Knight's Castle

Another sequel to Half Magic, the story of Knight's Castle follows the magical adventures of the children of a couple of the original children. I think this might be my favorite (other than Half Magic!)

The Story: Roger and his sister Ann spend the summer with their cousins, Jack and Eliza, and facilitated by a magical toy soldier of Roger's, enter into a magical world at night, full of knights and Robin Hood, King Arthur, and Ivanhoe, among others. It's a little evocative of Narnia, but the story is all his own.

The Good: This story is action packed and exciting, and these kids are just as fun as the original quartet. I much prefer the outright magic to the Magic or Not? style of "magic." I love the adventures they go on.

The Bad(ish): It would be better if I had a better grasp of some of the stories they borrow characters from, like Ivanhoe. It left me wanting to read Ivanhoe (I haven't yet!). There is some mention of Roger and Ann's father having an unnamed illness, which is the reason for their summer visit, so he can get treatment. That might worry more sensitive children.

The Verdict: If this is a take-off of Narnia, I'll take it. I used to dream of having the kind of adventures these kids have, and it's also fun to catch a glimpse into the kind of grown ups the original kids become. I love this book.