People, I am at my wit’s end with my hosting service. First they messed up and turned off the blog and now none of the links work. All of this has conveniently coincided with my having a brand new baby – so my available time to fix it is minimal.
I’m hoping to get some of it sorted out this weekend. PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME!!
When it come to the heat of summer, I can only think of one true relief…water. Whether it’s heading to a beach house on the shore, swimming in a pool, running through a sprinkler or just turning the shower to icy cold, sometimes getting wet is the only way to cool off properly. Not to do anything by half measures, I have a month of watery reads at the ready. Not just ice water and garden hoses here, we’ll head off to the briny deep, sail on ships large and small and hopefully feel refreshed without having to stir off a chair in front of the air conditioner.
Full disclosure: Some of my watery tales are just grim enough to send you to the fridge for another ice tea rather than brave the water…I guess we’ll just have to see….
How are you keeping cool these days?
This is the sequel to Tuesdays at the Castle. If anything it is even more adorable. Celie, who has always been close to the somewhat sentient castle, finds a surprising new staircase which only appears to her. Upon investigation, the staircase leads to a room holding a giant orange egg. Intrigued, Celie watches over the egg until it hatches…a baby griffin! Delighted and quite rationally nervous, Celie tries her best to take care of the griffin. She knows she needs help, but as it turns out, the castle has very specific ideas about who can give that help. As Celie and her eldest brother try to raise a wild beast, strange things are afoot. A visiting wizard is suspiciously interested in all things griffin and interferes whenever Celie discovers something new. And the castle itself, well, it’s not itself. New rooms are popping up making it larger then ever before. When the true history of the castle and its mysterious griffin connection are revealed, Celie and her siblings want to help and find themselves in a bit of a cliff-hanger.
Sadly, this means I’m going to have to wait for Jessica Day George to write the next in the series, but I must admit, I’m a bit excited that the series isn’t over yet. With strong and clever characters of both genders, plenty of people who aren’t quite what they seem and just the right amount and type of magic, these books are fabulous.
Age Recommendation: The reading level is probably around third grade, but they could be used as a read aloud with younger children and certainly would hold interest for older ones.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – A man is described as an incorrigible flirt. Lilah flirts with a prince and another man.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore – There are weapons in the Armor Gallery. One piece of armor shocks (electrically, not metaphorically) a footman. In a reference to the prior book, it is mentioned that someone tried to have the King and Queen killed. Rocs eat horses and their riders. Rolf has a pillow that shows a griffin killed in battle with many arrows sticking out of it. A prior griffin of Celie’s ate someone. A griffin bites people, although more in a puppyish way than a scary way. Celie worries that when Rufus will fail when he tries to fly and be dashed to bits in the courtyard. There are some references to ancient epic battles, possibly with griffins and unicorns. Ancient griffin riders were dying. Griffins often die when their riders do. A plague killed many people and animals. A griffin stumbles and hits his chin and then bleeds.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – None.
When Madlyn and Rollo’s parents are given the opportunity of a lifetime to work in American for a price that will pay all of their debts, it seems the children have no choice but to go to Clawstone Castle to stay with elderly relations. As it turns out, the elderly relations need the children’s help rather desperately. Clawstone Castle is in serious financial trouble and Madlyn and Rollo have a plan. But will their help be enough to stop the evil Mr. Trembellow from buying the castle and its grounds and turning into a giant cement subdivision?
Another terrific fantasy from Eva Ibbotson, The Beasts of Clawstone Castle is chock full of ghosts, intrigue and clever capable children. The ghosts are plenty gruesome if you like that sort of thing, but aren’t intended to be actually scary as they help the children quite a bit. It’s complicated enough to be most interesting for grades three and up. In particular, the final quarter of the book takes a bit of a confusing turn. By Chapter 24, all but the best readers will have lost the plot entirely. I wasn’t particular sure where things were going myself, but it sorts itself out. Also, in a random aside, this book has many mentions of plastic surgery. Not something I see written about often, but there it was!
