The Castle in the Attic

I loved this book when I was about eight years old, and looking back on it, it's easy to see why: William, the main character, is a gymnast (just as I was) who's rather shy and reserved (just as I was) but manages, when it's important, to help the people around him. He's immensely sympathetic and compelling, and though the familiar fantasyland and evil-wizard-ruling-a-faux-medieval-kingdom plotline hold few surprises for adult readers familiar with the conventions of the genre, it surprised and excited me as a kid.
Re-reading it recently, I found it didn't hold up as well as some of my favorite books from when I was younger (such as Madeleine L'Engle's A Ring of Endless Light), but it holds up better than many; this is a strong book for both children and for adults. I have a hard time imagining a more perfect book for bed-time reading.

I bought this to entertain us (two old folks) on a long drive, and we enjoyed it immensely. It's similar in concept to Indian in the Cupboard and just as enjoyable. I like children's books if they are well written, and this story definitely is well written. The reading by different readers is less professional sounding than some audio books, but it was very good and I recommend it.

it was a good book because it always kept on the edge of my seat.it it was sad in the begging and then went to happy through out the book.i think that it was great how some one who was important to william left but left such an extrordinary present.and i love how there was a battle it realy made me want to read more.plus it was a castle so when i read the title i realy wanted to read it because castles are awesome in my opinion. plus if your some who likes adventure like me you will love this book. and finally if i could describe this book in one word i would say interesting and that is my favorite kind.

love,
madison

I do remember that this book Castle in the Attic along with The Hatchet were my two favorite books in my 10th year probably a little later. Now I know that for all of its childish elements its actually one of your more basic fantasy stories lonely child meets exiled knight who just so happens to need his help in fighting an evil wizard. The fact that I remember it all of these years later is a testament to its staying power.

Overall-I don't see any reason why it shouldn't still work today I doubt it has lost any of its punch.

I think this is great book, and if you get the time to read it, you just might find it's one of the best books you have ever read. In the beginning it is somewhat slow, but if you keep reading, the book will get a lot better and the plot will unravel. There is a little boy who gets a toy castle and a knight from his housekeeper who is moving away. After playing with the castle and the knight the kid starts to see that not everything is normal, and that his world is about to be turned upside down! I hope you read this book for I know you'll like it.

I absolutely love this book for children. One of my teachers read this book to my class in elementary school, and I loved it then. I could not remember much about the story, so I recently decided to pick it up again. It did not disappoint. This is a great action story about the strength we all have inside of us. There were a lot of great lessons hidden in this book. This is definitely one I will read to my class once I'm a teacher!

Overall, I thought the book, The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop, was great! It is about a brave 10-year-old boy named William. William is basically energetic and likes to seek adventure. A dear family friend, Mrs. Phillips, is heading back for England (home) so she gives William a toy castle. When he picks up the one small lead Knight that comes with it, it magically comes alive. Soon he discovers that there is a token that turns things small like the Silver Knight. The other half of the token that in unison with the second half turns thing big again is in the evil Wizard's possession. The day before Mrs. Phillips is about to leave he tries the token out by using it on her. Turns out William made a big mistake. He then has to find the other half of the token that will change her back. Before he knows it, William is traveling through a dirty land filled with poverty. He has to battle a fierce dragon and a powerful wizard in order to finish his mission. When you read this book you will embark on a dangerous quest filled with magical spells, fire breathing dragons, and adventure. As you read through the pages you will help the Silver Knight and William conquer all their evil villainous foes. The story mainly takes place in the castle, attic, and poor land. At the end everything goes back to normal and everybody is celebrating. How you say? You must read this outstanding book to find out!

This was a great and is very magical. A young boy's nanny is leaving and gives him a small castal as a going away present but it turns out that the night that came w/the castal is a real night that has been shrunken and turned to stone. The young boy breaks the spell that an evil sorcerer has put on the night and goes back to his time to stop the wrong that the sorcerer is doing. Will he stop the evil sorcerer or will the evil sorcerer stop him, you will find out in this incredible story of magic and adventure!!!

