Tuesdays at the Castle

By Jessica Day George

Tuesday is Princess Celie's favourite day. Castle Glower magically grows a new room, a turret or sometimes an entire wing! No one quite knows how, or why, but luckily, Princess Celie has mapped out the Castle's many twists and turns.

When the king and queen disappear and Councillors from neighbouring kingdoms arrive to advise Celie, a new tower and a secret passageway appear just as Celie needs them. The Castle is definitely trying to tell her something. But it's down to Celie to find her parents, hold on to the kingdom and protect her home before it's too late.

This page-turning adventure marks the launch of a series sure to delight fans of Jessica Day George and win her countless new ones.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: Mar 14, 2013
• ISBN: 9781408831991

Jessica Day George

JESSICA DAY GEORGE is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tuesdays at the Castle series, the Twelve Dancing Princesses series, and the Dragon Slippers trilogy. Originally from Idaho, she studied at Brigham Young University and worked as a librarian and bookseller before turning to writing full-time. She now lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband and their three young children. www.jessicadaygeorge.com @jessdaygeorge

Reviews for Tuesdays at the Castle

[robinsonstef · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Castle Glower has always decided who the next reigning king will be. It simply moves the future king’s room next to the throne room. That’s because Castle Glower has a life and magic all its own. If it likes you, it might make your room more comfortable or move you to a desirable location in the castle. If it doesn't like you, then it may make your furniture smaller or it could order the doors in your room to disappear. Any number of things could happen! That's why Princess Celie has been spending so much time mapping the ever changing palace. So many people get lost because things are constantly shifting, luckily the castle always helps her get where she's going. Everyone agrees that the castle likes her best. Celie’s father, King Glower the seventy-ninth, has been king for a while, and his son, Rolf, is next in line to the thrown (thanks to the castle moving his room). When her oldest brother graduates from wizarding school her parents leave to attend, and everything changes. After they are believed to be dead, Rolf must take over his position as the new king, but many other people want this position as well. Who will the castle choose? Can the two main king contenders who come to the castle be trusted? What will happen when a spell is cast? You must read this exciting adventure to find out what happens!

I have wanted to read Tuesday's at the Castle by Jessica Day George since I first saw the cover. It looked enchanting, and I was intrigued to find out what the story was about. I loved the idea of rooms that change and grow in a castle that was full of surprises. The main character, Princess Celie, is so kind and clever that I felt like I knew her. She would be such fun to be friends with! Celie’s love for the castle came through and made me want to explore the passageways with her. The atlas she's creating sounds like a lot of work, but it's also a smart idea. The story was full of magic, suspense, and characters that kept me reading on to find out what would happen next. I'd recommend this book to kids in grades third and up who love fantasy and who imagine a world where anything is possible. This is my first book by this author, but I look forward to reading more of her books. I'll definitely be reading the next story in the series.

[humouress · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

(First of 5: Castle Glower series. Fantasy, children's)Castle Glower is semi-sentient to the extent it decides who the next ruler of the land of Sleyne will be. Sometimes it gets bored and adds new rooms, usually on Tuesdays, and the route between any two places inside the castle isn't always the same. Eleven year old Celie is the youngest of King Glower's children and she loves the castle; she is mapping the rooms in the castle so other people will be able to find their way around more easily. And when little Celie was sick, and the Castle filled her room with flowers, King Glower agreed with it. Everybody loved Celie, the fourth and most delightful of the royal children.Celie is the protagonist of the story (narrated in the third person) as the king and queen disappear while away on a journey and hostile forces try to take over the Castle.This was a thoroughly enjoyable book. There are some delightfully silly moments, such as the room with the bouncy floor that can only be reached through a fireplace which would appeal to children, although as an adult I might question some of the political decisions in the story. I did like the relationship between Celie and her siblings, which felt natural, and I liked the way people were thoughtful - obviously the Castle approved of them, too, because it made their rooms bigger and better furnished. The bad guys are maybe a little one dimensional, but that didn't detract from a children's book that was quick and easy to read.4****

[sarahgracegrzy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Even though I was older than the target demographic when I read this, I still LOVED it! Simple, clean, happy fantasy! Would make a great read aloud!

[shadrachanki · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Tuesdays at the Castle struck just the right note with me as I was reading it. Celie is an intelligent, spunky, delightful eleven-year-old, and is a delight to follow around. The writing is smart and crisp, and the pacing is excellent.

