The Water Castle by Megan Frazer Blakemore is a charming mishmash of science fiction and magical realism reminiscent of Natalie Babbit's Tuck Everlasting.
After
Ephraim Appledore-Smith's father has a stroke, his mother relocates the
family to Crystal Springs, Maine -- not only can Ephraim's father get
better medical care there, but Crystal Springs is also the ancestral
home of the Appledore family, and there is plenty of room for them in
the formerly vacant Water Castle. Ephraim has mixed emotions about the
move, and about his father's illness. He would do almost anything to see
his father return to health. When he learns that some of his ancestors
were obsessed with the idea that the Fountain of Youth was located there
in Crystal Springs, he begins to hope that something in the town might
be able to help his father. With the help of two unlikely new-found
friends, Ephraim begins exploring the grounds of the Water Castle. Magic
and science, the past and the present -- many unexpected discoveries
await Ephraim and his friends. Will it be enough, though, to cure
Ephraim's father?
I really enjoyed this book, though I suspect
young readers may find it slow going at the beginning. The writing is
solid, and the plot is tightly woven, with a few intriguing details for
careful readers to discover -- and a few small mysteries left unsolved
at the end, perhaps with an eye to writing a sequel? Readers who liked
the aforementioned Tuck Everlasting and Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me
will find that this book hits the spot. I would not be surprised to
hear it mentioned in discussions of 2014 Newbery titles, though it's
early days yet for predictions like that!
(Reviewed from an advance copy, courtesy of the publisher.)
I really liked this one! I also feel like it's at least going to be a book we discuss for the rest of the year.
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