The castle in the attic is about a kid named willim and he gets a goodbye present from his nusrse lady. the goodbye present is a castle with a knight made of lead. When william touches the knight it comes to life and is no longer made of lead. The knight had been a real man that had been shrunk with a special stone. William didnt want his nurse lady to go away so he had the knight shrink her with the stone. After william felt bad about what he had done and wanted to make her her real size again. So the only way to get the resizing stone and the only way to get it was to go bach in time and defeat the alasator. To go back in time he needed two boys and a girl to go back. He the knight and the nurse lady where the people. William and the knight went and defeated the alasator got the resizing stone and the knight took over the castle then william went back and got himself and the nurse lady big again.

i liked the story but it took along time to build up to the climax then the climax was short

WARNING! WARNING! You have to read this book. It is about a boy named William. William is a 10 year old boy who is very caring. His nannie, Mrs Phillips, is going back to London. William doesn't want her to go. She has been there his whole life. To make him feel better she gives him a castle that has been in her family for years. There is a toy knight in the castle.He is the Silver Knight. Thats how the whole book started. I loved this book. It was very intriguing. I just couldn't put it down. Read this book.

The Castle In The Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop

I like the book The Castle In The Attic because its about magic and its fiction. I think you will like this book because its about a boy who gets a castle. And the boy gets a small knight, and the knight is alive and makes the boy small with a magical token.The knight has to reclaim his castle and defeat a wizard called Alastor.The magic parts are cooler than I thought. Its the 3rd best book I've ever read.

by DHRUMIL PATEL

I loved this book! E. W. has created an amazing world of castles, knights, dragons, and much more. It is a new and exciting idea of a castle and a knight and even a whole world coming to life for William. My favorite idea behind the book is that when William is in the castle, he can not see his attic. His world had dissapeared. The idea of being in another world in the castle is thrilling! I reccomend this book to readers of all ages! Also be sure to read *Battle for the Castle* , the sequel to *Castle in the Attic*!

I rated this one star because the cds are stratched and they skipped all through the story. I would have sent it back, but I was so sure I could depend on this company. I threw away the returned information. I will have to purchase another CD before I use the novel with another class.

I am very disappointed and I will think twice before I order again.

Thank you for the opportunity to share.

Gloria Gilliard

This is the reveiw I used for school: This Book is about a 10 year old boy named William and Mrs. Phillips. One day Mrs. Phillips tells him that she'sleaving to go back to England, so she gives him a toy castle with a little knight. Then that night William goes up to play with the castle and when he touches the knight he comes alive and tells William his story. A few weeks later when Mrs. Phillips is about to leave on her bus something happens to her and then the adventure starts. [....]

Do you believe in dragons and magical lands? Well, if you do then this book is for you! Willam's house keeper is moving away. He doesn't want her to go.He tries to make her stay. Before she leaves she gives him a castle. Next thing he knows he's on a fantastic journey to free the land from a evil wizard. Will the wizzard catch him and turn him into lead. Read this book to find out. Recommended for 3rd graders and up.

By Sam

In 5th grade we read a book thats called the castle in the attic . I think this book is #1 because its full of adventures and magic and dragons. This book is for all ages. My favourite part was when William had to defeat the Dragon, because it was very exciting to read and my imagination took over. My secomd favourite part was when William took the token and made miss Phillips small.

We own a selection of audio books we listen to as a family on long car rides. Some were smart purchases, some...not so much. The Castle in the Attic is one of those rare children's books that even parents can enjoy listening to without a side of Advil. The Castle in the Attic is ALWAYS the first audio book I reach for when packing for a long trip.

The Castle in the Attic

By Elizabeth Winthrop

J. Ho

P. 1

The Castle in the Attic is about a boy named William who, one day, finds out that his nanny, Mrs. Phillips, is going back to England. Before she left, she gave William a castle that came with one mysterious lead knight. The week she was about to leave, William found out that the knight became alive and that the knight carried a magical shrinking artifact. William was in such despair about Mrs. Phillip that he used the artifact to shrink her so she could stay with William for as long as he liked. She didn't like being as small as a toy so William also shrank himself to help change back Mrs. Phillips. He learned the story of the knight, about the evil magician Alastor, and about the magical world after being shrunk. To save Mrs. Phillip and himself, he went on a journey to defeat Alastor and get the enlarging token. He became a hero after defeating Alastor, but went back to the castle. He changed Mrs. Phillips and himself back to normal. This story had some things that I liked and disliked.

I disliked the part where William only thought of his own despair. "And what would Mrs. Phillips think of sharing the castle with Sir Simon? William wondered for a moment. He put the thought quickly out of his mind. He would worry bout that later." William barely gave a thought to what Mrs. Phillips would feel. He only thought about how good it would feel if he could make Mrs. Phillips stay forever. There was also another part I didn't like.

