Tuesdays at the Castle

By Jessica Day George

See where it all began with the start to Jessica Day George's bestselling series about a castle that can rebuild itself and the children who defend it.

Tuesdays at Castle Glower are Princess Celie's favorite days. That's because on Tuesdays the Castle adds a new room, a turret, or sometimes even an entire wing. No one ever knows what the Castle will do next, and no one-other than Celie, that is-takes the time to map out the new additions.

But when King and Queen Glower are ambushed and their fate is unknown, it's up to Celie, with her secret knowledge of the castle's never-ending twists and turns, to protect their home and save their kingdom.

Don't miss these other stories from New York Times bestselling author Jessica Day George:

The Rose Legacy series
The Rose Legacy

Tuesdays at the Castle series
Tuesdays at the Castle
Wednesdays in the Tower
Thursdays with the Crown
Fridays with the Wizards
Saturdays at Sea

Dragon Slippers series
Dragon Slippers
Dragon Flight
Dragon Spear

The Twelve Dancing Princesses series
Princess of the Midnight Ball
Princess of Glass
Princess of the Silver Woods

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

Silver in the Blood

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: Oct 25, 2011
• ISBN: 9781599907314

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

Book preview

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Chapter

1

Whenever Castle Glower became bored, it would grow a new room or two. It usually happened on Tuesdays, when King Glower was hearing petitions, so it was the duty of the guards at the front gates to tell petitioners the only two rules the Castle seemed to follow.

Rule One: The throne room was always to the east. No matter where you were in the Castle, if you kept heading east you would find the throne room eventually. The only trick to this was figuring out which way east was, especially if you found yourself in a windowless corridor. Or the dungeon.

This was the reason that most guests stuck with Rule Two: If you turned left three times and climbed through the next window, you’d end up in the kitchens, and one of the staff could lead you to the throne room or wherever you needed to go.

Celie only used Rule Two when she wanted to steal a treat from the kitchens, and Rule One when she wanted to watch her father at work. Her father was King Glower the Seventy-ninth, and like him, Celie always knew which way was east.

And also like him, Celie truly loved Castle Glower. She never minded being late for lessons because the corridor outside her room had become twice as long, and she certainly didn’t mind the new room in the south wing that had a bouncy floor. Even if you could only get to it by climbing through the fireplace of the winter dining hall.

King Glower the Seventy-ninth, on the other hand, valued punctuality and didn’t enjoy being late for dinner because the Castle had built a new corridor that ran from the main hall under the courtyard to the pastures, and all the sheep had wandered inside to chew the tapestries. He also didn’t particularly like waiting for hours for the Ambassador of Bendeswe, only to find that the Castle had removed the door to the ambassador’s room, trapping the man inside. Of course, the king had to admit that there was usually some strange logic to the Castle’s movements. The Ambassador of Bendeswe, for instance, had turned out to be a spy, and the sheep … well, that had all been mere whim; but there was still logic to be found if you looked hard enough. King Glower admitted this freely, and he made it clear that he respected the Castle. He had to; otherwise he would no longer be king.

The Castle didn’t seem to care if you were descended from a royal line, or if you were brave or intelligent. No, Castle Glower picked kings based on some other criteria all its own. Celie’s father, Glower the Seventy-ninth, was the tenth in their family to bear that name, a matter of tremendous pride throughout the land. His great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather had become king when Glower the Sixty-ninth’s only heir had turned out to be a nincompoop. 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.

King Glower the Seventy-ninth, Lord of the Castle, Master of the Brine Sea, and Sovereign of the Land of Sleyne, knew when to leave well enough alone. He married the beautiful daughter of the Royal Wizard when the Castle guided them into the same room and then sealed the doors for a day. He paid attention when the Castle gave people larger rooms or softer chairs. When his older son, Bran, kept finding his room full of books and astrolabes, while his second son Rolf’s bedroom was moved next to the throne room, King Glower sent Bran to the College of Wizardry, and declared Rolf his heir.

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.

Chapter

2

Everyone hates me, Celie grumbled.

No one hates you, her sister, Lilah, said soothingly. But you do have a tendency to bounce.

There’s nothing wrong with bouncing, Celie insisted.

Very true, her brother Rolf said, coming into the room. Let’s bounce right now!

Grinning at Lilah in a way that was sure to irritate her, he took hold of Celie’s hands and they began to jump up and down in place. Celie forgot to pout, and laughed as they jumped. Rolf could always make her laugh.

