Reviews from the Children's Section - Tuesdays at the Castle

One of my favorite genres and one that is the easiest for me to push aside is middle grade fiction. This year to make sure I get a little more children's and young adult fiction I thought I would designate the first Monday of every month Middle Grade Monday.  While a lot of my picks this year are classics I am trying to branch out a little bit and read new or at least recent releases.  This month's book is a newer release that has been on my radar for quite some time and I'm so glad I finally made time to read it!

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George - Tuesdays at Castle Glower are Princess Celie's favorite days. That's because on Tuesdays the castle adds a new room, a turret, or sometimes even an entire wing. No one ever knows what the castle will do next, and no one-other than Celie, that is-takes the time to map out the new additions. But when King and Queen Glower are ambushed and their fate is unknown, it's up to Celie, with her secret knowledge of the castle's never-ending twists and turns, to protect their home and save their kingdom. This delightful book from a fan- and bookseller-favorite kicks off a brand-new series sure to become a modern classic.

My Thoughts:  There are only 2 things I didn't like about this book.  The first is that there is no way that I have found that would enable me to send this book back in time to 9 year old me and the second is that I can't send it back in time to when my girls were 9.  I think all 3 of us at about 9 would have absolutely adored it.  Thankfully it's still a pretty fantastic read for an adult.  This book is absolute magic.  Right from the start I was pulled in and swept away.  Who can resist a magic castle?  Especially one that changes things up when it gets bored and makes its opinions very clearly known about who it likes, who it doesn't, and who it wants to rule? I loved Celie and her siblings, Roth and Lilah.  They didn't always get along perfectly but when they had to they worked together and had each others backs.  This was really a book I didn't want to put down because I really wanted to see what happened next and how it wraps up which is usually not the case for a middle grade fiction.  As a parent I really liked that the kids were problem solvers and aware of the fact that there actions might have consequences for other people (like playing pranks on someone could be taken out on the servants) and tried to minimize that as much as possible.  As well while there are plenty of pretty bad adults here there are adults that can be trusted and are safe to turn to when they really need them.  There are a few moments that could be described as tense and an event that is sad but they are so short lived I don't think this would bother even the most sensitive of readers.

I think this would be a fantastic read for children in 3rd grade or above.  There are some politics and strategy planning that I a younger reader might find slow.  This reads fantastically as an adult read as well.  The characters are fresh, the story is intriguing and a little bit of a nail biter, and did I mention the magic castle?  I'm really excited to discover that there are several more books in the series for me to explore.

Rating:  Loved it!