Celie’s parents are attending their oldest son’s graduation from Wizard school. They’ve left Celie in the hands of her brother Rolf (the crown prince), her sister Lilah (older but maybe not wiser) and the protective and possibly alive Castle Glower. But just as their return is expected, terrible news reaches the castle. They have been ambushed and killed. Without any family to turn to, the children find themselves in charge of a country. A country that it seems like someone else is trying to run. Will they be able to defend the castle?
This is a completely adorable and absorbing story for lovers of magic, castles, princesses and fairy tales. Celie is a clever and brave girl, the castle is fabulous and the supporting characters are appropriately interesting, evil if not particularly multi-dimensional.
Age Recommendation: Grades 3+. Advanced third grade readers will love this book and surely many younger children would love to listen to it if they can’t read it themselves.
Good for: I’d recommend this as a much easier read for fans of Howl’s Moving Castle
Sex, Nudity, Dating – All the girls think Pogue is dreamy. Celie asks a question about kissing. The King and Queen had a secret signal for when they wanted to be alone.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore – The King and Queen’s carriages are attacked. Bodies are found. They are presumed dead. There is an assassination plot and therefore assassins sent. Men carry knives in their belts. The Castle itself may have been killed. A man is tripped and shoved down the stairs. People are raising an army. Two men are told that they deserve to die. There are additional threats on lives. A character has a knife wound. A head butt results in bleeding. A girl brings her knee up and a man doubles over in pain.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – None.
