nothing happens really beyond some girls being giggly and silly when he’s around.
Spiritual Content
One brief mention of maids hiding together praying.
Violence
It appears that something dreadful has happened to Celie’s family. There’s no description of violence or gore. A visiting prince has some murderous plans for Celie’s brother, heir to the kingdom.
Celie and her siblings play some tricks on some of the castle inhabitants who are working to harm the kingdom. They do things like hide chamber pots and snip the seams of clothes so they’ll split apart at inopportune moments. It’s their way of going to battle against powerful grown-ups who’ve taken control of the kingdom.
Drug Content
None.
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