Awards for Castle in Danger

• Book Excellence Award Winner for Children’s Fiction
• National Indie Excellence Awards – Winner Children’s Fiction Book Award
• International Book Awards – Award–Winning Finalist Children’s Fiction Book Award
• Royal Dragonfly Book Awards – 1st Place Children’s Book Award
• Purple Dragonfly Book Awards – Children’s Book Award, Historical Fiction
• Foreword INDIEFAB Children’s Book Awards – Finalist

 

Reviews for Castle in Danger

“This time the story sparked her interest and she continued to read. She liked the character Emma and was excited to continue reading to see what would happen next.

She enjoyed the adventures that were taken in the book. She said it was exciting at times with mystery and surprises.

This book is written for the age group of 8-13 years old. She enjoyed the book and would recommend it to other kids her age.”

Brenda Anderson, Brenda’s Kids Books

“Written especially for young adult readers eight and up… An extraordinary glimpse into the daily life, hardships, and challenges of the Middle Ages, Castle in Danger is highly recommended.”

Midwest Book Review, Children’s Bookwatch, The Fiction Shelf

“Readers ages nine to twelve … will receive stories of Emma’s adventures… attention to rich historical details is what sets her story apart from others… Castle in Danger is … key to understanding the Middle Ages, and will delight middle school

readers looking for a lively rendition of the period, packaged …of an adventure and mystery.”

Donovan’s Literary Services, California Bookwatch

“… for children ages nine to twelve… has learning value and is entertaining to read. A great book for young children to read!”

Andrea Yanke, Editor, Glimpse Reviews, Saskatchewan, Canada

“…it’s a really great book… I really recommend this book to people who like exciting stories and who are interested in the Medieval times.”

Mr. J., Glimpse Review, Saskatchewan, Canada

“I received a copy of this book …children ages 9-12 will enjoy the story especially the characters. It’s a fun adventure story that both boys and girls will enjoy reading.”

Ms. Denise Anderson, SoCal City Kids

“The story includes mystery, suspense… that I am sure will be pleasing to that age group. I found the book to be well written, age appropriate and educational.”

Story Wraps

“Not only will this keep your 8 – 13 reading to the very end they will also be learning what is was like to live in the Middle Ages! I could actually see this being used by home schooling Mom’s as an educational tool as there is a glossary at the end which gives the present day definition to the terms used in the book for those words back then.”

Michele Bodenheimer, Miki’s Hope Blog

My daughters love to read. The older one likes fantasy books and the younger likes books about ninjas and warriors. Both found something to enjoy in a book I recently got to review, Castle in Danger by Karen Rita Rautenberg.

This historical fiction novel is set during the Middle Ages in the 14th Century. Designed for children eight to twelve, it follows the story of Emma, who is sweet and pretty and lives in a castle with Baron Geoffrey. When this rich young girl is saved from an accident by a handsome young peasant, they have adventures along the way. The friendship develops as they try to keep the family jewels safe from thieves, search for a missing cousin, and witness battles and a siege at her uncle’s castle.

As children read the novel, they’ll be exposed to a variety of Medieval traditions, including jousting tournaments, town fairs, and holidays like Christmas and All Hallow’s Eve. It was a well-written book – both of my children loved reading it, and I enjoyed it too!

Bekah, Blogger, Motherhood Moment

I gave this book to my granddaughter to read. She is 9 years old. The first chapter didn’t really get her excited so she put the book down for a few weeks. Her mom got her to start reading it again and then she got into the book. She said they took lots of adventures in the book which made the book exciting to read. (reviewers copy)

Brenda Anderson, Brendaskidsbooks.com (also reviewed on Amazon.com)

Reader Reviews

BOOK REVIEW 1

Usually, I do not enjoy Children’s Historical Fiction books but Castle in Danger was an exception. The author, Karen Rita Rautenberg did a tremendous job explaining the setting and characters, making the plot and characters come to life. I found myself predicting throughout the entire book, there was a lot of action and twists.

The story was about a fifteen-year-old girl, Emma who lived during the early 14th century in Wallsworth Castle in England.  She is a noble daughter of Baron Humphrey Brookton accidentally meets Thomas Cooper, a peasant and a knight to be. Together they experienced the dangers such as kidnappings, treachery, and thievery. They also faced the struggle to meet each other because her father banned her from making friends with the peasants. This book is rich in cultures and traditions during medieval times.