The part where William still made a joke of changing Mrs. Phillips was another part I detested. "`Although I do have this special token that makes people green form the roots of their hair right down to their toenails. Don't you think your brother would like you to come home a whole new color?'" It wasn't very nice of him to make a joke of changing people, especially without their permission. Although there were several parts I disliked there was also a part in the book I liked.

The best part of the book was where William fought Alastor. "William reached out and snatched the mirror, turning it on Alastor. The look of horror on the wizard's face was unbearable, and William was almost tempted to drop the mirror and break it. Alastor sank to his knees covering his eyes with his hands. `It's the locust,' he moaned." This part was really exciting. It was very dramatic and I could picture a villainous wizard covering his eyes and getting scared by his own cruelty.

I liked the book Castle In The Attic because it was a book on a Dragon and a Knight. My three favorite parts were when William climbed the tree and got the apple for the cursed man. My other one was when he fought the dragon,and my last one was when William fought Alastor.Other kids should read this book so they will be more interested in reading the sequel Battle For The Castle.

I am 26 years old and I still remember reading this book as a child. I have always loved castles, so the castle layout diagram at the beginning of the book really made me happy and drew me into the world. The cover is different on my edition, so I hope the diagram is still there in this latest printing. I was an avid reader as a child, and I highly recommend this book!

Willam and Mrs. fillip's have a speicel bond they love each other but she got home sick so willam thought of a few ways to try to keep her from leaving .not one of them worked mrs.fillip's felt bad she was leaving so she gave willam a castle that she owned .So that"s how it starts your going to half to read it for yourself!

I think that The Castle in the Attic is a great book for people of all ages. I would recommend this book for anyone who likes fantasy or adventure. This book is full of magic, adventure, and happiness. All of the characters have to work together to defeat the evil wizard, Alastor.

There are very many adventures in the book. I recommend 2 books the Castle in The Attic and The Battle for The Castle. They are really good books. They are very interesting.
The auther is Elizabeth Winthrop. She makes it so that you won't want to put it down. I know I did not want to put the book down.
I'm giving the book 5 stars because its very detailed. For example instead of her saying he climbed the tree to get the apple. She tells what happend while he climbed the tree.
My favorite part was when William freed the Silver Knight.He touched the Silver Knight on the cheek so the Silver Knight came alive.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this book. So if you like adventures, this is a book I think you would like.

"The Castle in the Attic" is an AMAZING book, especially if you like adventurous, suspenseful books with happy endings. William seems so real, the way he's both good and bad. The creativity (Alaster, the magic tokens) is stunning. If you love this book, be sure and read the sequel "The Battle for the Castle".

This is one of my favorite books of all time. In fact it would be my favorite book if I hadn't read The Battle For the Castle which is the next book in this minne seris. What I'm trying to say is that this is a really good book and if your only aloud to buy one book this year make it The Battle For the Castle.

Except for being very much like The Indian in the Cupboard
the book has a sword and sorcery type theme.
The adventure is fun and the characters are believable.
I liked the book and thought it was fun reading.
The diagram of the castle was also educational;
pretty small for a Keep. Most real castles were much larger than this.

This was a great fantasy book. I think it was good because it was full of action and imagination. It is especially good if you like knights and wizardry. This book was about a kid named William who goes on a spectacular adventure with a knight. He runs into trouble and has to defeat a wizard on the way. I recommend this book because it is fun to read and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

I like the book Castle In the Attic because it was very adventurous. My favorite part in the book was when Mrs.Philips gave William a gift. Do you know what the gift was? Can you figure out what it is? I recommend this book because Castle In the Attic is a very exciting novel to read.

I want to buy this book and read it at home to my Mom & Dad. I like reading the book it was fun! When I read the book I play with my castle that I have at home. I like the knight Sir Simon the most. I am so sorry that Williams Nanny is moving back with his brother in Italy.

The Castle in the Attic is full of adventure, it is thrilling, and funny. It was funny when Simon came alive. It was full of adventure when William went to defeat Alastar. It was thrilling when Alastar was turned into lead. You should read this book because it's exciting.

I read the book The Castle in the Attic and I really enjoyed it. My favorite part was when William meets Sir Simon and sees the castle. I like this part because William gets scared and drops him on the floor. Will they become friends or not? Find out by reading the book.

The book The Castle in the Attic is a very interesting, exciting book. One fascinating part was when William stole the tokens from the wizard. What happened to the wizard? I guess you'll have to read the book to find out the exciting ,outrageous, and funny details.

