Christian Fiction for Kids: The Glass Castle, Book 1 from The 13 Series

Christian Fiction for Kids: The Glass Castle, Book 1 from The 13 Series was made possible with a copy of The Glass Castle by Trisha White Priebe and Jerry B. Jenkins from Shiloh Run Press for review as part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew.

My family is full of readers.

I always worried a little bit when the boys were younger that they wouldn’t catch the reading bug. 

My eldest son held out longer than the other boys waiting until a Christian fiction for kids title caught his attention in 4th grade.  Then I spent the rest of that year trying to pry books from his hands so he’d get other school work completed.

While there are tons of books on library shelves, it can be challenging to find clean fiction for kids.

Sadly, there are so many great mainstream stories that add just that one thing that can set a parent on edge.

It isn’t that I didn’t read some things which I now wonder how it received my mom’s approval. 

Rather, I want to make sure that the boys minimize the junk books and be prepared to dig deeper into more meaty selections during upper grades and into adulthood.

With our love of a good story in mind, I was thrilled when the gorgeous hard-back copy of The Glass Castle arrived at our house.

This title is geared towards children ages 10 to 14, although an advanced reader in that age range might find it a bit ‘easy’ to work through.

Christian Fiction for Kids: The Glass Castle Summary

Avery is in a pickle. It’s her 13th birthday, she’s wearing her finest dress in a glaring white, and running for her life with her younger brother in tow.

Just when she thinks things are going to be okay, they are not.

Avery wakes a prisoner in a crate being taken to a castle she’s never seen by a crotchety old woman who seems to know an awful lot about her.  Her pleas over her brother, Henry, are met with threats that she’d best behave and do as she’s told if she wants her brother to be safe.

Upon arrival in the castle, she realizes she is not alone.  Rather, there are many other young men and women…all aged 13, being kept prisoner in the castle.

Avery is quickly befriended by another girl, Kate, and helped by the friendly boy, Tuck, to adjust to her new surroundings.

Over time, she learns more about what precipitated the capture of so many 13 year-old people and how they are now the workforce of the castle as the woman with eyes on being queen has fired most of the adults.

There are more sinister reasons behind their capture and their very lives may still be in more danger than realized. It is up to the team effort of Avery, Kate, Tuck, and a quiet boy named Kendrick to pull together the other kidnapped kids and work together towards the ultimate goal of freedom.

Yet, something Avery discovers while spying on the king and his new bride could leave their lives in danger.

Christian Fiction for Kids: The Glass Castle Review

As I mentioned earlier, this book is NOT difficult for some kids in the target age range to read.

In my house of avid readers, I suspect it won’t be too long before my youngest (turning 7 this fall) will be reading it with a little help from an older sibling or parent. 

The chapters are also kept quite short which is a great feature when you want to find a good stopping place for the night.

Overall, the story is engaging.

As a reader, you are left a little confused about why Avery has been taken with details revealed slowly at times.

However, it isn’t long before the groundwork is laid and you find yourself caught up in the tale being woven.

And, I will admit that I was left at the end of the story wanting the next book to be available now to see how things will turn out for Avery and her new friends.

There’s a hint of romance in the story, something that my 8th-grade son (turning 13 this year) turns his nose up at. 

My boys have the same “why’d they go and ruin a perfectly good story with that mushy stuff????” response.

This title elicited it as well, although there was no trashy behavior or inappropriate physical behaviors like some mainstream young adult titles include.

 

What types of novels do your kids enjoy reading?

Don’t just take my word for how we found this to be. Visit the Shiloh Run Press Review post on the Schoolhouse Review Crew website to see what other homeschooling parents thought about this and other self-paced courses.