The Castle in the Mist

November 21, 2016
Ephron (Loose Diamonds) draws on elements common to classic children’s stories—secrets gardens, powerful wishes—in her first book for young readers. Tess, 11, and her younger brother, Max, are sent to live with their widowed Aunt Evie in the English countryside for the summer, where they spend their days playing Monopoly, fighting, and helping Aunt Evie in her garden. After a particularly nasty fight with Max, Tess finds a rusted key that magically opens the gates to the estate next door. Within them are a magnificent garden, a castle, and a boy Tess’s age named William. Tess, Max, and William forge a friendship, but something is amiss, and Tess isn’t sure what it is. Ephron spends a great deal of time explaining characters’ motivations, and the overall narrative arc feels rushed. Though there are moments of wonder, such as a carousel that runs on wish-granting, these are undercut by Ephron’s need to clarify and oversimplify events (“Aunt Evie was lying to them, but they didn’t know that”) at the expense of a fully developed plot. Ages 8–12. Agent: Kari Stuart, ICM.

November 15, 2016
Although contemporary in setting, adult author Ephron's (Loose Diamonds, 2011, etc.) first children's book is a paean to classical English children's books of yore.With their journalist father in Afghanistan and their mother supposedly writing a book but actually ill, Long Islanders Tess and Max are sent to their aunt's Wi-Fi-less home in a little English village. While exploring the environs, Tess finds an antique brass key that opens an ornate gate in an invisible wall. She discovers a new friend, William, and a magical castle with beautiful gardens, a maze, and carnival rides and sculptures that come to life. Could this be the abandoned Bramsfield Castle? On one particularly fantastical night--a night of both a blue moon and a blood moon, when Tess dances with the stars--Max, although warned, steps into the ominous hawthorn wood and disappears. Attempting rescue, William and Tess encounter Morphons, rocks turned into gryphonlike, soul-stealing creatures. Tess learns the power of wishes. Rich description of the castle along with an elaborate map at the book's beginning and an illustration at the end enhance the fantasy world. At the novel's happy ending, the castle's history is revealed, including the importance of William's French governess. All characters, past and present, appear to be white. A sequel is suggested; beguiled readers will hope it happens. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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January 1, 2017

Gr 3-6-It's been a topsy-turvy year for Tess and her brother Max. Sent away from their New York home to a boarding school abroad, they are now spending the summer in the English countryside with their aunt Evie. Isolated and bored, Tess stumbles upon a mysterious gate atop a hill beyond her aunt's home. She unlocks the gate and discovers beautiful castle grounds and a boy her age named William. Tess is quickly charmed by William's earnestness, and the two develop a fast friendship, despite the curious circumstances surrounding the castle's sudden appearance and William's cryptic warning to avoid hawthorn trees. Strange happenings occur at the castle, and events become subsequently stranger each visit, culminating in Max's disappearance. Though the story is set in the present day, the use of old-fashioned, sentimental prose works well. References to the lack of Wi-Fi and Tess's father reporting from war-torn Afghanistan help ground the book as a contemporary tale. There is also an undercurrent of danger that adds a layer of depth and suspense to the storytelling. Readers new to the fantasy genre will appreciate the conflict Tess feels: she is torn between doubting the fanciful episodes and embracing the existence of magic and other worlds. VERDICT A slightly darker, updated take on magical realism classics such as Edward Eager's Half Magic and E. Nesbit's The Enchanted Castle.-Sophie Kenney, Vernon Area Public Library District, IL

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2016
Grades 4-7 After their mother is hospitalized for a serious illness while their father, a war reporter, is in Afghanistan, Max and Tess are sent away to spend the summer with their aunt Evie in the English countryside. One day, Tess discovers a mysterious castle with a gate that magically opens with an old key she finds buried in the dirt. Inside, she meets William, a young boy about her age. Soon, Tess, Max, and William spend heaps of time together exploring the castle and its wondrous contents, like a carousel whose horses come to life and a supernaturally lively sculpture garden, but they always steer clear of the ominous Hawthorne hedge. Before long, however, Tess and Max have to uncover the castle's secret. This beautiful story's quiet, peaceful tone nicely evokes both the serenity of country life and the haunting magic of the castle, and the emotional heft of Tess and Max's separation from their parents, as well as their strong bond, keeps the tale firmly grounded in reality. Perfect for middle-graders who love classic fantasy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)