Tuesdays at the Castle (review)

Castle Glower isn't your typical drafty stone palace but rather a living, almost sentient edifice that seems to change weekly as it grows new rooms, remodels others, and nixes entire wings. It also has a soft spot for those mere mortals it houses, and currently Princess Celie, the youngest daughter of King Glower the 79th, has captured its stony heart, chatting with it politely and attempting to make an atlas of its ever-changing halls with her colored pencils and journal. The castle's affection comes in handy when Celie's parents and older brother are reportedly killed in an ambush. and it's left to Celie and her remaining elder siblings to fend off a takeover by a foreign prince while trying to determine exactly what befell the king and queen. There is a warmth here that is utterly irresistible, both in Celie as the plucky, resourceful protagonist (who comes up with a variety of wonderfully devious and giggleworthy ways to oust the interfering prince, one of which includes manure) and the maternal, protective nature of her guardian castle. Furthermore, Celie's devotion to her older brother and sister is appealing, and it's refreshing to see siblings who get along despite their differing personalities. Though the political machinations behind the attempted assassination are fairly predictable, readers will be too far under the castle's spell to notice; readaloud audiences will also be enticed by this inviting fantastical world.