Tuesdays at the Castle

by Jessica Day George

Paperback, 2012

Call number

JF GEO

Genres

Publication

Bloomsbury USA Childrens (2012), Edition: Reprint, 256 pages

Description

Eleven-year-old Princess Celie lives with her parents, the king and queen, and her brothers and sister at Castle Glower, which adds rooms or stairways or secret passageways most every Tuesday, and when the king and queen are ambushed while travelling, it is up to Celie--the castle's favorite--with her secret knowledge of its never-ending twists and turns, to protect their home and save their kingdom.

Media reviews

Teaching Lit
Introduction: Tuesdays at the Castle, written by Jessica Day George, is about Princess Celie and her siblings’ quest to uncover the truth about the mysterious disappearance of their royal parents. Published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books, ISBN 978-1-59990-917-2, the book appeals to those
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interested in fairy tales, castles, and princesses. Character: Celie is a brave, eleven year old Princess who trusts and loves Castle Glower. Every Tuesday the castle changes, adding a new room or staircase or secret passageway. When Celie’s parents go missing and castle Glower is ambushed, Celie must save it. Here is an example of how much Celie loves the Castle; “Lilah said, will the Castle keep on showing us?” “Of course it will,” Celie said fondly. She patted the floor at her side. “Won’t you, my darling?” Celie was now thoroughly convinced that the Castle wasn’t just magic, but a living thing, and furthermore that it was firmly on their side. She thought she felt a quivering beneath her hand, as though the Castle were purring” (p.98). Theme/Plot: The theme seems to be family. The author shows this throughout most of the book. Each of the characters have a specific place within the story and work together to achieve a common goal. Tuesdays at the Castle has a main conflict which gets resolved in the end. Author: Jessica Day George has written other books like Thursdays with the Crown and Dragon Spear. She wrote Tuesdays at the Castle for her editor, Melanie, whom she says asked her for years to write something funny for young readers. Summary: Castle Glower isn’t an ordinary castle. On Tuesdays it adds a new room, staircase, or passageway. When the King and Queen go missing, Princess Celie must use her secret knowledge of the castle to protect their kingdom.
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2 more
School Library Journal
A satisfying mix of Hogwarts and Howl's Moving Castle, Castle Glower helps its true citizens, but never at the expense of plot or character development.
Kirkus
These kids are clever, as is George's lively adventure.

User reviews

LibraryThing member blueviolent
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member JalenV
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member pocketmermaid
This book was so much fun! I loved the adorable and spunky Princess Celie and her magical, sentient castle.
LibraryThing member nkertz
on tuesdays the castle adds a new addition to its ever growing size, and Ceclie maps it out. she is the only one who does, so when people attack the castle, she is the only one who can save the day with her knowledge and know how.
LibraryThing member LeslitGS
Celie and the rest of the royal family of Sleyne live in Castle Glower - a notable thing because, while regularly adding and relocating rooms, the building has been known to creatively expel individuals for whom it does not care. This trait comes in handy for her and two of her siblings when the
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rest of the family goes missing and are presumed dead. With the help of their home, the three remaining children must hang on to the kingdom until the truth is discovered.

A pure impulse buy, I picked Tuesdays at the Castle up for three reasons: One, the title is pretty much hilarious to me--not sure why; two, the cover is a pretty one that, instead of reviews of previous works, has a teaser on the back of it; and three, the premise kind of reminded me of House of Many Ways. Truth be known, it was actually these three items on top of one other that got this book a ride home with me. I picked it up, read the first page and fell in love.

As I continued reading [The book only took a couple of days], I continued to fall in love with the writing, the story and the characters. The writing and story are both simple enough to attract a young reader but are at the same time neither childish or insulting to their intelligence. Not to be cloying or saccharine in excess, everything about this book [excluding the villains, of course] is sincere and very sweet.

Celie, our protagonist, is eleven years old and the youngest of four children. Being the fact of the matter, she is largely unburdened by royal duties and, until circumstances require otherwise, unburdened by maturity or age. She is, to all, the expert on the Castle, spending her ample free time in an attempt make an atlas of their mysterious and ever changing home. But when her family is endangered, she does her best to shake off the fragility of age and station [or lack thereof] in order to step up as support, part-time tactician and cohort of the building itself.