Sex, Nudity, Dating – Some field mice decided to “breed” in the sofa. One ghosts remembers when he and a friend used to court the same girls. A man married five women (not all at once) and divorced them.
Profanity – “blasted,” “hell,” a ghost calls rude words,
Death, Violence and Gore – Sir George got a leg wound during the war. One castle has a dungeon and torture devices where people probably died in agony. Sir George considers that if the children disturb the animals he should have to beat them. Mrs. Grove’s husband had been killed by a drunk driver. There’s a bit about how the Druids sacrificed cows. Madlyn suggests that people may have drowned or been murdered nearby. There are ghosts. The children are hoping for some with heads that come off or daggers in the chest. One fell down the stairs and broke his neck, another died on the hunting field. There’s a ghost who was shot as a bride and leaks blood all over. There is a skeleton with bits of flesh left on him and one eye. A girl was sawn in half and can make her top part float toward the ceiling. Another ghost has a dead ghost rat with the plague gnawing on his heart. One was struck by lightning, yet another died in a truck accident. One ghost would like to strangle people a bit. A live man has lost a few fingers to frostbite and gangrene. It is mentioned that prisoners were thrown onto dead bodies in the dungeon. There some discussion of killing of animals, cows, clubbing seals and gassing badgers in their burrows. While the ghosts are not particularly scary, the fact that all of the beautiful cattle are slaughtered is pretty traumatic. A soldier recollects a friend being shot on D-day. Some people come from a country where they are in danger of being killed. A king drowned. A woman died when her child was a baby. Uncle George has quite a few guns.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – Not frightening as much as inadvisable, an 11 year old boy and a skeleton take turns driving a car. Animals are mistreated on a very large scale. It is clear they need rescue (even to the characters). There are preparations to do surgery on an animal. Children are tied up.
I can honestly say I have never read anything like Castle Waiting. Epic in size, it’s a twisting winding tale which references many familiar fairy tales but also introduces unique characters and stories. Those hunting for a definite beginning and end will have a hard time finding them as the tale picks up characters, captivates you with their stories and then sets them back down again just as easily to move on to the next story. I would have to reread it to make sure I got all of the interconnections. But of course, it doesn’t really end. You have the definite sensation that the story is unfinished, and indeed it is, as there is another volume ready and waiting for those who are reluctant to leave the world of the castle.
Medley has created an exciting fantasy world with rich characters, many of which happen to be strong women and the people who appreciate them. The castle itself is a safe haven for all manner of human/beast combinations, bearded nuns, women avoiding evil husbands and men escaping from personal tragedy.
I would recommend this for teenagers based on its overall complexity and the improved reading experience that having a wealth of literary experience gives. Some tweens may be able to read it, but I would expect they would have experience reading comics or graphic novels and be widely read overall to get the most out of it (and of course, their parents would need to be okay with the content).
Racism and Discrimination – Gypsies are portrayed as thieves. A man who is unable to speak is called “dumb.”
Sex, Nudity, Dating – The king and queen cannot have a baby. They seek fertility charms. The queens rear shows during a bathing scene. A frog comments that he can see her heiney. A man with a wife is dallying with the miller’s daughter. The teenage princess and her handmaidens lament the lack of cute boys. There’s a kiss and a proposal. Some type of water sprite or demon makes kissy lips and asks for a kiss. Many of the fantasy creatures are naked above the waist. We see the partially uncovered rear of some type of sprite/creature. A woman has a baby (this occurs off-screen). A woman says the child’s father is dead, but her husband is not (the implication being that she’s not been faithful to her husband). There are arranged marriages. A horse-man type thing had his tail removed and mentions that the ladies really like it. Women discuss how sexy they are. A few women have crushes, this is shown with hearts. The Old Man of the Sea asks if people will bring someone by to go skinny dipping. A man is cheating on his wife. In a story within the story, sisters are married off to the same man. A couple kisses in multiple frames and will marry. A baby’s backside is exposed during a diaper change. A little girl is drawn nude, but you can’t see below her waist.