[ca8bookwyrm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I don't read Middle Grade books often because they often feel like they are explicitly aimed at an audience without much vocabulary. (I think this qualifies as a Middle Grade?) This book, however, didn't give me that impression, and was an entirely enjoyable book to read as an adult despite its target audience being much younger than me. Two thumbs up!

[shadrach_anki · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Tuesdays at the Castle struck just the right note with me as I was reading it. Celie is an intelligent, spunky, delightful eleven-year-old, and is a delight to follow around. The writing is smart and crisp, and the pacing is excellent.Speaking specifically about the audiobook, I found Suzy Jackson's narration to be quite good, though occasionally it was hard to tell the male character voices apart. I liked how she paced things, and I am pleased to see that she has done the audio for the rest of the series as well. I like consistency like that.

[kathleen586 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this book! :)

[plunk318 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a great book, if people are into magic and castles and that kind of stuff. It is a very good book, with a great story line. It keeps the reader interested and invested in the story. Tuesdays at the castle can appeal to a range of different people. It has magic and fighting and love all twisted into one book, so there are many different elements that people could like about the book.

[sidneyneal · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is great for both boys and girls! It has that action and mystery that boys like but at the same time it is the princess and castle that every girl loves! It keeps the reader thinking what's going to happen next and who's guilty of the missing royalty! It encourages independent reading skills. It makes the child soon appreciate reading and possibly letting it become he or she's new hobby. It has a great scheme to being a book that your child will not want to put down. It starts off with a clever princess who lives in a castle full of magic. Suddenly tragedy strikes the kingdom and the children nor castle know what to do. What will happen next? Will the children be able to save the kingdom! Get this book and find out!

[courtney_east-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I did like this book once I finished it; whenever I started the book, it was a little difficult for me to get interested in. The beginning of the book was a tad slow and hard to get involved in. As I read more into the book, I started getting very curious and interested in what was about to happen. There was a major mystery concept to the book. Once it got going it was a big attention getter. The book always had me on my toes wondering what would happen next. I would definitely recommend this book for kids because it is more than just a picture book, but it is still an easy read. Every kid needs a mystery book to keep them interested in it and to keep them reading, and I feel that this book does a great job at that.

[lauraday88 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this story! It was well read by Suzy Jackson, who has a vaguely English accent, which I found appropriate since Jessica Day George's books generally seem to be set in stylized/fantasy European countries. The story is the first in a series of books about Castle Glower, which was a wonderfully lovable character, even though it has no lines. The plot was nicely wrapped up with no noticeable strings hanging loose. Meanwhile, the characters are so lovable, I can't wait to read the others.

[aethercowboy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Tuesdays at the Castle is the first book in a children's fantasy series by Jessica Day George. It tells the story of the young princess Celie who lives in an enchanted castle. This castle seems to be alive, and has a mind of its own, as on Tuesdays (generally), it creates a new room. This amuses and intrigues Celie to the point that she decided to become the castle's official cartographer.However, when the king, queen, and heir apparent are presumed dead, the scheming members royal council try to usurp the throne, Celie and her remaining two siblings must team up to try to stop them, as well as determine the ultimate fate of their family.This is a pleasant little fantasy book suitable for younger readers, and the audiobook edition is no less enjoyable. While it's important to read to your children if you hope to instill a lifelong love of reading, I have found that audiobooks too can fill this void for budding readers. Particularly if the narrator does a good job of reading, and the audiobook is unabridged.I recommend this book to people who have children who aren't quite the right age for Harry Potter, but want an exciting and well written fantasy story.

[eawsmom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received this audio book through the Early Reviewers program and listened to it with my 13-year-old daughter.Castle Glower does not really live up to its name--it's a cheerful, friendly, living building which likes to add and subtract rooms, change furnishings, and generally make life interesting for its inhabitants. Until one day when evil comes to the castle...The story centers around Princess Celie, Princess Lilah, and Prince Rolf, whose parents appear to have been killed while on a trip to see their eldest son, Prince Bran, graduate from the wizards' college. Prince Rolf, as his father's heir apparent, is expected to be crowned King Glower the 80th--but the castle has changed neither his room nor his parents' room, leading Celie and the others to the conclusion that their parents are still alive. With the help of a village boy, a new search is made for the missing royals, including enlisting the aid of the wizards from the college who determine that the trio is, indeed, still alive, but hidden by magic. While the village boy and others loyal to the crown continue searching, the King's Council begins conniving with a visiting prince to usurp the throne. With the castle's help, Celie, Lilah, and Rolf are able to hold the villains at bay until the evil prince appears to kill the castle. The end is satisfyingly happy, and leads to justice for all concerned.My daughter and I enjoyed listening to this audio book, although we did find the extra-long pauses between tracks to be somewhat irritating; we kept thinking the disk was coming to an end even when we had just finished a very early track. As we inserted the third disc into the player, my daughter asked, "Is this a series?" When I said yes, she said, "Good, because I like it." At the end of the book when I asked for her opinion, she said, "I liked it because it was adventurous and fun." I concur!

