The Castle Corona

Review

Common Sense Media says

Clever, fun fairy tale with positive messages.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this is a classic fairy tale. There is mild fairy-tale violence and, of course, budding romance. A storyteller tells a story in which parents and siblings die and thieves are killed; the killings are shown as unjust.

  • Positive messages0
    Some characters are spoiled, mean, and/or bossy, but most eventually realize the error of their ways.
  • Violence3
    Classic fairytale violence: threats of poisoning, a young prince's mock battles and duels, a mean master whips his child laborers. The whippings are briefly described and the children appear unharmed by them. A storyteller tells a tale in which characters are killed unjustly.
  • Sex0
    Young people have the beginnings of romantic feelings; mostly they are confused and intrigued by them. A young prince falls in love with a peasant girl.
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What's the story?

King Guido, his queen, Gabriella, their children Prince Gianni, Vito, and Princess Fabrizia sit in their splendid castle wishing they were someplace else. Two orphaned children Pia and Enzio work very hard every day for a horrible master, all the while wishing they were in the royal family's shoes. The two families' paths cross when a thief sets the king's imagination to work and the peasant children find a mysterious pouch.

Is it any good?

 

Creech's clever weaving of two seemingly unrelated tales takes readers on a journey in which they will discover all that glitters can be itchy. Kids will enjoy all the trappings of a traditional fairy tale: beautiful clothes, royals, gorgeous castles and sweeping castle grounds, mean masters, noble peasant children, storytellers, and eccentric hermits. There is plenty of intrigue with poisons, snakes, and thieves. Parents will like the moral dilemmas that reach a satisfying conclusion in which both peasants and royals find value in their own circumstances. The characters also find purpose in reaching out to others.
David Diaz.

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What families can talk about

Families can talk about being grateful, and what the characters learned about the responsibilities that come with privilege. Why was the princess so unhappy? How did the peasants feel about the royals once they met them?

This review was written by Terreece Clarke
Parent of 10 year old
August 27, 2009
AGE
8
 
It's a good book to read in vacation
It was easy to read and sometimes funny! My 8 years old daughter loved it.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (11) | Had useful details (12) | Read my mind (7)
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Teen, 17 years old
November 21, 2008
AGE
8
 
Excitement.
I was so excited when my mom got back from her book fair at New York and one of the books she brought back was Castle Corona and I love the author.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (10) | Had useful details (10) | Read my mind (9)
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This review was written by Terreece Clarke
Author:Sharon Creech
Illustrator:David Diaz
Book type:Fiction
Genre:Fairy Tale
Publisher:HarperCollins Children's Books
Publication date:October 2, 2007
Number of pages:336
Hardcover price:$18.99
Publisher's recommended age(s):8 - 12
Read aloud:8
Read alone:8
This review was written by Terreece Clarke
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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