Wednesdays in the Tower (Tuesdays at the Castle)
Gr 4-6–Life is never dull for the inhabitants of Castle Glower–particularly when the Castle adds, moves, or removes rooms. It  takes care of the royal family and has a special affinity for the youngest princess, Celie, having helped her thwart an attempted coup in Tuesdays at the Castle (Bloomsbury, 2011). On her way to her lessons one Wednesday, Celie is led up a spiral staircase to a roofless tower containing a large egg. The Castle clearly wants it kept secret, so only Celie is present when it hatches to reveal a mythical griffin. Despite repeated attempts to tell her parents about it, the Castle prevents her from revealing its existence to all but her oldest brother, Bran; the Royal Wizard; and Pogue Parry, a family friend. With their help, Celie cares for the griffin, dubbed Rufus, and explores the Castle's history and connection to the animals. Complicating their search is the Castle's recent spate of potentially dangerous changes and the arrival of a mysterious wizard. There is plenty to charm readers in this second book in the series. The excitement of raising (and riding!) a griffin will entice readers, and Celie continues to be a plucky, capable heroine. The Castle is a character in its own right, and readers will be fascinated to learn more about its history, but they will have to wait until the next book for answers to the many mysteries raised by the revelation of its origins.–Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, ILα(c) Copyright 2013.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.