Karen Rita Rautenberg also provides a textbook of fascinating medieval context. Ms. Rautenberg had a special talent for detail that adds such richness to her settings. And her formal language style aids this illusion of stepping back in time. She doesn’t apologize for tough vocabulary, either. This makes the book more challenging to read, but sixth graders should handle it with ease.

BOOK REVIEW 2

This book introduced me to the wonderful world of historical fiction. At first, it didn’t quite draw my attention until I began to understand the characters further on. The author is able to convey Emma’s innocence and bravery throughout the book which made me want to keep reading.

I have kids ages 10, 8, and 5. My 5-year-old was able to understand a lot of the book and pick up on who the characters were. My older kids enjoyed the book and were happy with the length of the chapters. We learned a lot of new words reading this book.

While an easy read, the story will hold your attention as the characters are made very real in their simplicity. I also appreciate the feeling of the time period and gaining some understanding of what this time in history was like.

My kids and I all enjoyed this book!

BOOK REVIEW 3

This was such a great book! Emma and Thomas were both interesting characters that children could definitely love. Reading this as an adult, this book still threw me some things I didn’t see coming. While written as a beginner chapter book, it was also very interesting, which is hard to find. Many books targeted to this age range bore the parent and often the child as well.

My son’s favorite line:

“Thomas, you have been such a good friend to me. In my heart, I know you will be a very brave knight who helps children and people.”

This story has great adventure, mystery, and fun action. It really helps bring the Middle Ages to life for young readers. I would say this book is great for second graders and some third graders.

BOOK REVIEW 4

This book was a pleasant surprise, and it left me looking forward to reading more by this author. Many of my fourth-grade students will find this book just right. The action is quick-moving, the vocabulary is middle grades appropriate, and the entire book is a quick read. I read dozens of middle-grade books this year so that I can better guide my students in selecting books. I read this one because it is set in England, which is my favorite place and is rich in historical accounts. What a great surprise it was that the book moved quickly and was adequately interesting. It does not talk down to the reader and contains plenty of interesting information about the cultures and traditions during that time. It is great suspense and with a touch of mystery that has both boy and girl main characters and will appeal to readers of both sexes. I will definitely be choosing more books by Karen Rita Rautenberg.

BOOK REVIEW 5

My five-year-old son is currently very interested in the Middle Ages and we had this book recommended to us by a friend. I started off reading two chapters at bedtime like we normally do with longer books, but the first night he begged me to keep reading, and then the second night he begged even harder! We ended up finishing the final eight chapters in one sitting. This is the story of a young girl named Emma, who was brave and true to herself, being respectful to her family as well as very kind and friendly to the people surrounding her (rich or poor). The chapters are a great length for younger children and the storytelling is interesting enough to even hold an adult’s attention. I was just as anxious to read the next chapter as my son was! Highly recommended for reading aloud or independent reading for any child around 5 and up.

BOOK REVIEW 6

Short, simple, and easy to read. Perfect for young kids (7-13?) who still want adventure.

Kids love knights and castles and swords, but few first and second graders are ready to read longer, more complex King Edward stories. This book makes it possible for them to enjoy the subject matter on their level, but without sacrificing any of the suspense or excitement. There is also a strong sense of right and wrong in the story, which I appreciate as a parent, and enough happiness in the ending to please sensitive readers who might be otherwise troubled by some of the story’s events.

A wonderful way to introduce the Middle Ages to younger kids. It gave a sense of the time, and yet the sentence structure and vocabulary were very simple and easy for even young readers to read on their own.

BOOK REVIEW 7

We just finished this yesterday. My kids loved it and always wanted to read more.

It’s a very simply written story. It has action and adventure, but it’s never ‘crazy action’ or ‘crazy adventure’. Not too stressful or worrisome. You just knew everything would be okay – but it did have some plot twists which pleasantly surprised them.

While it is simple, it is easy to read aloud. And a child who’s been reading for a while could handle this as the chapters are rather short.

