Tuesdays at the Castle (a book review by my kids)
Published December 14, 2011
You know when you see a book from a room-width away and KNOW it’s a going to be a good one? Like you can taste the quality? Yes. THAT. Well, that’s exactly how it happened with Jessica Day George’s TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE. I was furtively eyeing it on the Barnes and Noble Children’s shelf (while pretending to browse the Classic Literature section like any nerd who takes her book snobbery seriously) during a recent coffee date with the Husband. The book sang my name and I answered. I read the back cover, followed by the quaintly written first page, and then carried it to the Husband with the comment that, “This is written as a classic. Our children need it.”
Being my husband, he sweetly just nodded and tried to conceal the look on his face that said, “Uh-huh. Our CHILDREN need it? Riiiight.” So, of course, we bought the book. And I read it to our cute children, who loved it (so much so that one of them promptly reread it).
And they are here today to review it for you.
Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
(as reviewed by Rilian, Avalon, and Korbin)
Our Summary: Castle Glower is full of fun personality, especially on Tuesdays when it decides to grow another room or secret passageway. Eleven-year-old Princess Celie, daughter of King Glower the seventy-ninth, likes to explore the changes and add them to her atlas. When Celie’s parents go missing and some unwanted visitors try to take over Castle Glower, Celie and her brother and sister must defend the Castle at all costs until they discover what has happened to their parents and older brother, Bran.
What We Liked:
- “I liked everything, especially when the girls are in the tower.” (Korbin, age 6)
- “My favorite parts in the book were the pranks.” (Avalon, age 9)
- “Mine too!” (Rilian, age 12) “I thought the author wrote the story so well—the excitement kept up the whole way through.”
- “Yeah, I thought the book was exciting and fun and full of action! And I loved Castle Glower, especially how Celie could talk to it and it would do stuff. I like that it had feelings.” (Avalon, age 9)
- “I loved that the castle was alive too. That made it so much cooler than if they’d just lived in a regular old castle.” (Rilian, age 12)
- “My favorite room in Castle Glower is the throne room.” (Korbin, age 6)
- “My favorite character was Celie.” (Avalon, age 9) “I loved her relationship with the castle. I also liked her and Rolf’s relationship.”
- “My favorite character was Prince Lulath. He’s so humorous, and his accent makes it even better. Oh, and his affection for his dogs. I liked Lulath’s dogs.” (Rilian, age 12)
- “My favorite part is when the dog pees.” (Korbin, age 6)
So, basically, we’d recommend it. ;0)
And now Dear Readers, we’d like to know: What was YOUR favorite book as a child?
What’s the mood noise of the moment? Sarah Mclachlan: Happy Christmas
:0)
Tags: Barnes and Noble, book review, book reviews for kids, Castle Glower, children's authors, fairytale book review, Happy Christmas, Jessica Day George, kids books reviews, Literary Classics, Sarah Mclachlan, Tuesdays at the Castle
12.14.2011 / 10:53 am
Fun review!! Did the kids realize you were combining school AND your blog post schedule in this project? =D We’ll have to look for this one for our kids if we ever finish “The Hobbit” (reading only 2-3 pages a night because of interest = the longest reading EVER).
My favorite book as a child? Just one? Can’t pick! I’d have to say it was a tie between “The Chronicles of Narnia” series and “The Little House on the Prairie” series!
12.14.2011 / 10:59 am
Shhh…Dani! Don’t tell them I counted it as homework!!! ;0) And that’s funny because we’re just about to start in on the Hobbit. We’ll see how it goes! Also, I love both of those book series you picked. SO good!
12.14.2011 / 1:43 pm
This looks so fun! I loved Anne of Green Gables and the Secret Garden.
12.14.2011 / 7:23 pm
Lori, The Secret Garden was my very first book crush. :0)
12.14.2011 / 7:35 pm
I’ve also been eyeing this book since I put it on that shelf. :p This story sounds magical, and now I must read it! Great review by your kids. Glad they’ve inherited the love of books.
Favorite books as a child? A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears. A Little Princess. Bridge to Terabithia. These are still magical places for me.
12.15.2011 / 9:12 am
Such wonderful children who know that reading is more valuable than a TV show (which only lasts and hour and then the fun is over). I hope they grow up to be book nerds like their parents. It’s inherited you know. It’s in their DNA.
My favorite book as a child? Why, Peter Pan and Wendy by James M. Barrie of course! (Not the Disney version, though that made a cute movie.) I have a well worn 1926 hard copy and the illustrations in it are priceless (by Mabel Lucie Attwell), as are the words. I’m sure I will need to read it to my grandchildren soon. (That is, if their parents don’t mind the word “ass” being read.)
12.15.2011 / 9:53 am
My favorites were a book series about teenagers who got to travel to exotic oceans where they they would have adventures that centered around sunken treasure, sharks, giant clams, and mysteries galore! And haven’t been able to find the name of these books or the author, but I loved them. A pale second to these was Mary Stewart’s Moonspinners.
I loved the grandkids review!
tg
12.15.2011 / 10:40 am
“Tuesdays at the Castle” sounds right up my, uh…daughter’s alley.
My favorite book as a kid was “Bears in the Night” by Stan and Jan Berenstain. I progressed to The Hardy Boys a little later, then took a break from reading for pleasure until I hit high school.
12.15.2011 / 11:07 am
What an excellent and fun review from your kids. I’ll have to look into this ne for my nephew and myself. It’s so good to see kids loving books these days. My fave childhood book is The Pain and the Great One by Judy Blume. Such an awesome book.
12.15.2011 / 6:53 pm
Kristen, I love A Little Princess!!! And, yes, you’ve got to read Tuesdays at the Castle. You’ll like it.
Mom, I totally remember you reading that to us kids!!! And as far as the word “ass” goes, Korbin will be disappointed to discover he didn’t invent that word as the name for his web-dog. Silly boy. ;0)
Dad, I wonder if that’s where you got your love for scuba diving from?! I expect so. Those sound fun even for an adult!
Rob, my youngest LOVES the Berenstain Bears books, and the oldest is currently reading a Hardy Boys novel. Hmm…good taste, I think.
Jade, I’m convinced I’ve read that one but can’t remember it! Which, of course, means I’m totally going to make a library run… :0)
12.16.2011 / 7:51 am
I love reviews by children, and these children you’ve interviewed really seem to know what they’re talking about! I’d love to check this book out.
12.16.2011 / 10:54 pm
Thanks for dropping by, Claudine!
12.18.2011 / 12:09 am
Book sounds like so much fun…. geez I can’t remember which book I loved as a young age… there were too many:)
12.18.2011 / 11:59 am
Oh, so cute. I really like Jessica Day George, and these childrens’ reviews are just so adorable.
I can’t remember which book was my favourite as a child. I just loved all books.
12.29.2011 / 11:44 am
Hm… I would really like to read this now.
My favorite books as a kid was (and still are) the Chronicles of Narnia. Simply wonderful. I always had a wish to go there. I still try all likely wardrobes, just in case.
01.24.2012 / 3:04 pm
Gallons of Guppies, Pippi Longstockings and Nancy Drew….what more can I say.
01.7.2013 / 2:16 pm
this book is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!