[readymcbookerson · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My 8 year-old was so excited to listen to this each night before bed that I could barely get him to brush his teeth! He listened to it a second time as soon as he finished it. This was his first audiobook and I think it will not be his last since he enjoyed this one so much

[clairefelder · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I never really liked this book because it was so hard to jump right into and indulge myself in. It is fantasy so that would make it appeal to young readers, however it goes very slow. I feel at times the author puts unnecessary things in the book that prolong the reading of the book. This book would definitely suit a reader in fifth grade because it does have some hard vocabulary as well as scenes in the book to digest. This is a chapter book and not a picture book, so children below fifth grade level probably should not read this book. Although it had some suspenseful moments overall this book was very dull and dry, and not the best book in the world to recommend to a student if he or she does like fantasy books.

[book_in_hand · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a very fun, sweet book! It grabbed my attention from the very start and if I have children of my own someday this will be a book I recommend to them. The narrator did a wonderful job, I didn't find her voice annoying at all. The main character was a strong and capable young girl but didn't throw her independence in your face. Her family believed in her and I loved that the castle was magically alive! I will totally be reading more books in the series!

[mariannaglaze · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Tuesday's at the Castle is a fairy tale book that is fiction. It was about a girl's parents who went off to her brother's graduation. While the parents are gone other people try to take over the castle. The castle shrinks or expands on Tuesdays. At the end of the book Celia saved the Castle because she had studied the castle and knew what to do in the type of situation that she was in. Her parents ended up returning to the castle alive. It is a great book for boys or girls, but I feel it would be more appealing to a girl since it is more of a fairy tale. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it for students grades 4-8.

[lcarter11 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's no ordinary castle. It has favorites. It rearranges itself. And someone's trying to map it.If your entertainment tastes run more to smiling, you'll like this one.

[tahleen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm a newbie reader of Jessica Day George, but she found another fan! Loved this story.

[emmyson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this one. It was fun, quirky, and the perfect thing for a snowy day. It's perfect for the middle-grade kids, and I think boys and girls alike will enjoy it. The girls that I work with in church have been completely gaga over it, so you know it's hitting the mark.

I loved the characters. Everyone had something different and awesome to add to the mix (except Prince Khelsh-didn't like him one bit!) and they were all vital to the story. I could totally picture Prince Lulath being a being Swedish guy, especially when he spoke. I could hear him! It was awesome.

Princess Celie was fantastic. One of those characters that young girls will want to be like and boys will have a crush on. She was resourceful, intelligent, and spunky. (I loved it when she sassed her elders. They SO deserved it.)

The plot kept me engaged the whole time. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next in Castle Glower and I was dying to know the outcome of the siblings' war against the usurpers. Kids will have no trouble at all sticking with this one.

I'm giving Tuesdays at the Castle a 'Pick Me' rating for being awesome!

[hannawarn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is about a young princess, Celie, whose parents and oldest brother are attacked while on a journey and are presumed to be dead, leaving Celie and her older sister and [youngest] older brother alone to defend their magical castle and kingdom against an evil prince and a treasonous royal council until their parents and brother are found.I would recommend this book to boys and (especially) girls because it is an interesting, unique story that encourages young people that if they do the best they are able to and show courage, they can do great things.

[jadedog13 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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!

[yona-414000 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful tale. Wonderful ending. Lots of fun and adventure and suspense in a children's story tone and mood. My third Jessica Day George and I'm liking her a lot.

[lolhscybrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After her mother and father, the Queen and King, go missing Celie, the youngest princess, and her sister Lilah and brother Rolf must defend their magical castle and strive to find the truth about their parent's disappearance. I loved the connection between Celie and the Castle. This Castle that builds itself and shifts around rooms and staircases reminded me of the shifting staircases in Hogwarts. I would recommend this book to a young student who has exhausted the Harry Potter series or even for a student not ready for Harry Potter. I am eager to read Wednesdays in the Tower.

