There has been a building trend in my reading recently. I'm repeatedly drawn to stories about castles. Completely coincidental and each book extremely different from the next. Well, except for the whole castle part.
Howl's Moving Castle
By Diana Wynne Jones
Recommended Reading Age: 10 & Up
Published: April 1986, Eos
Will has been trying to get me to watch the movie with him for awhile now, but I didn't want to watch it until I read the book. It's been on my to-read list for a long, long time and I've been dragging my feet until a co-worker started reading it which finally inspired me to finally follow through. And I'm very glad I did so, because it was charming, and bizarre, with clever characters, and felt I was in a delightful dream when reading it. I don't even know how I begin to describe it. Maybe it's a cop-out, but you have to read it for yourself. It's a charming tale.
Tuesdays at the Castle
By: Jessica Day George
Recommended Reading Age: 8 & Up
Published: October 2011, Bloomsbury
I want to start out by saying, I feel really bad for Tuesdays at the Castle. I read it right after I read Howl's Moving Castle in which there is no comparison. If I had read it before, it might of had a good chance chance to receive a higher rating from myself, but I didn't and in the end it was merely "a cute story". Just didn't have the panache Howl did.
That doesn't mean it wasn't good. It's actually a really good book for 3rd and 4th graders. I loved the concept of the castle transforming every Tuesday, playing favorites of those who lived or visited there, especially when the good of the royal family is concerned. Princess Celie, the youngest of the royal siblings living at Castle Glower, has a relationship with Castle Glower unlike anyone can recall since Castle Glower was built. As if they understand each others thoughts and wishes. If I read this as a girl, I would have adored it.
Castle Waiting
By Linda Medley, Introduction by Jane Yolen
Recommended Reading Age: 13 & Up
Published: June 2006, Fantagraphics Books
An adult book!! Well, sorta. It's classified as an adult graphic novel in our library, which is exciting for me because I haven't read an adult book in quite awhile. A short vacation from kiddoland reading.
Before this book I tried reading graphic novels, but couldn't quite get into it. At first it was as if reading a foreign language and my patience was lacking. But I kept trying and lo and behold I finally got into it with Castle Waiting. Interestingly enough, it was my gateway into youth and teen graphic novels of which I've been checking out every week since.
Have you read any of these books? Do you have any castle recommendations of your own?
image source: castle pic, howl, tuesdays, castle waiting
Ps. Is that a Mary Blair illustration up top? She one of my fav fav fav artists.
ReplyDeleteNot about castles per se, but have you read "The Glass Castle" by Jeanette Walls? So very good!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your recommendation, Liz! I haven't read "The Glass Castle" yet, but it is now on my list. And YES, that picture is a Mary Blair. I found it on pintrest, but this is the place it was "pinned" from. She is a fav of mine too :)
ReplyDelete[...] Perfect For: Young readers not ready to take the leap into reading the long Diana Wynne Jones beloved classics like Howl’s Moving Castle. [...]
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