A truly magical castle...

Review:

Meet the castle that can build itself... and the children who will do anything to defend it.
-from the back cover

Whenever Castle Glower became bored, it would grow a new room or two.
- first sentence

Castle Glower picked kings based on some other criteria all its own... Legend had it that the Castle had repeatedly steered the old king's barber to the throne room via a changing series of corridors for days until the Royal Council had him declared the next king, while the young man who should have been Glower the Seventieth found himself head-down in a haystack after having been forcibly ejected from the Castle through the water closet.
- Chapter 1

This is an exceptional book. I love Princess Celie's character. She is strong and independent and she believes in the castle's magic more than anyone. She trusts in the castle and knows it will protect her. All three of the children are great characters. It is pretty obvious that some of the characters have nefarious plans and others aren't so evident. Throughout the book, I was pretty sure I knew how it would end, but along the way, there were a few surprises.

Recommended to:
Ages 9-12; readers who like magic; the castle being "alive" is great fun!

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1392621/a-truly-magical-castle

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A young girl's fight to stay alive

Review:

I kept my eyes closed, trying to see Polly happy, joking, maybe stealing a kiss with Matthew, then bursting through the door to tell me. It couldn't be real. How could Polly be dead?
- Chapter 3

Some doctors warn we may see a thousand dead before it's over. There are forty thousand people living in Philadelphia, William. Can you imagine if one in forty were to die?
- Chapter 8

My eyes closed. It was never going to stop. We would suffer endlessly, with no time to rest, no time to sleep.
- Chapter 25

In the year 1793, yellow fever hits Philadelphia and hits it hard. Mattie is separated from her sick mother and forced to flee the city with her grandfather. When he falls ill, Mattie must help him and take care of herself. She must fight to survive.

I read this book as part of my study of books for ages 9-12 with strong female protagonists.

This book deals with a lot of suffering, but Mattie is a survivor. No matter what happens, she doesn't give up. Despite all the death and sadness, there is a message of hope. Towards the end, Mattie spends a great deal of time caring for others. She also shows that she knows what she wants and is determined to get it.

This is a good historical fiction book and the first book I read on this topic. It is well-written and easy to read.

Recommended to:
Ages 9-12; readers who enjoy historical fiction or books with strong female characters.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1391693/a-young-girl-s-fight-to-stay-alive

A young girl fights to hold on to her identity

Review:

"Remember who you are Milada.
Remember where you are from. Always."
- Milada's gradmother

The Nazis come to Milada's home and take her away from her family. Because she fits the Aryan ideal, they rename her Eva and train her to speak only German. They want to make "Eva" into the perfect German citizen and then have her adopted by a German family. Before the Nazis take her, Milada's grandmother gives her a garnet pin shaped like a star as a talisman to help her remember her identity.

I read this book as part of my study of books for ages 9-12 with strong female protagonists.

This book was touching. I felt for Milada and the other girls. I can't imagine what it was like to be taken from their families to a cold place with no comfort and being forced to answer to a different name. Most of the time, they had no idea what was going on or what was going to happen next. Milada is a very strong character, with faults of course, but she is quite resilient.

I like reading books with a World War II theme. Instead of focusing on the concentration camps and the war itself, this book brings to light a different part of the Nazi agenda.

Recommended to:
Ages 9-12; readers, especially girls, who enjoy historical fiction or empowering books for girls.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1391672/a-young-girl-fights-to-hold-on-to-her-identity

The Tip of the Iceberg

Reblogged from: Hol

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1376013/the-tip-of-the-iceberg