Profanity – “bull,” “shut up,” “hell,” “damn,” “@#$%*,” “God’s knees,” “heck,” “idiot,” “darn,” “cretin,”
Death, Violence and Gore – Skulls are drawn. There is also a creepy looking demon creature. A curse is put on the princess that says she will die if she pricks her finger on a spindle. There is blood when she pricks her finger. Princes die miserable deaths caught in the brambles. In a few places in the story, men brandish knives, with the intent to rob or injure. There’s a risk gypsies will kill someone accused of stealing. A man lost his son. A woman says her husband would kill her and her child if he found them. A woman’s mother died when she was younger. There is hitting, biting and hair pulling. There is a fist fight between children. A person is hanged; this is shown in illustration, but from the back, so we do not see the face. A girl’s parents died of “the fever.” Men attempt a robbery and carry a club and a crossbow. A man plans on killing a woman and leaving her body in the woods. It is suggested that he have her stuffed and put on display. A woman is crucified. A man was killed in a skirmish. A man is scratched by a lion. A man plans to drown a puppy. A lion nearly eats a puppy. A woman prays for a man’s death. A woman lost part of a finger in an accident. In one frame a battle scene is shown, complete with a stomach wounds and arrows and swords.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – A woman orders a bottle of wine be brought for her. Someone asks for a stiff drink. A woman pours wine for men. Men drink ale. Wine is offered as a gift. People drink an alcoholic beverage called oatnog. A cake is made with oatnog and those that consume it are intoxicated. A man is drunk on ale.
Frightening or Intense Things – Gypsies plan to steal and sell a baby. Some children are sold.
The book shares stories about ten different castles. The first page of each section features a large illustration of the castle along with all of its inhabitants. The next pages give more detailed information and include a numbered guide which allows you to match up the explanations with the illustration on the prior page.
The short stories that accompany each castle are often brutal and end badly. They are short enough to pique the reader’s interest, but often feel as though they’ve ended too soon, without giving reader’s any real context for the story. It can feel distinctly unsatisfying. It would be a good introduction for some readers to get to know which castles they’re interested in learning more about.
While a glossary is included at the end, the book is filled with period specific vocabulary that may be a struggle to those unfamiliar with castles and medieval life. What makes it even more difficult is that the rest of the vocabulary is fairly high level as well.
Expect some religious issues to be raised, since a few of the stories reference the Crusades or other conflicts between Christians and Muslims.
Because of the content and vocabulary I would recommend this for Grade 5 and up.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – A queen gives birth to a baby. The King kisses his new Queen. The story of Henry the VIII is laid out pretty bluntly: that he has tired of his old queen who has had 5 pregnancies which yielded only one girl child; that he is in love with Anne and yet the Pope will not allow him to divorce Catherine; that he ignored the Pope and married Anne (who was already pregnant). Anne Boleyn gives birth. She has two more pregnancies. We’re told that one king’s special pleasure is beautiful ladies.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore – Since the main purpose of a castle is defense, it is not surprising that there is a good deal of violence in this book. The illustrations of the castles sometimes show them during the sieges. The people in the illustrations are tiny, and while I’ve tried to enumerate the weapons used, it would be overwhelming to check each tiny drawing thoroughly, so be forewarned. There is mention of wars and sieges. A king is captured and held for ransom. A man is shot by a crossbow. A king dies after gangrene sets in. Missiles are hurled at a castle (although, these are probably much different than what a child thinks of when he hears “missile”. Many weapons are shown in the illustrations, including catapults, arrows, swords and spears. Fire bombs are heaved at a castle. A sultan was murdered. An assassin stabs a prince in the stomach. A man poisons another man but then dies from the same poison himself. There is fighting (both of the military kind and just the regular people kind). There is a joust. A boy burns his hand. Houses are set on fire. Dead bodies cover the ramparts of one castle. There are gunshots. A man witnesses his wife and children getting attacked. Rome is sacked by soldiers who “loot, rampage and murder.” There are decaying bodies. There is plague and famine. There are cannons and ship’s guns. Anne Boleyn is beheaded using a sword “not an axe” her “small head rolling away from its body.” A man’s father died when he was a boy. The fallen are beheaded so as to better count the dead. People commit suicide when faced with defeat. A king is dead after being declared insane and then drowning in a lake.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – An alehouse is mentioned. A man has bread dipped in wine for breakfast.