As an adult, I thought it was a great story as well. The writing was fantastic- I was surprised, for a child’s book, how well the story was developed and how much detail the author was able to use in a small amount of time. This was the perfect adventure for my young boy and me to read together! I know he’ll be excited to read it again on his own when he’s older. Highly recommended!

BOOK REVIEW 8

Karen Rita Rautenberg was one of the best authors of books aimed at the beginning reader; chapter books that range within the second-grade level. A rich, detailed historical story of the Middle Ages following a young girl named Emma who experienced different kinds of danger in Wallsworth Castle. She a kind and brave 15 years old girl who is trying to make her country a better place with peace and fairness. The plot contains several crises and resolutions before the initial one is solved, making for a compelling, exciting story all of which is written with a limited vocabulary. Not many authors can accomplish this with the early chapter book but this was Rautenberg’s element and you’ll find nothing better at this reading level. I always thoroughly enjoy this story, and it has actually been quite a number of years since I last read it that it came quite fresh to me this time. A timeless book that deserves to be kept in print for each generation.

BOOK REVIEW 9

This was the first chapter book my 6-year-old son read. He loved it so much! It was a perfect read for him. It contains knights, sword fights, jousting tournaments, ghosts and witches, hunting, and more. He loved the fight scenes so much. (They weren’t gory at all. Very appropriate for this age group. And they didn’t last long, either. It was just the right amount for a 6 yo.) He would read two sentences, get up and act it out for a few minutes, then come read another two sentences, then act those out, and so on until he finished it. When the book was finally finished he said, “Mommy, I love to read!” It doesn’t get any better than that. I highly recommend this for any young boys just starting their reading journey or needing a high-interest story to make them love reading.

BOOK REVIEW 10

I read this because I was visiting England with my father and wanted a YA historical fiction to read while I was there. I wasn’t disappointed about that angle, though I’m not sure this is a book I’d give to most of my friends.

The imagery in the book was beautiful, but also not in excess. There was several good utilization of metaphor/simile that made reappearances to bring back full circle the ideas they were enhancing.

I would consider this book extremely well written, a fine piece of literature that does not limit itself to the target age group.

My only negative thoughts: with a large amount of historical context in the book, the many different friends/enemies/allies were hard to distinguish and tell apart, I had a hard time keeping track of who was a friend and who was foe when I would take breaks in reading this book and come back to it.

An exciting story, rich in medieval period details, with a strong female protagonist: this novel should please readers of many different tastes.

BOOK REVIEW 11

One of the best books I’ve read in a while! Detail of castle life and a story where men are men and the women are true ladies. Mystery, adventure, a hint of sweet romance, and a story of peace.

Emma is a wonderful protagonist, and I kind of just want to hug her. She’s both brave and humble, and always willing to help when help is needed. I think we need his brand of humility back in modern fiction.

This book will appeal to readers who enjoy action, history, and books about mystery and suspense. The details about medieval life will appeal to fantasy enthusiasts. The main character is fifteen, but I think this book will appeal to upper-middle grade readers as well as young adult readers.

I checked this book out of my local library.

BOOK REVIEW 12

If I were a children’s book writer, this is exactly the kind of book I’d love to write. It has mystery, suspense, history, coming-of-age, overcoming personal and physical problems, rich in cultures and traditions; gosh, it has it all.

I’ve always wanted to read this book, just never got around to it till now. If your child is studying medieval times in history, this would be a great literary supplement to that history lesson. It brings the history of that time to life.

If anyone who reads this review is a middle school teacher, or even a high school teacher, I highly recommend that you assign this book to your students. Not only is it an exciting way to get a view into an essential period of England’s history but uses a relatively high level of language for being dubbed a children’s book.

BOOK REVIEW 13

Fun adventure story placed in Medieval England. It gives a good picture of what life was like then- and not just for Emma, but for all the other people you meet along the way.

Karen Rita Rautenberg carefully researched the details of everyday medieval life and this is the real strength of this book, IMO, along with the descriptions of the English countryside. As usual, I looked up in Google Maps many of the places mentioned. And of course, I experienced a special thrill when a place I have visited was mentioned!

A pleasure to read aloud. This is the kind of excellent writing that engages children (including my first-grader) without any gimmicks or shortcuts. Highly recommended.

