Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George
Bloomsbury Children's, 2014. ISBN 9781408836927.
(Age: 8-10) Themes: Magic, Mythical Creatures, Fantasy, Adventure.
Jessica Day George's novel Wednesdays in the Tower is the sequel to
Tuesdays in the Castle. In this fantasy novel for eight to ten year
old readers, Princess Celie and her family return for another
adventure in the magical Castle Glower where new rooms appear, old
ones disappear, stairs change and rooms can't be accessed. Her
discovery of a new roofless room at the top of the castle brings a
new thrilling mystery. Why is there a large orange egg resting in a
nest? She guards the secret egg until a mythical creature hatches, a
baby griffin who thinks Celie is her mother. The castle wants her to
raise the creature in secret and Celie must learn responsible
griffin care, without the help of her parents.
When a creepy wizard arrives to help her brother Bran to help sort a
storehouse of magical and powerful weapons, the castle starts to
change in alarming ways. This forces the family to work together and
make things right. The family decides to trust the wizard, but Celie
and Pogue think he is up to something. When things reach a crisis,
it is up to Celie to make the right decision and save her family.
Jessica Day George's junior novel is an amusing fantasy, the magic
castle and the protagonist Celie are well-written and enjoyable
characters. Taking responsibility is a key message here. Celie is a
likable protagonist.
Rhyllis Bignell