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'The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle': Logan Reviews

Penguin Random House/Viking Books for Young Readers

This is Logan, here to tell you about The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle, a book for middle-school readers written by Janet Fox.

It is a very exciting and suspenseful book that I really enjoyed and I couldn’t put it down. The main character is Kat, a girl who is smart, daring, and curious. In the beginning, Kat and her brother and sister all go to Rookskill Castle, a former castle that has been turned into a school. Rookskill Castle is in Scotland, which is safer during the war.  Kat’s dad works against the Germans and her mom stays in London, so it’s up to Kat to take care of her brother and sister. Kat doesn’t believe in magic at first, but as the story progresses, she does.

The book’s setting switches from WWII to the late 1700s, but none of the characters travel through time. Instead, the point of view switches between the main character, all the people who have been charmed, and Lady Eleanor. Lady Eleanor is the sorceress responsible for the charming of the people, but you can’t really call her human – she’s more machine than human – pretty much all of her body has been replaced by mechanical parts. When Kat’s brother and sister get charmed, it’s up to Kat to save them.

I would recommend this book for grades four and up.

The Charmed Children ofRookskill Castle, by Janet Fox

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 15, 2016
Pages: 400

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Logan H. Wilson is a 10-year-old boy from Missoula, Montana. He loves reading, of course, and is rarely seen without a book. His favorite authors include J.K. Rowling, Tolkien, Brian Jacques, and Christopher Paolini. The Eragon books are one of his favorite series. In addition to reading, he is a serious rock hound who likes looking for crystals and collecting interesting rocks.  He is also interested in art and chemistry. When he grows up, he wants to be an inorganic chemist who reviews books in his spare time.

Chérie Newman is a former arts and humanities producer and on-air host for Montana Public Radio, and a freelance writer. She founded and previously hosted a weekly literary program, The Write Question, which continues to air on several public radio stations; it is also available online at PRX.org and MTPR.org.
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