BOOK REVIEW 14

Since historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, I gave this a try. And it turned out to be absolutely amazing. The characters were so believable, and you can find yourself relating to the characters and their experiences especially with Emma as the main character. There were enough twists, turns, and surprises in the book to keep the storyline moving and to keep it interesting. And the suspense kept me wanting to read more.

Rautenberg creates such a remarkable story full of untold mysteries, suspense, fun celebrations of that time you loved, and to think it takes place over hundreds of years ago, so many historical adventures and realities. It was a powerful period.

Overall this book was an educational historical fiction novel that somehow found the sweet spot in between too poetic and not poetic enough.

BOOK REVIEW 15

I finally finished this book and I loved it!!

The characters were interesting, flawed, and complex. The storyline was captivating, intricate, and exciting. Karen Rita Rautenberg was able to show so much more of what was going on in different places at the same time. Also, the length of the book allowed for a lot of time to pass. I love how the author incorporated some actual historical events into the story, which made all the other plotlines seem so much more real.

The array of characters are impressively developed, and with over 200 pages long,  this becomes a journey spanning many decades and gives us a glimpse of how it was to grow and age in the early 14th century and how mysteries unfold by people who are curious about the happenings in the ancient times.

A must-read.

BOOK REVIEW 16

Fun, adventurous, educational, and original.

It was a pure joy to read this wonderful story of Emma and Thomas’s adventure while riding their horses. I felt entertained the whole way through. I loved the characters, the writing style, and the plot so incredibly much. I can’t even explain why, I just had a good feeling every time I picked up this book.

The language is brilliant and makes you feel that you are living in the Middle Ages. The setting is pretty awesome. The story is entertaining and high-paced while giving you enough food for thought. What else? Another great thing about this book is that it has such a fantastic cast of characters that is interesting and the plot kept me completely absorbed and desperate to read what happened next throughout.

This is worth your precious time.

BOOK REVIEW 17

Karen Rita Rautenberg did it again!

The friendships and family in this story are so wonderful, and the characters themselves are Lil sweethearts you just want to hug, and the whole thing is such a tension-filled, action-packed, mind-blowing event that you’ll never want it to end.

I enjoyed it myself. It opens up the opportunity for different kinds of thinking and the opportunity to think of the different events, people, life during the early 14th century, and feelings in the world to somehow all be connected.

Overall I thought that Castle in Danger was a very good book to read. The book always kept me interested and never got boring because I never knew what was going to happen next. I would recommend this book to 8 years and older who like adventure, suspense, and mystery set in England in the 14th century.

BOOK REVIEW 18

As a part of my eighth-grade English class, we had a year-long reading assignment in which we were forced to read 2 books per quarter; one of our choice and one from a list our teacher compiled of a certain genre. At the third quarter of school, a list of “Middle Ages” was forced upon us. I found Castle in  Danger on the list and figured I’d read the book she had written because I had read Lady Lucy’s Gallant Knight beforehand and enjoyed that. I didn’t know what I was getting into when I picked up the copy of this book off the library shelf. I reread it a while ago and loved it just as much.

I could barely put this book down both times I read it. I felt almost everything Emma did. I found myself on the edge of my seat at times, and at other times placing my hand in my heart and adoring her far away. She’s so kind, friendly, and generous to all peasants. I don’t know how Rautenberg does that, but it’s just amazing how she puts you in the character’s shoes.

BOOK REVIEW 19

This is a great work of historical fiction set in England during the middle ages. A perfect companion for any teacher or a parent looking for a living book for their child’s or their enjoyment.

I had never read this book until it was assigned as part of the curriculum for the homeschool program in which my son participates. As the director of his group, of course, I had to read it so I could teach it to the kids. I was pleasantly surprised by this sweet, medieval tale. I think the author did a very nice job at describing even the most often overlooked aspects of life, as well as writing believable dialogue.

The fact that my almost 13-year-old son said it was one of his favorite books that we’ve read this school year also tells me this one is a winner.

A beautiful book that has pride of place on my bookshelf for I hope many years to come.

BOOK REVIEW 20

A novel need not be historically accurate in every detail for it to be so atmospheric you feel like you’ve been transported to the place by time machine. While Castle in Danger may not meet the former criterion, it satisfies the latter.

