Youth Lit. Goals & Tuesdays at the Castle

     At work I often get asked by parents, what are some "good, clean, appropriate" books for my kid/teen? I put it in quotes because I know what they're really looking for are quality stories minus vulgar language or steamy romance scenes. More often than not, parents are okay with violence. Even more often than not, parents aren't able to read everything before their kids do. I totally understand wanting to be cautious of watch young kids are reading. On the other hand, I don't believe kids become/do/model a behavior just because they read about it. I suppose it really depends on the reader themselves, their age, and what they know they can handle. This can be a very personal opinion, but one I'm always interested in discussing with others. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

    I usually have a few titles to throw out but it seems the kid has either already read it or the book is checked out. I end up wandering the stacks pointing things out that I've heard are good or read a really long time ago.

    With that all said, I've made a goal for myself. I want to try harder to find more "good, clean, appropriate books" and then actually read them so I can enthusiastically recommend them in these situations. Because if I've learned anything in working with kids and teens it's that they aren't interested in checking out a book that I have half-heartedly recommended.

    I spent about an hour on good reads last week (oh wait, that's nothing new...) adding children's and YA lit to my to-read list and the first one I checked out was Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George. 

    Tuesdays at the Castle is the perfect example of "good, clean, appropriate" literature that I think parents are looking for. It was a fun, engaging story without any questionable content. This fantasy centers around Castle Glower and the royal family that lives within it. But Castle Glower isn't just any ordinary castle. Every Tuesday the castle grows and adds new rooms, stairways, doors, or secret passageways. It's almost as if the castle is alive. Princess Celie is the youngest daughter of King Glower the Seventy-Ninth and knows the ins and outs of the castle better than anyone. When tragedy strikes, Celie and those closest to her must use their wit to fight. It's a good thing Celie has the Castle Glower on her side!

    Perhaps one of the reasons I liked this story so much is because Castle Glower reminded me a little bit of the Hogwarts Castle with it's magically changing scenery. I love that the Castle Glower is a character all by itself. Though Celie is a young girl she is smart and tough. There are great themes of loyalty and family throughout the story. It had just enough conflict to keep me interested, but remained lighthearted. I would recommend this for anyone over the age of 8!

5/5 Stars