Frightening or Intense Things – None.
When I discovered that Sharon Creech had written a book with a castle I was excited and intrigued. The cover, with it’s intricate illustrations reminiscent of an illuminated manuscript drew me in. Sadly, the apex of my interest in the story occurred before I even started it. Once I was reading, the story completely and utterly failed to capture my imagination.
Pia and Enzio are orphans who discover a pouch belonging to the king. They quickly discover that a thief is sought and worry they will be accused of its theft. At the same time, they are reluctant to part with their find. Back at the castle, there lives a King who is neither observant, intelligent or brave, his wife, who is wiser than she generally shows, a completely airheaded princess and two princes who are nearly opposites. The elder prince, the heir, is far too dreamy. The younger is too rash and prone to violence. There are of course a cast of characters who support the story, but none are drawn much more deeply than the central characters. As with many fairy tales, both the characters and the reader are supposed to learn something from the story, but this one is far too dull to make any real impression on its readers. In terms of complexity, I would say this could be read by advanced third grade readers and up. If they don’t fall asleep in the middle, of course.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – The prince wishes a girl were eligible to be his wife. During a horseback right a boy’s arms are around a girl. A girl thinks a boy is handsome.
Profanity – “idiot,”
Death, Violence and Gore – A man threatens to hit children with a leather strap if they do not pay attention. Two children who are no longer with their parents speculate about what might have happened to them, including that they might have fallen off a cliff. Prince Vito proposes that they hear a story where a prince kills a thief. In a story the Wordsmith tells the thief is dying, pierced by a sword. Also in the Wordsmith’s story the thief attempts to poison the king but instead a boy dies. The Count tells about some he knows who was poisoned. Supposedly the poisoner was hanged. The prince and Enzio fence. A father died while working in the fields. A mother died in childbirth.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – A man drinks ale. Wine is drunk at dinner.
Frightening or Intense Things – Pia and Enzio are kidnapped and brought to the castle.
Elodie of Lahnt is leaving her family to travel to the capital of Lepai, a place called Two Castles. She has been instructed to apprentice herself to a weaver, but Elodie has other plans. She has long dreamed of being a mansioner (an actor). But as early as her sea voyage away from home, it becomes apparent that things will not go as she planned. Apprenticeships now must be paid for, and Elodie does not have the resources to purchase one. Upon arriving, she soon finds her fashions outdated, her money taken by a thieving cat and her mother’s warning about a “whited sepulcher” echoing in her head. Her mother was most insistent that Elodie be wary of of a white sepulcher, a person who seems good, but is actually evil. Fearful of trusting anyone, Elodie does not know what to do. Of course, things have a way of happening, even if you don’t have a plan, and before long, Elodie finds herself in the employ of a genderless dragon who derives great joy from solving riddles and making deductions. As it turns out, both she and the dragon have a great deal of work to do, as a kind and wealthy ogre has gone missing and foul play is suspected. Elodie must use her smarts to solve the mystery and save Two Castles.
This was very different from the other books I’ve read by Gail Carson Levine. It was quite slow at parts despite generally being interesting, but I don’t know if the slowness will discourage young readers. I will say that she has continued to portray girls as intelligent and able to help themselves, which I always enjoy. This book is also without a romantic angle, which is great, but also may be disappointing to fans of Levine who are used to the fairy-tale romance side of many of her books. I would recommend this for grades 4 and up.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – Some men are referred to as handsome. The princess is repeatedly betrothed.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore – Ogres might dine on townsfolk. The ogre states he wants no broken bones or flattened heads. Lodie worries about becoming chunks on a dragon skewer. A child once died because of an ogre’s actions. The dragon roasts and eats a hare. A butcher cuts up a lamb for dinner; blood runs from the meat off the table. An ox is badly injured and bleeding. There is much fear that the ogre will be murdered. Elodie is in danger while investigating what has happened to the ogre. A girl is slapped across the face. A man is poisoned. A dragon is shot with an arrow. The man who is poisoned coughs up blood.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – None.