Though this book is short, I would not say that it is an easy read. Upper elementary students are probably the best audience, though it might work as a read-aloud with second or third graders interested in the period. From an educational standpoint, the story teaches a lot about the life of the peasants during the Middle Ages, and it gives kids an opportunity to witness day-to-day living in a village, on the road, and in a castle. For a short book, it does manage to pack in a lot of great details which will help contextualize lessons on this time.

BOOK REVIEW 21

Wow, the language in this book makes for some serious stumbling when reading aloud as part of schoolwork! I loved the richness and detail of the time. I love the courage of Thomas. This is the kind of adventure book I loved so much as a child – the kind of thing where there’s always something going on, where you can sympathize with the hero, where bravery rules the day, and by the end, we can close the book with a kind of happy contentment feeling like the adventure might be over, but it’s left a mark that won’t soon be lost.

Love that this was part of the Sonlight curriculum. I enjoyed reading this with my daughter.

BOOK REVIEW 22

I’m working my way through a list of books that were suggested to counter the fainting princess narrative for girls; in other words, I’m reading some books with active heroines, looking for some to read to my daughter (or have her read later) that will hopefully invite her to strength and decision rather than passively waiting for someone to make decisions her.

So this is one of those books and I enjoyed it. Emma experienced danger in the castle and did whatever she thought was right. At the same time, it was a very safe book because nothing truly irreversibly bad happens. (My daughter is, after all, only eight. Let’s save real heartache for later.) It’s above YA level, so perfect for reading to her right now.

BOOK REVIEW 23

I quite enjoyed this little read! It was fast paced and held every little detail about the medieval ages!

When I closed the book my first thought was, “Why didn’t this book exist for me as a child?” I would have read this over and over without end. For lovers of Tamora Pierce here is a book for the younger generation. The writing is seamless and simple. Every little girl will admire Emma and every big girl too. You adore her kindness and friendliness to the people below her level. Also, I personally fell in love with the brave knight. This is an adventure that scoops you up and carries away and afterwards you simply wonder, “Already?” This adventurous world will make you want to come back again and again.

BOOK REVIEW 24

Castle in Danger by Karen Rita Rautenberg is a fun, exciting adventure story of a young girl with tremendous courage. This book combines several fantasy elements where some ghosts and witches provided a visual treat for my imagination. Additionally, you will also experience the jousting as if you are part of the tournament. Different games are still being played in today’s generation such as hide and seek, chess with a square, tricking. Bands are also known during feasts and town fairs in medieval times where they play different instruments such as drums, flutes, horns, cymbals, harps, and trumpets.

Castle in Danger is a quick read, but awesome all the way through. The characters created here – Emma, Thomas, Mabel- are all well-developed although it is a quick read, and of course, typical of 20th-century literature aimed at children and young adults, there is a moral.

BOOK REVIEW 25

Sky and I read this while studying the Middle Ages. It was a good story to tell of the time period we were studying. The language is picturesque if a bit archaic. I’m not sure how much of the thee’s and thou’s hindered Sky from understanding the whole story. She said she enjoyed it and said she wouldn’t want to live in the Middle Ages too much chaos.

This superb story is sure to be loved by children and adults alike, with its clear message of the value of kindness, determination, affection, trust and the importance of nurturing responsibility and self-confidence in young people.

This story is truly a joy! I plan to read other works by this talented author. Highly recommended!

BOOK REVIEW 26

Castle in Danger is quite unlike anything else I have read. It is even difficult to assign it a genre – it contains ghosts but is not a ghost story, it contains intrigue and suspense but is not a thriller. The best I can say is that “historical fiction” is probably closest to the mark. And it’s a good story!

A young, brave, peasant hero and a young noble, fierce heroine go on an adventure. There’s lots of action and danger, and you really root for the main characters, because they have such good hearts, honesty, and depth of feeling.

Castle in Danger has plenty of period detail, plot, and action. Karen Rita Rautenberg is a writer to watch.

Recommended to existing fans of the author and those who enjoy entertaining historical adventure fiction.

