Crandalls' Castle

By Betty Ren Wright

Book Overview

Charli's excited about the Crandall family's newest endeavor-to fix up the town's old mansion and turn it into a bed-and-breakfast-at first. She even volunteers to help. Then strange things begin to happen. Charli hears someone singing-but no one one is there. She sees the shadow of a rocking cradle-but there is no cradle. And then she hears a baby crying, and crying... Something terrible happened in the old house many years ago. And it may happen again, unless Charli can figure out how to stop the past from repeating itself.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0823417263
• ISBN13: 9780823417261
• Release Date: May 2003
• Publisher: Holiday House
• Length: 177 Pages
• Weight: 0.82 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 8.4"
• Age Range: 10 to 13 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 8

Customer Reviews

Not one of Wright's best - but still very good

This story is narrated by two different girls. One is Charli, 12, who is trying to get use to the new marriage of her mother and her stepfather. The other is Sophia, 14, an orphan, who comes to live with her distant relatives, Charli's Aunt Lilly and Uncle Will Crandall, who she has never meant before. Having been living in the foster system for awhile, she has learned to stay to herself and not to make friends, as it is too hard to leave them; especially with her ability to "see things before they happen." Nonetheless, she can't help herself from getting attached to her new "family." Yet, Charli and Sophia have trouble making friends with each other. Sophia doesn't understand why Charli isn't happy with her new "father" because it is exactly what Sophia has been missing this whole time. And Charli feels that Sophia doesn't want to be friends with her and becomes jealous of Sophia's new relationship with her Aunt Lilly and Uncle Will. Meanwhile, Charli's Uncle Will reveals that he has purchased the town's haunted mansion. He plans on renovating it and turning it into a bed-and-breakfast. Eager to see the haunted house, and maybe some ghosts, Charli visits the house and is surprised and freighted by what she sees. Uncle Will asks the girls to help fix up the house, yet while working there, they both sense something is amiss there, especially Charli. Charli wants to tell somebody, but she is sure no one will believe her. She hopes she can convince someone before it is too late. The addition of tension between the two girls made the story more interesting. The beginning of the part with the haunted house was developed a little too quickly and came to an almost anti-climatic ending. Still, it was a pleasurable read and many will enjoy it, even though it wasn't one of Wright's best.

Crandall's Castle Rocks!

Crandall's Castle is a great book about a family that tries to open a hotel only to find it is haunted. When they find it is haunted they have to save a baby from being suffocated. When they save him the ghost dissappaers. They give up on the hotel and give it back to the realitor.