Reviews from the Children's Section - Thursdays with the Crown

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 (though sometimes it doesn't end up working quite right) .  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 the third in a series I've really been enjoying - Thursdays with the Crown by Jessica Day George 

Thursdays with the Crown (Castle Glower #3) by Jessica Day George 

Blurb:  Castle Glower has been acting weird, so it’s no surprise when two towers transport Celie and her siblings to an unknown land. When they realize that no one from home is coming to get them, the kids – along with Celie’s pet griffin Rufus – set out through the forest to figure out where they are and what’s happened to their beloved Castle. Instead, they discover two wizards and an entire lost people, the oldest inhabitants of Castle Glower. And it seems they may know more of the Castle’s secrets than Celie. But do they know how to get her back home?
This bestselling series continues with the story of the origin of Castle Glower. Readers who’ve been enchanted by the Castle’s moving walls will be delighted by the Castle’s rich and magical history.

My Thoughts:  This is a really delightful series and perfect for children who are interested in trying Harry Potter but aren't quite ready for the dark themes of the later books or the rather daunting page count.  There's magic, action, suspense, and griffins.  I really enjoyed that in this book Celie, her siblings, and friends are out on their own with only their own wits and their griffins (and an occasional touch of magic) to help them.  I really liked that we saw a little more depth to Celie's sister Lilah's character.  In the past she's been a bit prim and proper but in this book she showed a bit more grit without ever losing her character.  While I had no problem going quite some time between the first book and the second I do wish I had read this book closer to reading the second as it took me a bit to remember who everyone was and what had happened.  I won't wait as long to read the 4th. 

As a parent I think this would be great for ages 7 and above.  There isn't really any scary imagery to bother the more sensitive readers but there's enough action to keep everyone captivated.  As an adult it is well written enough to keep me entertained.  This would be a perfect bedtime story book or a family road trip audio book because I think everyone young and old would enjoy it.