BOOK REVIEW 27

 

I was pretty excited when I received a copy of this to review because I’ve enjoyed all of Rautenberg’s work so far. And this is certainly very much like her other work in tone and style — the historical setting, carefully drawn; female characters focused on, as much as the male ones; hints and suspenseful aspects without anything being completely overt.

I loved the strong character traits Andi portrays throughout the book. I was always eager to read on to find out what was going to happen next and the ending didn’t disappoint.

This is my favorite Karen Rita Rautenberg book and recommended reading for young boys and girls who are just finding their way with books, as I was when I read it for the first time to my 8-year-old son.

BOOK REVIEW 28

Castle in Danger is a wonderful story, set in medieval times in England. This book is really good to read if you like stories about life in castles, sword fighting, jousting tournaments,  holiday celebration, festivals during the 14th century and still being adapted in today’s generation, stories that aren’t too guessable and typical.

The main characters are still young and learning, and it shows that the adults, despite knowing all knowledge in most children’s stories, are still learning like the children. All of the characters have flaws, which was a pleasant surprise because, in reality, no one is perfect. This book is full of more hidden life messages, but I don’t want to spoil too much.

As for who I think should read it, I think that anyone that isn’t big on reading long books, or someone who appreciates a family-friendly tale will enjoy this. As for writing level, the prime time to read this would be in primary or middle school. It’s a nice book to start with.

BOOK REVIEW 29

I just recently learned of this book, apparently considered to be a young adult/children’s classic of historical fiction. Because I have come to enjoy this genre perhaps because of the simple and not over detailed manner of writing, I decided to acquire and read this book. I was not disappointed. It tells the story of young noble girl named Emma, a kind, friendly, obedient and a very observant to her surroundings. She met a young peasant named Thomas in an accident where she was saved from drowning. The two become friends and they experienced exciting and dangerous situations in their adventure together.

The descriptions, while a bit hard for me to picture since I’m not familiar with what the English countryside looked like in the 14th century, were beautiful. The whole thing was fast paced, kept you guessing till the very end, and, the end. I love it way too much. It was surprisingly easy to read despite it being set in the time of King Edward ll. I’d recommend this to anyone who likes action, adventure and historical fiction.

BOOK REVIEW 30

This is a stupendous, old-fashioned adventure story. Everything happens!

I loved almost everything about this book, and I enjoyed every page. It’s quality historical fiction at its best. It contains phenomenal characters, plot, setting, historical detail, adventure, writing style, description, and so much more. I also enjoyed how clever and witty the narrative and dialogue are, and both are immensely well-crafted all around.

I especially loved the compelling, vivid, and well-developed characters. The heroes and allies are immediately likable and endearing, and the villains and unlikeable characters are despicable and believable. I also really enjoyed the relationships between the characters, including both sweet friendships and intriguing enemy holds.

I am so incredibly glad that a dear friend recommended this book and this author to me! I’m indebted to her because I wouldn’t have discovered this author at all or read the book so soon if she hadn’t pushed me to. I’ve been missing out by not experiencing this author’s books sooner! This is my first book by Karen Rita Rautenberg, but it will most definitely not be the last. I look forward to reading many more books by this author.

BOOK REVIEW 31

My mom gave it to me as an early gift last month, and I was surprised at how much I ended up liking it.

The story itself was very engaging, even the parts that might be considered “slower” are not boring at all. There was a minimum of clichés, which I was extremely thankful for. The author did a great job with making sure that the events in the book seemed plausible.

The main character’s lives in this story connect with each other and also with clearly defined people in the locality. We meet soldiers, servants, thieves, ordinary workers and tradesmen, guards, a gatekeeper, and vicious villains. These characters all stand out and come to life on the pages.

There are scenes of attacks, jousting tournament, hunting and sword fighting. There are also sweet friendship, devotion to family, birthday celebrations, sing and dance, fairs and horse racing.

The writing is clear and immersive. I now want to read all Karen Rita Rautenberg’s books.

BOOK REVIEW 32

Castle in Danger was an enjoyable historical adventure. There are many aspects in this book that are accurate to history which makes the book seem as if it was a true story. It was well written and every time I picked up the book to read it, it felt as if I was transported back in time. The book isn’t very long and there was never a dull moment within the story. I think a good book is a book that you can go back to and enjoy all over again and I could see myself reading this book all over again. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a good action book that shows a glimpse of what a life of a noble daughter was like. This book does follow the life of a normal noble girl throughout England, there are scenes where she interacts with civilians and does common activities that would have been done in that period.