In the beginning, William is an ordinary boy, but when his toy knight comes alive, and William shrinks, the adventure begins. This book was one of the best books I've ever read. And anyone with a big imagination and a love for adventures will love this book too.

My class read the book The Castle in The Attic My whole class liked the book. My favorate part was when Willam got past the dragon.But did he get in the castle? I don't know! You will have to read the book to find out. I recommend you read this book!!!!

I think I first read this book when I was around 11 years old. Since then I must of read it a hundred times. I read it so much that it has fallen apart, and yet I keep the pieces. I am now 26 years old and it is still one of my top ten favorite books. I came on here looking for a new copy so I can read it again. And now I look forward to reading the follow up story "The Battle For The Castle"

I liked this book because it was sort of scary. It was sort of scary because of when William and Sir Simon were in the woods trying to get to Alastor's castle, but then Sir Simon went off the path and left William alone in the spooky woods.My favorite character is Mrs.Philips

My children (7, 8, & 11) and I just finished listening to this book. It was great. The story kept them interested. They couldn't wait until bed time so we could listen to a few chapters. I am going to purchase the sequel tonight.

This book showed how sometimes imagination can make a really interesting reality. Being fiction and all we thought it was very interesting. It was very intriguing and we didn't want to put the book down. It was full of magic fantasy and challenges for the characters to face. This book is a good read-a-loud book great for class room discussions. We thought it was interesting how they described the forest when William was traveling to defeat Alastar. Two thumbs up!
(...)

I really liked this book, "The Castle in the Attic", because there were many good parts. My favorite part is William got shrunk.Another part is in chapter 16 when William got the token. One other part I liked was when he returned. I hope you will read this book soon. It is a really good book.

This book, by Elizabeth Winthrop was one of the best books I've ever read. It was a real page turner! The end of every chapter left me wanting to read on. If you love fantasies too, I strongly recommend you pick up this one today!

When William recieves a minature castle from his nany with a sliver knight he is lead through a adventure of a lifetime. This adventure includes fighting dragons, deafeating an evil wizard and finding out what he can do himself using knowledge.

I liked The Castle In the Attic.I liked it especially when William got separated from Sir Simon in the forest.I think that everybody should read The Castle In the Attic. It's very cool to read about a journey.

I like the book Castle In the Attic. It is a good book.My favorite part is when William fights the dragon. To find out what happens you need to read the book.I recommend the book beacuse it is exciting.

The Castle in the Attic was a great book. It was about a boy called William. His family friend babysitter was leaving. She gave him a castle. William and his toy knight go on an adventure for his babysitter. It was an awesome book. I would recommend The Castle in the Attic to everybody.

i read the castle in the attic and i thoght it wasn't very entrtaning. but that's just my opinion. i thought on some of the chapters it dragged on and lost me alot. like it would talk about one thing and then another without alot of detail. for my opinion, it was an ok book. it had it's moments like whats going to happen next then it was really boring.

This book is amazing. I read it when I was a child and couldn't put it down. It has amazing adventure and suspense, without the horrible violence. Several months ago, something reminded me of the book and I had to hunt it down. I had forgotten the title and the author(it had been 15 years since I read it). I finally was able to locate it. I was thrilled. I bought it and read it in just a couple of hours. It is a book I recommend for both children and adults.

I first read this book when I was eight, and now, at 17, I still haven't forgotten it. I must have read it three times, and I loved every word of it. It sparks the imagination and it's extrememly difficult to put down. I remember staying up past midnight just to read this book (despite my parents' admonishments). I recommend it to all kids! I know I'll be reading it to my future children!

This book is about a boy who gets a toy castle as a gift and working with a knight going from the present into the past saving a old town from a evil ruler(Alastor).The town was saved and they wanted the knight and the boy to rule their town but the boy refuses and goes back to the present and the knight stays to protect the town from any other evil rulers.

This book is a great book to read. Elemantry students and children from all ages will love Elisabeth Windrop's idea. I LOVED this book and I think that it should be sold in stores everywere. The Castle In The Attic made me inspired to do an other Fantasy, Magic book and I think it will inspire you too.

