Schoolhouse Review: The Glass Castle #hsreviews #glasscastle #jerryjenkins

I have always enjoyed a good mystery and Shiloh Run Press has shared a great one through the pages of The Glass Castle by Trisha White Priebe and Jerry B. Jenkins.  Written with middle schoolers ages 10 - 15 in mind, this collaborative effort of Trisha White Priebe (author of Trust, Hope, Pray:  Encouragement for the Task of Waiting) and Jerry B. Jenkins (author of the popular Left Behind series) is actually perfect fiction for families with kids of all ages. I'm enjoying reading it just as much as the Princess is and have found it to be a page-turning delight as stories and subplots develop and unfold.

Seriously, who didn't dream of living in a beautiful castle and wearing lovely dresses as a little girl?  I want to know what's behind the doors with the big red X just as much as my daughter does and I just know that the ruby flowered necklace holds the key to true royal blood.  Since multiple members of my family are reading along together, I'd say Priebe and Jenkins have a winner with this new series.  Quality books that offer a message of HOPE while sharing the love of JESUS and reminding us all that GOD is on our side and that HE is for us and not against us?  That's exactly what I'm looking for as I encourage my children to read, read, read so it is super-easy for me to recommend it to you.
Are you excited yet?  Ready to know more?  The Glass Castle (hardcover, 251-pages) opens on the heart-pounding, heavy-breathing scene of 13-year-old Avery running through the woods for dear life with her 3-year-old brother in tow.  What started out as a leisurely walk on her birthday (even though her father had warned them to stay inside until he returned home from work) turns into a wild chase through the woods as someone or something follows after them.  Avery is kidnapped, separated from her brother, Henry, and forced to work in the hidden corridors of a castle alongside other 13-year-olds.  She has no idea where she is and no idea if her family is even still alive and looking for her as she tries to make sense of what is happening in the world to which she has been delivered.  Suspense and intrigue abound as Avery pushes the limits that she is given and begins to explore the castle on her own.  (Doesn't this sound just like the desires of a teenager's heart?  I love how the authors share the modern-day "issues" of growth in such a way that my daughter is learning valuable life lessons by reading for "fun.")

The more Avery explores the confines of the castle, the more she realizes that the make-believe stories her mother used to tell her weren't made up at all.  And although her mother is not present in her life at the moment, the lessons she taught her may very well make the difference in whether Avery survives her kidnapping and life in the castle.  This is good stuff.  The foreshadowing keeps you turning pages and the short chapters make for a superb reading experience.  It's very hard to put this book down once you begin reading as the personalities of the captured teens develop and the relationships in their new found community strengthen.

My girl is rocking some purple hair as she soaks in valuable reading time.

Did I mention that this is good stuff?  I have been a bookworm all of my life.  I have always loved the excitement of travelling to distant lands and visiting exotic places through the pages of a book and have wanted my children to develop that same love of the written word.  It can be tough to find books that both excite them and encourage character development, but The Glass Castle does both.  It invites us into a world of mystery while pointing us to the ONE who knows us and calls us by name.  This is exactly what I've been looking for.  We have enjoyed this first book in The 13 Series and look forward to the second book, The Ruby Moon.  What a bummer that we have to wait until October to find out more about what happens to Avery!

You can find out even more about The Glass Castle by Trisha White Priebe and Jerry B. Jenkins from Shiloh Run Press by visiting the following Social Media sites:

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Trust me -- your children will thank you for introducing them to the world of The Glass Castle.

I was given the opportunity to review The Glass Castle by Trisha White Priebe and Jerry B. Jenkins from Shiloh Run Press as a member of the Schoolhouse ReviewCrew.   You can check out the Crew Review and see what other members of the Schoolhouse ReviewCrew thought of it as well (or just click on the banner below.)

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