BOOK REVIEW 33

Middle school book is a type of book I loved to read at my early age!

The action in this book is wildly implausible but follows a relentless childish logic that is entirely appropriate to fiction for young readers. The underlying research is excellent, and when the story strays from historical fact, it does so for good reason. The writing is deft and hilarious; the author is gifted at letting the reader know more than the characters do about themselves and their world. It is, in fact, a little piece of kid-lit perfection.

I read this book on my Kindle and found it an easier read than her other novels, I think this is because I could control the font size and brightness of the screen and the Kindle is so much easier to carry about than the actual book. A tremendous effort, once again by Karen Rita  Rautenberg and I am already looking forward to her next book!

BOOK REVIEW 34

A delightful tale for a more mature 8-13-year-old (not for content -just for the more sophisticated language). Lots of quirky characters, memorable dialogue, and the familiar middle ages setting are the highlights of the tale for me. I felt the characters a little too wise for their years, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. It drags a little bit and I wanted to know more about why the castle is in danger itself, but overall, it is a lovely read.

These are my favorite Quotes from this book:

“They keep smiling at each other. They’re so happy because they fell in love and were able to marry who they wanted”

“You’re so smart and brave. I’ll always be grateful for everything you’ve done for me”

“`Tis unfair that you can’t come to the banquet today to celebrate my birthday. We’ve been very good friends since we were little girls. Peasants and servants should be treated better,”

BOOK REVIEW 35

Emma Brookton is a delightful new heroine for middle graders. I have been a fan of Karen Rita Rautenberg and her ability to weave a stunning historical setting since her young adult book Ballerina Detective and the Missing Jeweled Tiara and she’s done it again with Castle in Danger. Karen’s masterful skill at creating both a lush setting and compelling characters is on full display in Castle in Danger, and I can’t wait to share this engaging adventure with a touch of mystery with my 9-year-old son.

Although, the plot moves slowly at first but picks up speed and ends spectacularly. Middle-grade readers will be spellbound.

With enough suspense, drama, and action to keep the reader engaged this book will be an outstanding addition to any classroom library. A worthwhile read.

Testimonials for Castle in Danger

Children will love Castle in Danger because it’s so exciting.The siege is very important because it shows how one greedy lord could just take over someone’s castle during the Middle Ages. It also describes the way that they celebrated Halloween and other holidays, and how the peasants and nobility lived. It’s also fascinating to go back to a time where there was no electricity and just candles. The book is excellent for children and pre-teens.

Lucille – grandmother

 

Castle in Danger is a book with well written with realistic characters, in-depth descriptions of clothing, décor, food, and habits of the time, with interesting period detail. This makes it easy to picture the scenes and imagine yourself in them. I enjoyed this book, which had a nice blend of joyful occasions, peril, drama and humor. It has exciting scenes with horseback riding, jousting matches, town fairs, and battles. I would highly recommend it for girls and boys 8 to 13.

Moera Shapiro, Transcriber, Artist and Avid Reader

 

Castle in Danger is voyage into the majestic, mystical world of the Middle Ages. Reading this book, I could deeply relate to the protagonist, Emma, a sweet, young girl of nobility, who meets a handsome humble young peasant, Thomas, when he saves her from a death-defying accident. Emma’s sense of fairness, justice and courage in the face of adversity making me root for her, as I gang on the edge of my seating reading the castle seizure, kidnappings and other intrigue that fills the pages. I can nearly taste the foods described vividly during the Christmas festival. Castle in Danger is a moving, intense novel that can serve as fascinating, motivating reading for young people. As an educator in the New York City School system, I would highly recommend it.

Kevin Degidon

Purchase:

 

 

 

Amazon Paperback     Kindle eBook

PURCHASE directly from Wonderberry Press – Order the book(s) by sending an email to: karenrita123@gmail.com.

You can buy at Logos Bookstore, 1575 York Ave
NYC, NY 10028, (212) 517-7292