Wednesdays in the Tower Tour
By Jessica Day George
Published on May 7th 2013
Published by Bloomsbury Children's
Source: Publisher for review
Published by Bloomsbury Children's
Source: Publisher for review
I am a big fan of Jessica Day George. Her young adult fairy tale and myth retellings have been some of my favorite books to read. I was a bit skeptical at first when I learned that she was writing a Middle Grade novel. I find that middle grade books can either be wonderful... or painful. I am so happy to say that the author has done a fabulous job with this series!A castle that is constantly rearranging itself, and a young royal family sworn to protect it... Celie, Rolf, and their beloved Castle Glower are back in this exciting sequel.
Strange things are afoot in Castle Glower: new rooms, corridors, and even stables keep arriving, even when they aren't needed. Celie's brother Bran, the new Royal Wizard, has his hands full cataloguing an entire storeroom full of exotic and highly dangerous weapons, while Celie has her hands full . . . raising the creature that hatches from a giant egg she finds! Will they be able to find out what's making the Castle behave this way in time?
The world building in these books is spectacular. The idea that on each Tuesday, a castle changes itself (rooms appear, disappear, or change places). I think this is a truly inventive idea and the author executes it perfectly. The flow of her writing style translates well into a novel that would be enjoyed by readers of any age. The vocabulary isn't "dumbed down" or over simplified. Young readers will enjoy the fantasy elements and fun storyline and older readers will enjoy the detail and imagination poured into the story.
Although the two books have not much in common story-wise, I honestly feel that the author has captured some of the Harry Potter magic in this book. It is a rare book that I find so interesting that I can't possibly put it down or that I immediately want to share it with other readers, but this book fits that description perfectly. Wednesdays in the Tower is an fun and clever sequel to a wildly imaginative series. If you have readers in your life- this book needs to be in their hands!
