The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle

The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle
By Janet Fox
Viking, Penguin Random House, 2016. 388 p.

Kat, her two brothers, and son of a family friend are all sent to Rookskill Castle while WWII bombings are prevalent in London. However, it is actually a bit more dangerous at Rookskill Castle than in London with all the Nazi bombs. One by one the children of Rookskill Castle Children’s Academy are disappearing and it seems as if by some dark magic. Kat is the oldest of her crew (and quite clever and logical to boot) so she feels it is her responsibility to figure out just exactly what is happening. The only trouble is…she has a hard time believing in magic (even though her Great-Aunt Margaret gave her a chatelaine that she claims has magical powers).

This is a spooky tale where clues as to what is happening are strewn throughout the text via flashbacks or Kat slowly figuring out bits at a time. Yet, through text highlighting other characters, readers will end up guessing the mystery with enough time to be sure to read with all the lights on while Kat is still figuring it all out. And the ending! There is a solid, satisfactory ending; however, there is a door left wide open for possible sequels. Readers who love children’s horror or being a little frightened while reading a good, magical mystery will enjoy this creepy tale.

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