Watching the very real interactions of the three youths as their parents and brother disappear adn their home is essentially invaded under false pretenses, I was pleased to see that every voice was its own and that the exposition was overwhelming. I enjoyed the characters and the castle, the humour and excitement. All in all, this was a marvelous impulse buy. I highly recommend it.
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LibraryThing member LibraryGirl11
A charming story about a resourceful princess and a magic castle with a mind of its own. I'll be using this one for book club next summer!
LibraryThing member Inky_Fingers
A castle that's alive -- great concept that kept me reading to the end wanting to see what the castle would do next. Some of the plot points, though, I could see coming for miles, and that kept me from suspending disbelief long enough to really enjoy the book.
LibraryThing member Krumbs
Fun! I don't know when I've enjoyed a young main character more. Although she's only 11, she is interesting and intelligent, while not seeming too old for her age. The siblings are all fully developed characters, the relationships are believable, and the castle is great. Wondering if there are more
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books set in this world!
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LibraryThing member KimJD
Grades 4-6
When the king and queen of Sleyne are ambushed on a trip and presumed dead, it falls on 11-year-old Princess Celie and her older brother and sister to keep the kingdom running in the face of traitorous council members and a neighboring prince who would like to become the new ruler of
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Sleyne. Intrigue abounds, and the situation for the three royal siblings would be hopeless if it were not for the help of the Castle itself. Castle Glower has a history of changing itself to suit its moods (especially on Tuesdays), and adding and taking away rooms and secret passageways might just give Celie, Lilah, and Rolf the edge they need to hold on to their kingdom in spite of all the dastardly goings-on. A delightful romp with clever and engaging protagonists.
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LibraryThing member matamgirl
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.
LibraryThing member Yona
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.
LibraryThing member pussreboots
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member emmyson
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.
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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!
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LibraryThing member Katya0133
Jessica Day George does a good job of getting her young protagonists into realistic scrapes without turning her adults into idiots or resorting to any other tired cliches. This is possibly my new favorite Jessica Day George book (or at least tied with Princess of the Midnight Ball).
LibraryThing member sidneyneal
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
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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!
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LibraryThing member aethercowboy
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member eawsmom
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
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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!
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LibraryThing member ReadyMcBookerson
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
LibraryThing member Lauraday88
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member sszkutak
Tuesdays at the Castle is a wonderful middle grade book, it has imagination, magic, suspense, and the characters are amazing. I had never heard of this book until I saw it on the Librarything Early Readers list, and what the synopsis included really intrigued me. It has been a while since I have
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listened to an audiobook on CD in my car (my commute is fairly short now) but I found myself sitting in my car after arriving at work and home to continue the story.

The plot revolved around the royal family living in Castle Glower, a magical castle that can add and take away rooms, throw people out, and magically more things around at its own whim. King Glower the 79th has recently been pronounced dead and his three children are left at home to fend for themselves while people in the castle plan to assassinate the next king and take over the magical castle.

We follow the story through the eyes of the youngest child, Celie, while her brother Ralph must take up the throne and try to stay alive long enough to find out if their father is really dead. With the castle helping the Glower children there was a lot of fun in this story: a mysterious tower, spy holes, magical capes that make you completely unheard but also a lot of drama: treason, evil princes, wizards, the castle itself. It was a magical read.

