_The Magic Castle_
by Edith Nesbit
When a cousin becomes ill in their home just as Gerald, Kathleen, and
James are ready to begin their school vacation, it calls for a drastic
change in plans, and it is arranged the three siblings will stay
together at Cathy's school under the eye of Mam'selle, the French
governess for the girl's school. It's the first chance they've had to
fully explore the region in which their schools are situated. It's
told that there's a cave up one road, and that there is also a magic
castle somewhere nearby.
They find the cave by sheer accident (or is there such a thing as sheer
accidents and coincidence after all?), and find it leads them into the
grounds of the magic castle, although how much is magic and how much is
the overactive imagination of the pink-clad princess they find at the
heart of the garden maze is hard to say. But when she slips on the
ring she's declared makes people invisible and vanishes from sight,
save for her shadow, Jerry, Cathy, and Jimmy become aware there is
indeed a potent magic here in the grounds of Yardley Towers. Can they
use the magic to fulfill true love's quest and save the castle, or will
the magic fade away forever?
The most complex of Nesbit's magical tales in which regular kids learn
through hard experience the pleasures and costs of magic. I first read
it back when I was a senior in college, and was delighted to read it
again now. This book inspired Edgar Eager's series that began with
_Half Magic_, so it meant the more to me as that book became a favorite
when I was myself a child.
Found this in paperback at Goodwill. Although it was written about a
hundred years back it is still timely, as human nature and children's
interests are timeless!
Bonnie L. Sherrell
Teacher at Large
"Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. For even the very wise
cannot see all ends." LOTR
"Don't go where I can't follow."