Lilah tossed her dark hair to show Rolf that he was being silly, and went to the window to look out. They were in Lilah’s room, which was quite large and grand, and straddled a narrow bit of the north wing. There were windows on one side that looked out on the main courtyard, and on the other side was a balcony that hung over a sort of atrium with a fountain in the center of it. Lilah was at the courtyard windows, checking on their parents’ travel carriage, which was being stocked with lap rugs and novels, prior to the king and queen taking a journey.

Celie stopped jumping.

Done, then? Rolf collapsed on Lilah’s bed, knocking several of the many small cushions onto the floor. You do like to bounce, don’t you, Cel?

Not anymore, Celie muttered.

I’m going to have to start climbing through that fireplace into the new room, Rolf went on, not having heard her. Get in some practice. He held his chest and panted.

Celie watched a trunk the size of a coffin being carried out by two burly footmen and loaded into the luggage cart that waited beside the carriage. It would indeed be a long journey her parents were taking, and they weren’t taking her with them. Which is why she had been in the throne room, getting underfoot, until Lilah had lured her upstairs with the promise of caramel apples. And there’s no caramel apples, she griped.

Caramel apples! Rolf leaped back off the bed. Where?

There will be, Lilah said with great patience. Once Mother and Father are gone. Cook said we could make them ourselves tonight after supper.

Excellent, Rolf said. I do like a caramel apple. Also, with chocolate on. And cinnamon sugar. He rubbed his hands together eagerly. He was tall and blond, with endearingly crooked front teeth.

Celie, who was also blond but small (she was only just eleven), gave her brother a dark look. I’d rather go with Daddy and Mummy, she said, knowing she sounded like a brat. But if you just want to fill your stomach, you can stay here.

Cecelia! Lilah’s voice was sharp. She was tall, and when she stood shoulder to shoulder with Rolf their resemblance to the king and queen was both striking and intimidating. You know very well that we cannot go to the College of Wizardry, so there is no need to be rude about it.

"I know that Rolf can’t go, Celie grumped. Her tutor had explained that a king and his heir never traveled together, in case of an accident. But I don’t understand why I can’t go and see Bran graduate."

Because Father said no, and Father is the king, Lilah said.

Well, it’s a silly reason, Celie said, knowing that she sounded even more childish but not caring.

She ducked between them and out of the room. She paused for just a moment in the hallway, but she heard Lilah say, Oh, let her go, Rolf. She’s determined to be difficult.

So Celie stomped off down the hall. She found some stairs, and climbed them, and then a hallway and more stairs and just kept going. She didn’t have her atlas with her, and wasn’t sure she’d ever seen this particular staircase, but she was trying too hard to hang on to her disagreeable mood and told herself she didn’t care if she got lost.

Not that she thought she’d get lost. All of the royal children knew the rules very well, and besides, it was fairly obvious that the Castle liked them. But Celie was trying to make an atlas of Castle Glower, the first ever, and normally carried colored pencils and paper with her to sketch anything she hadn’t seen before. So far she had three hundred pages of maps, and could get to most of the major rooms (winter and summer dining halls, chapel, library, throne room) in record time as long as the Castle wasn’t bored and looking to stretch.

But all she found at the top of the stairs was a small round room. Still, she didn’t want to stomp back down the stairs just yet, so she stayed to explore. The room had windows that looked in all four directions, and she could see the mountains around Castle Glower’s small, bowl-shaped valley. There was a gold spyglass mounted in each of the windows. She peered through the eastern one and saw the slopes of the Indigo Mountains, dotted with small villages that were populated mainly by goatherds.

She looked to the south, where the main road wound between the mountains toward Sleyne City, where the College of Wizardry was. It made her sad all over again, so she turned to the center of the room.

The only thing in the room, other than the spyglasses, was a large table with some things scattered across it. She found a coil of rope, a book, a compass, and a large tin that proved to be full of hard ginger biscuits. Celie took one of the latter. It was the kind of sweet that often got passed around at Midwinter, when guests would show up unexpectedly and Cook didn’t have time to make fresh biscuits.

How long have these been here? Celie frowned at the biscuit. She had nearly broken a tooth biting into it. It could have been there for a hundred years, and would probably be edible for a hundred more.

She went to the window and tossed it down to a flat section of roof a little ways away. It broke into pieces, which some sparrows pounced on and then wittered off a moment later in disgust. She looked down into the main courtyard, and saw her parents standing before the travel carriage. Rolf and Lilah were there, and the steward and others of the Castle staff.

Oh, no! Her parents were leaving, and she wasn’t there to tell them good-bye! She had thought about hiding until they left, to make them regret leaving, but now she wanted very badly to hug both her parents. She raced out of the round room and looked down the twisting staircase in despair.

