Tuesdays at the Castle

Summary

Castle Glower can grow and rearrange rooms whenever it feels like it. This often happens on Tuesdays, when it's bored, or when it has an important message to share, like who should be the next king or which guests it doesn't like. No one understands the castle better than Princess Celie, and the castle likes her best.

But something terrible happens to the king and queen when they go to celebrate their oldest son's graduation. Celie's brother Rolf is declared to be the new king, but the royal counsellors think he's too young to rule on his own. They name themselves regents, and Celie worries that they're plotting something even worse.

The siblings desperately need the Castle's help, but it's hard to communicate with a building. Why won't it kick out whoever is behind all of this? And why does it keep moving the stairs to the spyglass tower to right in front of Celie? The siblings will need all the courage and cleverness they have to protect their beloved Castle.

Why I love this book

What really makes this book stand out is the setting. The concept of a building with a personality makes for a fun and immersive story. The Castle isn't just a background but a character who interacts with other characters in surprising and sometimes funny ways. For example, when the siblings want to play pranks on some of the bad men in the castle, the castle contributes its own tricks. It can't directly speak to people, but it finds other ways to communicate the secrets it hears through the walls. In some ways, the castle is the most lovable character in the book!

I also love the way the story unfolds gradually. It's an exciting plot, and each new discovery or question compels you to keep reading, but there are never too many discoveries at once. It's clever enough to delight experienced readers while remaining easily accessible to younger readers.

Potential concerns

Obviously, this book discusses magic, including wizardry (studied by Celie's oldest brother, who is mentioned but not seen in the book) and black magic (only used by the villain to harm the castle). Parents concerned about magic in children's books may want to avoid this series for that reason.

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