-Kara

Castle in the Attic is a masterpiece beyond childhood recognition. Ms. Winthrop has woven a tale not confined to the limits of a child's imagination, but one that tests the mature intellect. Christian parents will be pleased to discover that while magic is a recurring theme in this book, it proves to be mearly a side story to the more important and intreguing prospect of William's character development. I recomend to any parent this book for their young son. It speaks of Honor and Chivalry in the face of evil, of strength and tender souls. What this book speaks of in regard to emotional strength is something that every child, and even adult, needs to discover; That to Cry is not Cowardice, to be tender hearted is not Weakness, and that Honor and courage is the Heart of a Knight.

I really liked castle in the attic because it is for someone who likes an adventure it fun and it will make you read more and more
because it has knights and wizards and magic coins. So I really recommend this book for people that like adventure!

The book Castle in the Attic is a good book.My favorite part is when william defeated Alastor. There was one other good part in Castle in the Attic. When William was trying to get to Alastors kingdom and the dragon was distracting him with bad visions. I recommend this book to anybody who likes exciting books.

My family and I listened to this book on tape when we were driving across the country. It was so fun we didn't want to turn it off. It's about a boy who figures out what's in your heart mattters most. It has a great moral and is very exciting. I recommend this book for everyone.

Castle in the attic

I like the dragon, the knight, and the magic....But I do not like the wizard. You should read this book because it is really, really that good. I like the beginning don't like the middle but I like the end.

I love this book! I would read it over and over again. It's a great adventure book adout friendship and perseverance. I would recommened this book to people who enjoy reading about magic, wizards, and castles.

The main characters are William the boy, the Silver Knight, and Mrs. Phillips {maid}.My favorite character is the Silver Knight. A good thing about this book is it has easy handwriting. I like this book because it had a lot of fantasy. I didn't like this book because it didn't have a lot of action. The book is about a 10 year old boy named William who had a maid named mrs. phillips that gave him a castle. One night, William went into the attic to play with the castle and opened the box that had the Silver Knight. The Silver Knight talked to him and william about his life. If you want to know more about the book than read the book.Here's somthing you could read. There is not much action until the end. There is a sequal. It could be better but I haven't read it. I rate this book a 4.

The Castle in the Attic was about a 10 year old boy named William who lives with his mom and dad in Pennsylvannia. And he has a baby sitter that stays with him for 13 years and desides to go back to her home in England. William doesnt want her to go so he takes her picture of her husband who died in the world war 2. She finds out and is said for him and gives William a go away gift which was a huge toy castle with a led knight.

This was the worst book I have ever read in my entire life! I was forced to read it for school. It was complicated and very boring. I would not recommend this book to anyone!! Please don't waste your time and money to read this book!! Read something else!!

I read this book out loud to my family of boys over the span of one week. They liked it very well -- even the littlest brother could follow the story, even though there are no illustrations.

It's a story of adventure and hidden strength, as a beloved nanny gives William a play castle with a surprise inside -- a miniature, living knight! The nanny and the 10-year-old child become miniaturized as well, and the adventure to rescue the kingdom from an evil wizard commences.

There was a long, slow build-up to the action in this story -- lots of school days, and afternoons in the attic, and gymnastics practices, and long discussion. Only the final 7 chapters detail the real adventure -- the first 10 are just warm-ups.

Parent notes:

*A lot of lying. A *lot* of lying. William (the child protagonist) lies almost constantly through the beginning of the book.

*Absent parents rely on a nanny so they can pursue their careers. In fact, the son makes pointed remarks about how the dad never keeps his promises.

*Great knightly values: Be compassionate to the needy. Neither squander wealth nor hoard it. Never lose your sense of shame. If questions are asked of you, answer them frankly but do not ask too many yourself. Be manly and of good cheer. Never kill a foe who is begging for mercy. Be ever loyal in love.

*William seems totally unfamiliar with the interiors of churches. He meets Sir Simon in a chapel and acts as though he has never seen a cross or smelled incense or noticed how altar candles flicker. Being in the chapel makes William feel small and quiet, and he recognizes it as a holy place, but that's it. All the praying he does consists of supplications to his nanny, spoken aloud in times of trouble, although she is far away.

*One scary scene, when William encounters the dragon, describes an illusion he sees of his nanny burning to death. Another scary scene describes the horrifying process of a person being turned to lead from the feet up.

As a parent, I give this book 3.5 stars. My kids liked the adventure and the setting of the castle and the kingdom... and truly, the final 7 chapters were very fun to read out loud. From a values standpoint, this book wouldn't be my favorite choice for modeling my children's behavior.

I prefer Mary Stewart's "A Walk in Wolf Wood" as a fictional castle adventure to be read and re-read.