[jalenv_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My LibraryThing Early Reviewers audio edition of Tuesdays at the Castle was my introduction to Jessica Day George's work. I enjoy listening to audio books. I wish there had been more audio books and portable players when I was a child. Surviving those long car trips to visit relatives would have been easier because I could have enjoyed stories without getting car sick. This book would have definitely kept me entertained then and still did although I'm almost 60.That Castle Glower is somehow alive and changes itself around would have been interesting. What I really liked about the castle is that it has ways of making its opinion known without words -- and its opinion is respected. For example, a visitor could have his or her room become more attractive and luxurious -- or have it become quite uncomfortable. (wouldn't you love it if your house had that feature? I would!) The castle appears to be an excellent judge of character. We learn early on that it decided that the younger prince, not the elder, should be the next ruler, and Rolf shows he's worthy of the castle's trust. So is our heroine, Rolf's younger sister, Princess Celia. Their father is the 79th King Glower, but she's the first person to try to map the castle. No wonder the castle loves her. The atlas she's creating really comes in handy during when a crisis hits.We have a mixed bag of villains: a sociopath, a conniver, followers who are in over their heads, and those doing their jobs without questioning if said jobs are moral or ethical.I liked the close family ties and the way the crown prince and princesses are so loyal to each other and to those who serve them. Their situation becomes increasingly desperate and the tension rises. I also liked the fact that I couldn't always guess what was going to happen or whose side a character was on. If you're a dog lover, there are some cute ones for you to meet.The story is told from Celie's viewpoint. I thought narrator Suzy Jackson did a good job. I hope the other books in this series become audio books, too.

[blueviolent · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received this book from Early Reviewers as an audio book. I don't normally listen to audio books, generally preferring to read paper format books, but I overlooked the fact that was in audio format when I requested it. I'm glad I did and it actually made me want to look into some other audio books in the future. Several other reviewers have given plot synopsis, so I'll just add that the narration in the audio format of this book is a little slow for my own personal taste, but is probably about the right pace for younger audiences. The story is quite charming and offers something new to the princess genre, although it does have a few cliches in it, the overall story is definitely unique and fun.

[jjmcgaffey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An interesting world, though it veered off from how it started. The first little bit seemed to be relatively fluffy - a castle that buds off new rooms, and a little girl (I couldn't quite tell Celie's age - somewhere between 7 and 12?) who's trying to map it, while dealing with the trauma of her parents going on a trip without her. Then abruptly it gets quite dark and powerful - her parents and oldest brother are apparently killed, she and her sister and brother are subject to harassment and abuse from people they had trusted, and the Castle seems to be listening to her and trying to help her when she needs it. It never quite becomes grim - the worst threat against them, until the climax, is to be sent to their rooms, although they evade unspoken worse threats (the girls disappear in order not to become hostages for their brother - but there's never an overt threat made against them). The end, for all the racing about and spilled blood (from scrapes and minor cuts), heads back towards fluffy - a deus ex machina that removes the worst threat, who was never all that much of a threat, and happy ever after. It was a fun read - definitely a children's book, but on that level quite enjoyable.

[matamgirl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Oh I loved this. The story is great and Celie is a feisty princess who does the rescuing herself. This is one I will recommend to anyone and everyone. I am looking forward to the sequel.

[pussreboots · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George is the start of her tween fantasy series, Castle Glower. Princess Celie spends her time mapping the castle. It's a sentient building that changes itself to fit both its mood and the needs of its residents every Tuesday.That is until the King, Queen and eldest son go missing. Though no bodies are found, they are declared dead, and Celie's middle brother is put on the throne by a council of visiting dignitaries. This by itself is highly unusual as Celie and her siblings protest. As they are under age their protests go unheeded. Likewise, as children, they lack the self confidence to stand up for themselves (at first).Jessica Day George has created a fascinating fantasy world where the monarchy is not a divine right. Rather, it is at the whim of the castle. To be a good monarch, one must be in tune with the castle.Although this is a short novel aimed at tweens, there's enough magic, characterization, world building and political intrigue to keep an adult reader enchanted.

[pocketmermaid · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was so much fun! I loved the adorable and spunky Princess Celie and her magical, sentient castle.