The Battle for the Castle

by Elizabeth Winthrop

Overview

Return to the magical kingdom first introduced in the best-selling fantasy adventure novel The Castle in the Attic—an “accessible, well told, and entertaining” sequel (Kirkus Reviews)

It's been two years since William used a magical token to enter his model castle, fought a fire-breathing dragon, and defeated an evil wizard. He thought his adventures were over—until the magic medallion turns up again.

This time, twelve-year-old William decides to share the secret of the castle, and invites his best friend Jason to join him. Together, the boys enter the castle and ride out into the kingdom in search of Sir Simon, the Silver Knight, William's old friend.

But all is not well in this world—a mysterious ghost ship full of skeletons has washed ashore, and a plague of rats is terrorizing the countryside. As mysterious portents and chilling visions warn of disasters still to come, Jason and William will have to summon all their courage to save the kingdom—and make their way back home.

This sequel to The Castle in the Attic, a reader favorite for 35 years and nominee for 23 state awards, is filled with intrigue, danger, and acts of courage and heroism. Perfect for young fantasy fans and readers interested in the Medieval world, Elizabeth Winthrop's duo of novels is as thrilling today as when it was originally released.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823426850
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	05/08/2012
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	211
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Elizabeth Winthrop is the author of more than sixty books, most of them for children. Her best-known work is The Castle in the Attic, which was nominated for twenty-three state awards and won the won the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award, the California Young Reader's Medal, and was named a Children's Choice by the International Reading Association. A great-grandniece of Theodore Roosevelt, Elizabeth lives in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 5-8-- Two years have elapsed since young William battled the forces of evil in The Castle in the Attic (Holiday, 1985). Now turning 12, he's miserable because he thinks his friend has outstripped him in bravery, for Jason has ``jumped the trains,'' which is the local male rite of passage, while he has failed. In the previous story, his family's former housekeeper gave William a model castle and a magic token through which he entered its inner world. Now that he is maturing, she again presents him with the token, and he and Jason return to the castle. William is welcomed back and he soon learns that there is again great danger in the land. A monstrous army of rats, behind a gigantic leader, is ravaging the land, eating everyone in sight. William is pressed into defending the castle and destroying the rats. He has to rely on his wits and his courage, for the magic token has been stolen; in the process, he learns that he does not have to jump trains to prove bravery. William and Jason offer contrasting models of what constitutes heroism. Some readers will wonder how the rats came under the spell of their demonic leader, but others will just enjoy the adventure. --Virginia Golodetz, St. Michael's College, Winooski, VT

School Library Journal

In a sequel to "The Castle in the Attic" (1985), William receives a magic token for his birthday, along with a note about love, courage, and loyalty and a reminder that his new age, 12, is appropriate for becoming a squire. Since this same token whisked him back to medieval times in the previous episode, William and his friend Jason try it again and, entering the castle in the attic, find themselves caught up in a wild drama involving an ancient chant that foretells the return of evil. Along with young Gudrin and her Uncle Dick, among others, William and Jason lure hordes of deadly rats into the castle while they wait for Sir Simon to return and rescue them. This well-crafted story is a beautifully blended mixture of fantasy and adventure, with a forceful and thoughtful underlying theme of courage. Readers who have not read the first book will find this story satisfying on its own, and many may clamor for further adventures created through the powers of the small token.

Deborah Abbott

"Including just enough details of setting and character to give her story texture, Winthrop keeps it moving with some humor . . . Accessible, well told, and entertaining."—Kirkus Reviews

"Likable characters, swashbuckling heroics and goofy culture clashes . . . charms aplenty."—Publishers Weekly

"This well-crafted story is a beautifully blended mixture of fantasy and adventure, with a forceful and thoughtful underlying theme of courage. Readers who have not read the first book will find this story satisfying on its own, and many may clamor for further adventures created through the powers of the small token."—Booklist



Praise for The Castle in the Attic:
"An absorbing fantasy . . . suspense and colorful details, as well as a gentle moral precept, make the story special."—Publishers Weekly

"A satisfying quest fantasy with a strong element of modern realism which will appeal to a wide range of readers."—School Library Journal

An IRA-CBC Children's Choice
A California Young Reader Medal Winner
A Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Winner
Nominated for 23 State Book Awards

From the Publisher