Product Description

Long ago and far away . . .

There was a castle. But not just any castle. This was a castle that glittered and sparkled and rose majestically above the banks of the winding Winono River: the Castle Corona.

And in this castle lived a family. But not just any family. This was the family of King Guido: rich and royal and . . . spoiled. And King Guido was so spoiled that neither jewels nor gold nor splendid finery could please him, for what he longed for most was . . . a nap and a gown that didn't itch.

Far below this grand, glittering castle lived two peasants. But not just any peasants. These peasants, though poor and pitiful, were plucky and proud. And in possession of a stolen pouch. But not just any pouch. A pouch whose very contents had the power to unlock secrets and transform lives . . .

And oh, there is an author. But not just any author. Sharon Creech is a Newbery Medal-winning author whose tantalizing tale will not only dazzle and delight but also entertain and excite.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #529143 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-20
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 1.41" h x 6.36" w x 7.96" l, 1.45 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 336 pages

From Booklist
In a departure for Creech, whose previous novels have all been set in the present day, the Newbery Medal winner offers a good-hearted, gently comic fairy tale set in feudal Italy. Using parallel stories that eventually dovetail, Creech introduces the Castle Corona's sheltered, slightly ridiculous royal family and Pia and Enzio, orphaned peasant children from the nearby village. Brief, cleverly paced episodes reveal that several fixtures of castle life—the king and queen's respective hermit advisors, and the court storyteller—subtly engineer Pia and Enzio's appointment as royal food tasters, for purposes linked to a stolen pouch found by the children early on. The novel's many characters are more allegorical than flesh-and-blood, and the hasty revelations at story's end don't entirely satisfy. But the engaging, puzzlelike plot will attract readers, as the novel's heady themes, from wisdom to empathy to the fate-changing power of story, prompt them to deeper thought. Diaz's full-color chapter-heading artwork and ornamental flourishes lend the novel substantial aesthetic appeal. Mattson, Jennifer

About the Author

Sharon Creech is the author of the Newbery Medal winner Walk Two Moons and the Newbery Honor Book The Wanderer. Her other work includes the novels Hate That Cat, The Castle Corona, Replay, Heartbeat, Granny Torrelli Makes Soup, Ruby Holler, Love That Dog, Bloomability, Absolutely Normal Chaos, Chasing Redbird, and Pleasing the Ghost, as well as three picture books: A Fine, Fine School; Fishing in the Air; and Who's That Baby? Ms. Creech and her husband live in upstate New York.