I really enjoyed everything about this book. It was very fun to listen to, the reader of the audiobook was amazing and really kept me engaged. I think the story itself was just as engaging though. I think all ages will enjoy listening to this book – sometimes it does have words that may need some explanation for younger readers but overall it was a marvelous book and it is a series! So you can keep reading about these characters.
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LibraryThing member lolhscybrarian
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member Dallas_Lee
Dallas Albritton
EDE 3233
March 23, 2015
Tuesdays at the Castle
Book Review
Introduction: Tuesdays at the Castle written by Jessica Day George, is about Celie and her siblings trying to take back the Castle because a group of people from other kingdoms are trying to take over. Published by Bloomsbury
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Children’s Books, ISBN- 978-1-59990-917-2. This book is for one who is interested in mysteries and adventures.
Character: Celie is the youngest of the siblings and has a special relationship with the Castle. She is very brave for age and is determined to do whatever it takes to keep the Castle safe. Celie is able to gather help from trustworthy people and the Castle to take on the council. “Castle Glower finds a way to get rid of chambermaids it doesn’t like. It isn’t going to sit there and let a new king take over.” - Celie
Setting: The story takes places in many of different places in Castle Glower, which is located in Sleyne.
Theme/Plot: The theme of the book to me is bravery and standing up for what is right. Throughout the whole book the siblings are tested with giving up or to keep fighting for what they know is right. Tuesdays at the Castle has a couple of different conflicts, but the main one is that Prince Khelsh and the council is trying to take over the castle, which takes you on a journey to help get the Castle back. Finally, at the end they are able to resolve the conflict. “I really have missed you,” she murmured sleepily to the Castle. – Celie
Author: Jessica Day George wrote Tuesdays at the Castle after several years of her editor wanting her to write something funny for young readers. Jessica was excited and had been thinking of doing something like that. This being such a fan hit, it started off a series.
Summary: A brave family coming together to save their home though a journey which leads them to learning a lot about themselves and others.
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LibraryThing member ecalford
In the book Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George, a bright and inquisitive Princess Celie works to save the fate of Castle Glower when enemies try to infiltrate her beloved homeThe characters in Tuesdays at the Castle each have specific characteristics that are easy for children and young
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adults to identify with. Celie, the main character is inquisitive and brave, and does not take no for an answer. Her sister, Lilah, on the verge of becoming a young adult, is curious about who she really is, and also has the opportunity to experience the beginnings of love with her beau, Pogue. Rolf, the older brother, is contentious and thoughtful. He loves his friends, family, and the castle fiercely, and is not afraid to suffer when protecting them. I think it is important that children can identify with the characters of the story, because it allows them to be intrigued by the plot line, and encourages them to continue reading the book through to the end.
As to the plot, I feel that, for the most part, it was very well developed and easy to understand. A lot of events happened within each of the chapters of the book, but I feel that George did an excellent job connecting these events and helping to resolve and clarify them at the end of the story. One of the aspects of George’s writing that I noticed was how she utilized cliff hangers and foreshadowing to encourage students to read on to the next chapter. One example of this was at the end of chapter nine, when the narrator shares, “Something seemed different, and that was when she [Celie] noticed that the stones beneath her chair were higher, making her just a little bit taller” (George 71). However, when reading the story, I sometimes found it difficult to read and understand the conversations between Celie and characters that were not from Glower Castle, such as Prince Lulath of Grath. An example of this was when Lulath was discussing plans with Ceile, saying, “It will make the Council seem the very bad, if say they want old king to be dead, they want new king to fail” (George 146). For a struggling reader, this wording could cause students confusion and make them doubt their reading capability. Therefore, as an educator, I would be careful to give this text to readers who are strong and confident.
One of the main themes of this text was perseverance. Whenever obstacles got in the way of the main characters (Celie and her siblings), they were always resourceful and found ways to continue to fight for Glower Castle. An example of this was when Ceile used the rope in the Spyglass Tower to lower herself onto the castle balcony after she and Lilah were trapped. Ceile was bright and cunning, and used her capabilities to fight for the welfare of her family and friends.Lastly, I feel that a lot happened within the chapters of the story, and I feel that Tuesdays at the Castle would definitely keep a child’s attention when reading. I would recommend this book to any child who enjoys fairytales or fantasy stories, as well as any student who is looking for a really great read!
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LibraryThing member ClaireFelder
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
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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.
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Awards

Nebraska Golden Sower Award (Nominee — 2015)
Sequoyah Book Award (Nominee — Children's — 2014)
Georgia Children's Book Award (Finalist — Grades 4-6 — 2014)
Great Stone Face Book Award (Nominee — 2013)
Utah Beehive Book Award (Nominee — Children's Fiction — 2014)
William Allen White Children's Book Award (Nominee — Grades 3-5 — 2013-2014)
Nutmeg Book Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2015)
Sunshine State Young Reader's Award (Nominee — Grades 3-5 — 2013)
Nēnē Award (Nominee — 2014)
NCSLMA Battle of the Books (Elementary — 2020)
Whitney Award (Finalist — 2011)
Volunteer State Book Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2015)
ARTY Award (2012)
Utah Book Award (Children's — 2011)
Read Aloud Indiana Book Award (Middle Grades — 2013-2015)
Idaho Battle of the Books (Elementary — 2021)

Pages

256

ISBN

1599909170 / 9781599909172
Page: 1.3931 seconds