The Castle Key

by Karen Krossing

Twelve-year-old Moon lives with her father after her mother disappears, leaving her with nothing but a beautiful ring, which also mysteriously vanishes. After her mother’s departure, her father has become unusually depressed and moody. Moon, however, firmly believes that she will see her mother again and develops a strong interest in magic as a way to find her. Her breakthrough comes when she finds a strange key in the office of Ms. Tanglemoth, the intimidating school librarian. When Moon holds the key, she is transported back in time as an invisible observer to the middle ages, where young Nora, who bears a strong resemblance to Moon’s mother, is oppressed both by her father and his enemies. Moon gradually realizes that she and the key are the means to giving Nora’s murdered ghost peace and to restoring her own mother to her. But how exactly is this to be accomplished?

176 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2000

About the author

Karen Krossing wrote comics and poetry as a kid and dreamed of becoming a published writer. Today, she’s the author of many books for kids and teens, including picture books and novels. She won the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for Canada in 2015 and 2023 and has been a finalist for the Ontario Library Association White Pine Award and the Joan F. Kaywell Books Save Lives Award, among other honors. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and she’s on faculty at Whale Rock Workshops.

For more about Karen, visit karenkrossing.com.

Reviews

[Vicki Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a children's librarian I love to read junior fiction and I want to read all of Karen Krossing's books and share them with our school as we prepare ourselves for her visit in September. We look forward to meeting her and I personally can't wait to dive into another title.

Karen captured magic, spirit and the strength of hope in this wonderful junior fiction. Wow this is her first book ... I can't even imagine the success of all her books.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I very little, we had a copy of it at school. I remember asking for as a gift when I was also young. My mom searched high and low of it, and I some how lost it. :( I would love to read it again. :)