Miri has grown up quite a bit since her days at the Princess Academy. Mount Eskel is faring much better since she negotiated better prices for the linder stone they bring out from the quarries. But Miri’s world is about to expand beyond Mount Eskel. She has two letters from Asland urging her to the royal court. When the next wagons reach the mountains, Miri will leave her home for an unknown future. She has a position at the royal court as a princess’s lady and a place at the Queen’s Castle, the university, where she can continue to her studies. Best of all, she will not travel alone. The other girls from the Princess Academy who wish to see Asland are also going along and Peder will have an apprenticeship with a stonecarver.
But when Miri reaches Asland, everything does not go as she expected. Upon arrival, it is immediately clear that there is unrest in the city as an assassination attempt is made on the king. Her dear friend Britta is unhappy and lonely, her betrothed, Prince Steffan is distant. While at her studies, Miri falls in with a group of revolutionaries who would overthrow the royal family to help the poor. Miri is drawn to their cause, especially to the handsome and charming Timon who champions it. But she is torn. She feels much loyalty to Britta and doesn’t want her hurt. And while she still has feelings for Peder, she doesn’t know why he won’t speak. They are of an age to become betrothed and yet he has said nothing. As the year passes, the threat of violence increases. Will Miri be able to find a way to help the cause she hold dear without harming the royal family?
As a sequel to Princess Academy, Palace of Stone is written for a more mature audience. Although I think very strong third grade readers could read and enjoy Princess Academy, that is not the case with the sequel. It has very complex themes with revolution and societal classes and the manner in which change is effected that will be better understood by students who have had a fair amount of world history. As the characters are slightly older in this, there’s also more lovey-dovey, mushy bits which may not appeal to younger readers. While I think this could be enjoyed by a fourth or fifth grader, I think readers that are even older would get more out of it, particularly if explored in a literature circle or discussion group so that they could draw comparisons to other social movements for change.
Great for: Again Hale is a master of allowing girls and young women to be the stars without receiving salvation at the hands of men. Her female characters are smart, strong, forward and play key roles in changing their worlds. Also, as mentioned before, this is a great read about revolution and political/societal change and could provide a starting point for excellent conversations on the subject.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – A girl is getting married. A character kisses multiple people. Boys tell girls that they are pretty. There is handholding, hugging and hand kissing. There are a few kisses, one described as a “long, slow kiss”. A girl learns about medicine and the things you can do to make a baby come out right.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore – You can hardly have a book about a country on the verge of revolution without violence and threats of violence. There are multiple assassins. Shots are fired at many characters. Some characters that we care about are shot. A character develops an infection following a gunshot wound. An assassin will either carry out the murder himself or incite a mob to murder. There is a report that people will tear a girl’s skin to ribbons. Many times it is mentioned that people should be hanged or might be hanged or have been hanged. A prince was killed while racing carriages. A queen in a neighboring country was beheaded while people cheered. There’s a song about swords slashing and piercing. A legendary historical character is rumored to have worn the hearts of his slain enemies around his neck. People are executed. There is a hypothetical situation involving a painting and a child murderer. Miri’s mother died soon after Miri was born. Esa’s mother lost 4 babies. People are threatened and held hostage. A man is accused of “ill-using” his daughter. People are killed. Gunshots are fired. A noble would have a right to use his sword against a commoner if the commoner dressed as a noble.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – People are starving.
This review was originally posted on October 19, 2010.