She leaned against the wall, suddenly tired from all the emotions of the day, and realized that she was leaning against another door. Had it always been there? It was narrow, and she pushed it open listlessly, certain that it would just prove to be a small cupboard, and then she would have to hurry even faster to catch her parents.

But to her delight it was a slide. A stone slide that curved down, following the path of the staircase. Celie sat at the top, tucked her skirts around her knees, and pushed off.

The slide curved and spun and Celie laughed as it whizzed her down through the Castle and deposited her right at the edge of the courtyard, no more than a dozen paces from where her parents were standing.

Celie scrambled to her feet and tidied her gown and hair, not sure if her parents would be angry with her or not. She had been hanging around the throne room, and their private chambers, all morning, hoping that if she got in the way often enough, they would relent and take her along. Finally, her father had yelled to Lilah that she needed to do something with that little sister of hers.

Come here, darling, said Queen Celina now, holding out her arms.

Celie ran to her mother and hugged her tight. The queen always smelled like strawberries, and everyone said that she was as beautiful at forty as she had been when the king had married her. Tall and slender and stately, with her long dark hair pinned up with gold combs, she wore a travel dress of soft green that set off her eyes.

I’ll miss you, Celie mumbled into her mother’s waist.

I’ll miss you, too, said the queen. I’ll miss all my darlings. But we won’t be gone long. We’re just going to see Bran graduate, and then we’ll all be home again.

Bran, too?

Bran, too, Queen Celina assured her. He will be the new Royal Wizard when we return. She smiled sadly. The old Royal Wizard, her father, had died two years before.

Then the queen turned Celie around and pushed her gently toward the king. King Glower was trying to look stern, but his face soon melted and he held out his arms to his little girl. Come on, then, Celia-delia, he said.

Celie jumped into his arms and buried her face in her father’s neck. His travel robe had a fur collar, and it tickled her nose. I still want to go, she said.

Not this time, sweetheart, her father said. When you are older, I will take you to Sleyne City to see all the sights.

I could see the sights now, Celie said reasonably. With you and Mummy and Bran.

Another time, her father said. He set her down on the cobbles and disentangled her arms from his neck. Besides, the Castle needs you. I wouldn’t want to make it angry by taking you away for too long.

Oh, pooh! But Celie couldn’t help being a bit flattered. She liked to imagine that the Castle really did like her, and it was nice that her father had noticed.

Besides, somebody’s got to keep me in line, Rolf said easily, putting an arm around her shoulders and drawing her to his side.

Don’t worry, Mother, Lilah said, kissing the queen’s cheek. I’ll look after both of them.

Celie and Rolf shared an eye roll. They knew what that meant: Lilah would act queenly and matronly by turns, and order them to eat in the summer dining hall in full court dress every night. But she’d also admonish them constantly to eat their vegetables and not slurp their soup. Celie wondered how long it would take her parents to reach Sleyne City, see Bran graduate, and bring him home. More than two weeks of Lilah’s mothering and they should all run mad.

But now her parents were in the carriage, and waving, and the carriage was moving out of the Castle gates and down the long road to Sleyne City. They waved until the luggage cart and the ranks of soldiers on horseback blocked the royal traveling coach from view.

All right, both of you, Lilah said briskly. Back into the Castle. It’s a bit chilly out, and I don’t want you to catch cold.

Lilah, said Rolf.

Yes, dear?

Tag! You’re it! Rolf whacked her on the arm and took off at a run.

Lilah shrieked in outrage, but Celie didn’t wait around to see what happened next. A well-played game of tag could go on for days in Castle Glower, and Lilah had been known to cheat.

Chapter

3

It was a Tuesday, and Celie was waiting to see what the Castle would do.

Her parents had been gone nearly two weeks, and things had settled into a routine, with Rolf taking on whatever minor royal duties he could, Lilah in charge of the servants, and Celie working on her atlas. Their parents had left on a Thursday, and other than Celie’s discovery of the little turret with the spyglasses at each window, the Castle hadn’t done much.

The next Tuesday had been fourteen-year-old Rolf’s first day hearing petitions, and there had not been any problems of a Castle-based nature. On the other hand, all the villagers, farmers, and shepherds from miles around had come to present land disputes and water disputes and family grievances, hoping that Rolf would rule in their favor out of naiveté. Some people brought out

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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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!

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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!

[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.

[bafana7483 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is adventurous and very cleverly written. I give this book an A+.

[Chanda Large · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book mystery and the perfect amount of everything!