The Castle in the Attic
Elizabeth Winthrop
Dell
Fiction, YA Fantasy
****
DESCRIPTION: Young William is depressed. His beloved nanny, Mrs. Phillips, is returning to her home in England, and not even his parents can take her place in his life. Before she leaves, she gives William a very special present: a scale model of a castle, complete with a lead knight figurine, which has been in her family for generations. When the boy picks up the Silver Knight, the little man comes alive in his hand! It turns out that he is, indeed, a real person, ensorcelled long ago by an evil man who stole his lands. Soon William is involved in a quest to help the Silver Knight reclaim his kingdom from the clutches of the wicked sorcerer.
REVIEW: This story was fairly quick to read, and I found it satisfying. In many places, it has the feel of a fairy tale or legend, with William as the virtuous young boy who breaks spells and faces down evil. William learns about letting go and growing up, and there is a happy ending. What more do you expect from a light read?
You might also enjoy:
Do-it-Yourself Magic (Ruth Chew, YA Fiction - Two kids buy a magic building kit)
Gregor the Overlander (Suzanne Collins, YA Fiction - A modern boy and his toddler sister fall into a dark, strange world beneath New York City)
Knight's Castle (Edward Eager, YA Fiction - A boy's wish sets up a summer of magical adventure)
Librarian: Little Boy Lost (Eric Hobbs, YA Fiction - A bookish boy discovers secrets and dangers in a mysterious library)
The Secret of Platform 13 (Eva Ibbotson, YA Fiction - At the back of an abandoned subway station stands a gate to another world)
Beyond the Open Door (Andrew Lansdown, YA Fiction - A boy discovers a magical knife which lets him cut windows into a misted world)
The Chronicles of Narnia (C. S. Lewis, YA Fiction - Children from Earth travel to magical Narnia, domain of the Lion Aslan)
Eccentric Circles (Rebecca Lickiss, Fiction - A woman finds a magical world through the back door of her inherited cottage)
Pendragon: Merchant of Death (D. J. MacHale, YA Fiction - A boy finds himself in another world, where he must help battle a dark enemy)
The Enchanted Castle (E. Nesbit, YA Fiction - Three English schoolchildren find all manner of troubles when they encounter a magical ring)
Merlin's Mistake (Robert Newman, YA Fiction - In a medieval world of magic, two boys set out on a quest to find the missing wizard Merlin)
Dinosaurs Before Dark (Mary Pope Osbourne, YA Fiction - Two young children discover a magic tree house and travel to the age of dinosaurs)
The Transall Saga (Gary Paulsen, YA Fiction - Transported to a hostile alien world, a modern boy must learn to survive)
The Deltora Quest series (John Peel, YA Fiction - Three children from three worlds discover their untapped powers and their dangerous destiny)
Deltora Quest: The Forests of Silence (Emily Rodda, YA Fiction - Young heroes start a quest to save their land from dark usurpers)
Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow (Jack Rollins, YA Fiction - Two modern kids travel to a world of living dinosaurs, lost civilizations, and a timeless danger to all)
The 100 Cupboards trilogy (N. D. Wilson, YA Fiction - A boy discovers magical cupboard doors that lead to other worlds)
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The Battle for the Castle
(Sequel to The Castle in the Attic)
Elizabeth Winthrop
Dell
Fiction, YA Fantasy
***
DESCRIPTION: William is growing up, but it seems that his friend Jason is growing up faster. He fears losing his best friend, and he misses his friends in the Silver Knight's kingdom, so he makes a return trip to the castle, bringing skeptical Jason along. All seems to be well in the other world, until a plague of demonic rats descends on the kingdom. Once again, it's up to William to save the castle.
REVIEW: This sequel to The Castle in the Attic was forced and unimaginative, but it was readable. Much of the plot relied on the standard "modern kid dazzles rustic natives with modern gizmos" gimmicks, which I find unimaginative in the best of circumstances. Just because the natives of the Silver Knight's kingdom don't have mountain bikes doesn't mean they're stupid, but it sure comes across that way here. Another problem which I had with the plot was how the adults acted like complete idiots. Many kid books have the "adult stupefaction" factor, but I thought this tale took it over the line into realms of impossibility. Unfortunately, Winthrop left the ending wide open for a third book. Some authors just don't seem to know when to quit. Then again, perhaps there's just a lousy contract involved here. Either way, the fairy-tale charm of the first book is pretty much absent here, leaving behind a very typical story that does just what you think it will.
You might also enjoy:
Do-it-Yourself Magic (Ruth Chew, YA Fiction - Two kids buy a magic building kit)
Gregor the Overlander (Suzanne Collins, YA Fiction - A modern boy and his toddler sister fall into a dark, strange world beneath New York City)
Knight's Castle (Edward Eager, YA Fiction - A boy's wish sets up a summer of magical adventure)
Librarian: Little Boy Lost (Eric Hobbs, YA Fiction - A bookish boy discovers secrets and dangers in a mysterious library)
The Secret of Platform 13 (Eva Ibbotson, YA Fiction - At the back of an abandoned subway station stands a gate to another world)
Beyond the Open Door (Andrew Lansdown, YA Fiction - A boy discovers a magical knife which lets him cut windows into a misted world)
The Chronicles of Narnia (C. S. Lewis, YA Fiction - Children from Earth travel to magical Narnia, domain of the Lion Aslan)
Eccentric Circles (Rebecca Lickiss, Fiction - A woman finds a magical world through the back door of her inherited cottage)
Pendragon: Merchant of Death (D. J. MacHale, YA Fiction - A boy finds himself in another world, where he must help battle a dark enemy)
The Enchanted Castle (E. Nesbit, YA Fiction - Three English schoolchildren find all manner of troubles when they encounter a magical ring)
Merlin's Mistake (Robert Newman, YA Fiction - In a medieval world of magic, two boys set out on a quest to find the missing wizard Merlin)
Dinosaurs Before Dark (Mary Pope Osbourne, YA Fiction - Two young children discover a magic tree house and travel to the age of dinosaurs)
The Transall Saga (Gary Paulsen, YA Fiction - Transported to a hostile alien world, a modern boy must learn to survive)
The Diadem series (John Peel, YA Fiction - Three children from three worlds discover their untapped powers and their dangerous destiny)
Deltora Quest: The Forests of Silence (Emily Rodda, YA Fiction - Young heroes start a quest to save their land from dark usurpers)
Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow (Jack Rollins, YA Fiction - Two modern kids travel to a world with living dinosaurs, lost civilizations, and a timeless danger to all)
The 100 Cupboards trilogy (N. D. Wilson, YA Fiction - A boy discovers magical cupboard doors that lead to other worlds)
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