Crandalls' Castle [Paperback]

Betty Ren Wright (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 177 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc. (2005)
• ISBN-10: 0439777712
• ISBN-13: 978-0439777711
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,480,031 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not one of Wright's best - but still very good, July 24, 2006

By 

Kind Bean "can't read enough" (New England, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crandalls' Castle (Hardcover)

This story is narrated by two different girls. One is Charli, 12, who is trying to get use to the new marriage of her mother and her stepfather. The other is Sophia, 14, an orphan, who comes to live with her distant relatives, Charli's Aunt Lilly and Uncle Will Crandall, who she has never meant before. Having been living in the foster system for awhile, she has learned to stay to herself and not to make friends, as it is too hard to leave them; especially with her ability to "see things before they happen." Nonetheless, she can't help herself from getting attached to her new "family." Yet, Charli and Sophia have trouble making friends with each other. Sophia doesn't understand why Charli isn't happy with her new "father" because it is exactly what Sophia has been missing this whole time. And Charli feels that Sophia doesn't want to be friends with her and becomes jealous of Sophia's new relationship with her Aunt Lilly and Uncle Will.

Meanwhile, Charli's Uncle Will reveals that he has purchased the town's haunted mansion. He plans on renovating it and turning it into a bed-and-breakfast. Eager to see the haunted house, and maybe some ghosts, Charli visits the house and is surprised and freighted by what she sees. Uncle Will asks the girls to help fix up the house, yet while working there, they both sense something is amiss there, especially Charli. Charli wants to tell somebody, but she is sure no one will believe her. She hopes she can convince someone before it is too late.

The addition of tension between the two girls made the story more interesting. The beginning of the part with the haunted house was developed a little too quickly and came to an almost anti-climatic ending. Still, it was a pleasurable read and many will enjoy it, even though it wasn't one of Wright's best.

2 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Crandall's Castle Rocks!, February 6, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Crandalls' Castle (Hardcover)

Crandall's Castle is a great book about a family that tries to open a hotel only to find it is haunted. When they find it is haunted they have to save a baby from being suffocated. When they save him the ghost dissappaers. They give up on the hotel and give it back to the realitor.