One powerful, vain, girl-crazy wizard plus his incredible moving castle. I seriously love this book. I love Calcifer the fire demon, I love poor beleaguered Michael, I love oblivious long-suffering Sophie. How can you not love a book where in a fit of the heroine substitutes cayenne pepper for a magic powder because she doesn’t know what spell to give a customer?
Diana Wynne Jones really doesn’t cheat you in the magic department either. There are all kinds of spells and bewitchments, from being able to make yourself look like someone else, to hats that can change your destiny. For me part of the fun of a witch or wizard book is the magic, and you will not be disappointed here!
Although the content is fairly clean on this one, there’s no doubt that it requires a high level of comprehension. There are an epic number of characters: good witches, a bad witch, at least two wizards, assorted royals, a walking scarecrow, a man-dog, extended families, mayors wives, counts and, as mentioned before, fire demons. Of course, this is all further confused by multiple people being in disguise, others having a variety of aliases, still others actually being more than one person. I’ve read it twice and even I was starting to wish I had a list, or better yet, a chart with pictures. There’s also a lot to keep straight, what with missing persons, animate objects, and spells both consciously and unconsciously placed. There’s also an additional challenge for US readers, as some UK English terms may push their limits like hedgerow. Or perhaps repeated use of queer to mean either strange or faint. Vocabulary over all is challenging, including: rheumatism, ominous, prophesied, abject, decrepit, besom and peculiarities. Despite the book’s complexity, the tone is light throughout. Although everyone is in danger from the Wicked Witch of the Waste and her fire demon, there’s no feeling of impending darkness and doom.
Great for: Lovers of magic and adventure. You could probably recommend this to Harry Potter fans, Wizard of Oz admirers and even fans of Ella Enchanted. I think that this also has wide appeal across age groups. As long as the comprehension is there, I wouldn’t have any problem reading it with middle grades children, but it has enough going on that it will keep adults entertained as well!
Sex, Nudity, Dating –Howl has this thing where he makes girls fall in love with him and then he isn’t interested anymore. There is much talk of matches, matchmaking, proposals and sweethearts. Also, Martha says she needs to get married young if she’s to fit in having 10 children. Despite all this, there’s nothing in it to make the younger children (or boys) say “ew” and nothing really to worry parents. The only thing that may give you pause is a boyfriend is once referred to as a lover, although it’s pretty clear they don’t mean it that way.
Profanity – “Damnation,” and “Hell’s teeth.” There are also three places where the book tells us people swore, but does not tell us what the swears were. Also a few characters say “Curses!”
Death, Violence and Gore – Various people have various deceased relatives. Two witches die (one is murdered, one deserved it). The wizard Howl has a reputation of collecting young girls and sucking their souls and possibly even eating their hearts. Sophie spends considerable time looking for evidence of eaten hearts or former girls. There is a skull who is mentioned quite often. The wizard has various powders in his bathroom labeled as body parts, but it’s unclear if they are made from those parts or for use on those parts. A falling star dies. There are a few mentions of hanging. A boy wants a spell for a duel. People plan on destroying the Witch of Waste. There is a big showdown at the end that involves death to a few (don’t worry, nothing to cause tears) and sort of re-distribution of remaining characters. When being highly melodramatic about a cold Howl claims he shall die from it, and that he shall disguise himself as a corpse. The man-dog did bite someone. There is a possibility of war. There are some missing / possibly dead characters. There are some bones after people die.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – Some young men swagger “beerily” about. Howl asks Sophie to get the brandy “unless she’s drunk it” and drinks a glass himself, and gives one to Calcifer. Then he pours himself another and starts sipping that. Calcifer accuses Howl of being drunk after a rugby reunion. Sophie offers Miss Angorian a glass of wine.
Frightening or Intense Things – People are afraid of Howl. Everyone is afraid of the Witch of the Waste. There are various showdowns between Howl and others and the Witch of the Waste. None of it has a very scary feel. Exciting? yes. But there are no dark undertones.
Wondering if The Hunger Games
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