No Castles Here [Library Binding]

A.C.E. Bauer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 23, 2007 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

AUGIE BORETSKI KNOWS how to get by. If you're a scrawny loser in the destitute city of Camden, New Jersey, you keep your head down, avoid the drug dealers and thugs, and try your best to be invisible. Augie used to be good at that, but suddenly his life is changing. . . .

First, Augie accidentally steals a strange book of fairy tales. Then his mom makes him join the Big Brothers program and the chorus. And two bullies try to beat him up every day because of it. Just when it seems like things can't get any worse, an ice storm wrecks Augie's school. The city plans to close the school, abandoning one more building to the drug addicts. But Augie has a plan. For the first time in his life, Augie Boretski is not going down without a fight.


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2007:
"Complex characters and an infinitely readable text make this one of the strongest titles of the year."


From the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

A.C.E. Bauer spends most of the year in Cheshire, Connecticut, and much of the summer on a lake in Quebec. She lives with her husband, two children, and their dog, Speedy. No Castles Here is her first novel.


From the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Library Binding: 288 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (October 23, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375939210
• ISBN-13: 978-0375939211
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 1 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,548,342 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solidly Crafted First Novel Packs Intergenerational Punch, November 26, 2007

By 

D. Kuttler (Northampton, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: No Castles Here (Hardcover)

Perfect for: Your little brother who wants to go out for the school musical. Your niece who thinks that all the good books are written only about boys. Your college student cousin who keeps secret copies of E.L. Konigsburg and Madeline L'engle next to her chemistry books.

A.C.E. Bauer has crafted a novel that manages to be both entertaining and empowering, straddling the middle reader/young adult line with an ease that should evoke envious sighs of appreciation from others in her genre.

This book reflects some of the magical realism that permeates much of today's good adult-shelf fiction (see J.S. Foer's "Everything Is Illuminated", for one of the finest examples) in a way that is intricate, complex, but still accessible to the young reader. Bauer weaves a family tree of fairy godmothers - some of folk history's greatest-loved outcasts - with the story of 11-year-old Augie Boretski, a scrappy scapegoat for his pre-gentrification Camden neighborhood's aspiring gang members and drug dealers.

The ending comes together all too soon, with a mildly frustrating nod to Dickens's tradition of mysterious benefactors. However, a longer novel probably wouldn't sustain the attention of Bauer's Augie-aged audience, who deserve closure and a good-guys-win ending as much as Augie and his fairy godparents do.

A satisfying read, which kept this college student awake until 3am, when she finished the very last page.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars beautifully written, November 25, 2007

By 

E. Soh "Elizabeth" (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: No Castles Here (Hardcover)

I loved it. Augie and the characters in the parallel fairy tale each have to face an assortment of injustices. Although the characters are presented with difficult situations, they are ultimately rewarded with the kinds of victories that are only available to those who stand up for what they believe.

I have been enjoying this book long after I read it. The book spans multiple generations, and integrates a myriad of social issues and history into the story line in a natural and sensitive way.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars inspiring tale that touches everyone, November 24, 2007

By 

Liora - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Castles Here (Hardcover)

This book is an incredible example of young adult/middle reader literature. Even though I'm well above ya/mr reading, I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this book. "No Castles Here" draws you in with a very compelling story line - it discusses important subjects, such as inner city life, in a way that allows the reader to truly relate and understand. In addition, and which I especially liked, the main plot line is interspersed with fairy tales. The tales are extremely well written, and even use a different "literary voice" than the other plot line, to make it seem as though you are reading a different book inside the main book.

"No Castles Here" is an excellent read. I would highly recommend it to anyone, but especially to families who can read it together.