The Secrets of Hexbridge Castle, written by Gabrielle Kent, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Summary: The first chapter in this book will hook readers and they will not be able to put it down until it is finished. Nora Emmett disapproved on many things and she didn’t trust electricity. She has tartan slippers and was very displeased to be woken up at 3am. Then readers are introduced to the main character, Alfie Bloom. He was staring at a strange raven out his school window and then his life changed. Then he inherited Hexbridge Castle. Imagine the fun that can happen exploring hidden rooms and discovering magic? But some unfortunate things happen as well. There is a mean dragon, terrible headmistresses and scary time travel. Readers will be intrigued by the druid, Orin Hopcraft and they will love Alfie’s family.

Straight Talk for Librarians: This book is perfect for Harry Potter fans and fantasy gamers. It includes funny dialogue, themes about friendship and family and lots of mysterious magic. I really enjoyed this book and the world building taking place. There is a lot of fast-paced action, mysteries to solve and fantastical magic to learn about. This is the first book in a trilogy and was originally published in England. I love the time traveling to find answers and readers will have a sense of satisfaction when the evil headmistresses are dealt their justice. I like that Alfie started out as just a regular middle school student and then his life drastically changed. I disagree with some of the published reviews that say that this book is formulaic and predictable. If it was, I don’t think I would have been so engaged with it. If you have students who enjoy magic and fantasy, this will be a great pick! I think the world-building was quite detailed and you don’t often find druids in middle-grade fiction. I think the author took her knowledge from gaming and programming and created a book. I would argue that the world-building that goes on in games is very creative and each one is unique in its own way. So is this story. I loved it! This was published in 2015 in England, in the States in 2016 and I wish I would have reviewed it when it was a bit newer. It’s still a great addition to a middle school library. I think some high school students would enjoy it as well. I do like the US cover a bit more. If you buy this book and promote it, I think it will be a hit at your school.