The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop

When I went home for Fall Break, I scoured my bookshelf for a fantasy book.  I came across Elizabeth Winthrop's The Castle in the Attic, which I read for the first and only time many years ago.  I remembered how the world of The Castle in the Attic came to life for me as a then ten-year-old, and could not wait to reread the book to see if the magical world still existed in my mind.

Upon beginning The Castle in the Attic, I found myself to my delight just as absorbed in the chivalry of knights, amazed fire of fire-breathing dragons, and scared by the evil wizard as I had been as a ten-year-old.  In The Castle in the Attic, Winthrop introduces a boy named William who for the past ten years has been looked after and cared for my Mrs. Phillips, the family nanny.  Now that William has grown, Mrs. Phillips is retiring from her position to return to her home country and give William the chance to become more independent.  William will not even permit the idea of Mrs. Phillips leaving.  When Mrs. Phillips gives William her old childhood toy castle and toy knight as a going away present, William gets an idea that will make Mrs. Phillips stay with him forever.

Against Mrs. Phillips' will, and with the help of Sir Simon (the toy knight that came to life upon William's touch), William takes Mrs. Phillips into a the medieval world of the toy castle where he thinks he can keep Mrs. Phillips forever.  However, when William finds out that he has trapped Mrs. Phillips in a situation that can never be reversed, William must take it upon himself to enter the medieval world of the toy castle and save them all.

Winthrop writes a wonderful story of coming of age.  The reader grapples alongside William as he faces becoming an independent boy.  But the reader also celebrates William's triumphs and feels proud of WIlliam's accomplishments as he grows to learn that his ability to learn, love, and live resides within himself.  While Winthrop creates a fantastical world within the toy castle including fire-breathing dragons, an evil wizard, and trips back in time, the story is very much relatable to any child.  As Dr. Johnson said in class, at the root of the success of any fantasy book is believability.  The Castle in the Attic provides just that.

Elizabeth Winthrop has written numerous books for all ages - children and adults alike.  In an interview featured on Winthrop's website, Winthrop said "I'm a restless writer.  I can't seem to stick to one genre or subject. "  In fact, The Castle in the Attic is only one of two fantasy children's chapter books Winthrop has written.  Other than fantasy, Winthrop has explored the genres of realistic fiction and historical fiction through her books.

The Castle in the Attic is accompanied by a sequel, The Battle for the Castle.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Spear

The Newberry Medal wining historical fiction novel, The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Spear, visits seventeenth century colonial Connecticut in a time of redefining identities and questioning virtues.  Kit Tyler, a sixteen-year old-orphan who grew up in Barbados under care of her grandfather, has nowhere to go when her grandfather passes away.  The only living relative Kit knows is her mother's sister whom she has never met, but knows lives in the Connecticut Colony.  When Kit arrives in Connecticut she enters a Puritan community whose culture differs greatly than that of her upbringing.  The one person Kit can confide in is an old Quaker woman who lives near Blackbird Pond.  Everyone in the Puritan community believes the old woman is a witch.  When the community discovers that Kit has befriended her, Kit finds herself being accused of being a witch as well.  The only thing that can save Kit from a full witch trial is the honesty of the community and the loyalty of her friends and family.

In The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Spears gives readers an inside look into the culture of a Puritan community of colonial New England.  Readers as young as fifth or sixth grade can relate to Kit as she grapples with conforming to a new culture while trying to maintain her own identity.  Children can understand the themes of holding true to one's beliefs, of accepting other people's differences, and the importance of community and teamwork.  Spears envelops the reader in Kit's troubles and joys with a language that brings Kit's surrounding and thoughts to life.  Any student would enjoy exploring colonial New England through this novel which bring a very real, believable person to life to whom children can relate.