The Girl Who Kept the Castle

Gr 4-6–Twelve-year-old Faye Gardener was feeding kitchen scraps to the castle’s dragon when she was chosen to inform Wizard West that he died in his sleep and is now haunting the castle as a ghost. He is no longer able to renew the foundation spells that keep the castle Celurdur standing and needs to find an apprentice before the next full moon. West, a temperamental and self-absorbed man, decides to host a competition to choose his successor. Wizard West’s bumbling efforts to maintain his reputation as one of the kingdom’s four official wizards puts Celurdur and all of its inhabitants in grave danger. Not only is the semi-sentient castle beginning to collapse, but the evil Shadow Queen is stirring from her prison and sending her smoke rats to infiltrate Celurdur. Now, on top of her usual chores (such as gathering the cockatrice eggs and collecting moonfruit), Faye must try to save the only home she’s ever known from ruin. Faye is an endearing, plucky, and resourceful heroine. The story’s many characters show developing emotional depth at all the right times, and the descriptions of the kingdom’s magic are marvelous.