THE CASTLE IN THE ATTIC by Elizabeth Winthrop is yet another book from my childhood that I remember fondly. It’s beginning to be a habit, picking up these books that I remember loving, hoping wistfully the memories stay true. I had a bit of an obsession in elementary school with small characters. Not midgets, but elves (AFTERNOON OF THE ELVES) and fairies (THE FAIRY REBEL) and anthropomorphic squirrels (MISS SUZY) and dolls (HITTY: HER FIRST HUNDRED YEARS) and tiny people (THE BORROWERS). So a book about shrunken knights living in toy castles was right up my alley.10-Year-Old William is going through a tough time. His parents are mostly absentee and he’s been raised by a live-in nanny. But now that he’s a big boy, the widowed Ms. Phillips is moving back to England to live with her brother. To ease their separation, she gives William a family heirloom: A gigantic toy castle, realistic in nearly every way. It even comes with a little leaden knight. Our protagonist accidentally brings the knight to life (though how was never satisfactorily explained to me) and he discovers that the knight has in his possession something very special: An amulet that can shrink people! William, desperate not to lose Ms. Phillips, shrinks his nanny and deposits her in the castle with the knight. But he begins to see that he was wrong in what he did and has to go on a wizard-fighting quest for the other half of the amulet in order to change her back.Honestly the book was well paced and, even though it took half the book for the magic-quest-plot to get going, it didn’t really feel like it dragged anywhere. I didn’t like how easily lying came to William with no consequences. Yes, there were consequences for his actions, but none of them for the several times he lied to those close to him. I also felt the bit with the wizard’s mirror was slap-dashed in there and the editor said, “Well if you add in a reference a chapter or so up no one will think twice.” Really, I see that a device was needed to prolong the battle, but it could have been finessed more.Other than those two points, I felt the book was well written. I liked very much that William was not your typical 10-year-old boy protagonist. He does gymnastics, he’s learning how to cook, he has an a-typical family life that he struggles with, his best friend is that one kid (and I say that having been that one kid). All-in-all it was a good book. I’d give it 3/5.If you or your kid liked this book, try reading THE BORROWERS and find an age-appropriate copy of some King Arthur stories. There is also a sequel called THE BATTLE FOR THE CASTLE.
An enchanting yet odd little fantasy. William (definitely not Bill, or god forbid, Billy) is a sensitive and a bit of a loner. He has one other friend in his fifth grade class, and that connection derives from their shared social status. Outcasts. William is dreamy, but also disciplined and driven as a gymnast. His parents are achievers and doers who have the best intentions, and very little time, for him. The warmth in William's life comes from the English nanny his parents have hired, Mrs. Phillips. But now she is getting ready to return to her homeland, and William, feeling deserted, chokes on his own rage. A parting gift from Mrs. Phillips, a spectacular model of a medieval castle, offers no consolation....at first.Then, unlike most talking doll stories, William discovers not only that he can enter the interior life of a toy. He can use his power and influence over the castle's lone knight, Sir Simon of Hargreave, to shrink down Mrs. Phillips until she is toy-sized. When she reacts negatively, he shrinks himself and embarks on a medieval quest to make things right.Not to get too Freudian, but isn't there something Oedipal and atavistic going on here? Nor too Jungian, but something archetypal, too? Definitely a little more happening below the surface than with 'The Indian in the Cupboard.' William's relationship with Mrs. Phillips carries more weight than, and takes precedence over, his battle with the story's villain, a wizard who might turn the denizens of feudal times into lead figurines, but still seems ineffectual and unimportant.Most middle schoolers aren't about to consider any of that. Still, I think they'll recognize the quirkiness of the story, and if that appeals, enjoy its adventure.
Do You like book The Castle In The Attic (1994)?
This was one of my favorite books as a child; I read it over and over.William's nanny is going back to England because she believes he's old enough to take care of himself. Before she goes, she gives him a castle that has been in her family for generations. It comes with one Silver Knight, and when William touches him, he comes to life. In order to defeat the wizard who placed the spell on the knight, William must become small himself and journey to another land.This book actually holds up well upon re-reading as an adult, and thanks to LibraryThing, I now know there is a sequel. I'm off to read that next, for the very first time!
—Emily
I read this in elementary school and adored it. Somebody else described it as being "magical," and for a kid I would agree. Castles and knights and fantasy kingdoms-- the stuff kids' dreams are made of. I read it again in college for an adolescent lit. class, and, of course, as an adult it didn't have the same appeal. But, hey, it wasn't written for adults in the first place, so big deal if my grown-up mind wasn't as hooked as the child of yesteryear. I still give it four stars, merely because the first time I read it, as a kid, I really loved it... and that's all that matters.
—Krissy
Just like the last chapter book we finished, Loki was not so into this one. I think he prefers the stuff written for older crowds; when he gets the feeling it was written for "kids" he kind of poo-poos it. That didn't stop him from wanting to read this at every opportunity, however when it was over he said it was ok, rather than truly liking it.For me it wasn't the best read, I prefer reading the kids books that are a little more advanced, where the language is creative and interesting. Also the message was a bit too obvious: small kid full of self doubt learns that only he is capable of saving his loved ones, and that he has the heart of a knight.
—Loki
