The Water Castle

by Megan Frazer Blakemore

Ephraim Appledore-Smith is an ordinary boy, and up until his father’s stroke he lived an ordinary life. But all that changes when his family moves to the Water Castle—their ancestral home in the small town of Crystal Springs. Mallory Green’s family has always been the caretakers of the Water Castle—and the guardians of the legendary Fountain of Youth, hidden on the estate grounds. Will Wylie’s family has been at war with the Applegates for generations, all because of the Water Castle’s powerful secrets. When Ephraim learns of the Fountain, he’s sure finding it can cure his dad. With Mallory and Will’s help, he embarks on a quest that will blur the lines of magic and science, creativity and discovery, leaving readers left to wonder: Do you believe in the unbelievable?

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Mystery, Science Fiction, Adventure, Fiction, Juvenile

344 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Megan Frazer Blakemore is an author for children and young adults. She lives with her husband and children in Maine. She has worked in both school and public libraries, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in library science at Simmons SLIS.

Reviews

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

She did understand. She understood as she never had before.

Okay, this book is seriously mindblowing and amazing. SO AMAZING. One of the best children's book (middle-school, or whatever you call it before kids start reading YA) that I have ever read. OMG.

Price, Ephraim, and Brynn Appledore's father has suffered a severe stroke. He's nonresponsive. He can't talk, he can't go to the bathroom by himself,... In desperation, the children's mother takes the three kids up to Maine with their dad in order to get treatment from a specialist. Where are they going to live? In the Water Castle, of course.

The Water Castle is a big ancestral Appledore home that their family inherited. Located in the tiny town of Crystal Springs, Maine, the Water Castle yields many surprises to the new young inhabitants. Secret passages, secret chambers, underground tunnels and secret hidden laboratories. For old Orlando Appledore was carrying out his ancestor Angus Appledore's quest: to discover the Fountain of Youth.

Everyone knows that the Appledore fortune came from selling "magical water" that allegedly cured all ills. But that was just a myth. Right?

Ephraim is determined that this new home is a new start for him. No longer is he going to be just "average" the way he was in Boston! But to his surprise and befuddlement, Crystal Springs is like the home of the gifted. The kids are smarter, stronger, faster. They grow up to be scientists, doctors, and Olympians. Ephraim is more "average" than ever - and he's miserable.

But when he befriends the girl he initially shunned as a "loser" - the only black girl in town, Mallory Green - and the boy he initially feared as a "thug" - the intimidating Will Wylie, from the "poor" side of town - they team up to make a scientific and adventuring force that can't be stopped.
...

Blakemore did an amazing job here with the set up and plot of her novel. By the time page 217 rolled around (63%) I was saying "OMG OMG" after turning every page, slammed by shocking revelations and stunning turns of events. Blakemore really grabs you and doesn't let go.


THE FIRST TRIO
We've got two "trios" of children, tied together by Ephraim. One trio is the Appledore siblings: Price, Ephraim and Brynn. Each are torn up and scared by their father's eerie, nonreponsive state and each are reacting in different ways. Price is an athlete: while trying not to worry he works out, does team sports, and steps up into the role of "man of the house" - a role that, at age 14/15, he is not yet able to fill. He's gruff with Ephraim, wanting him to stop acting like a child and become more adult.

Ephraim is dealing miserably with his father's illness. Shocked and angry when confronted with the reality that his dad might never be the same again, Ephraim lashes out in anger at everyone around him - for a good portion of the book he's a little shit! But we can see that he's hurting so much. He'd do anything - ANYTHING - if it meant making his father well again. Dum dum DUM!!!! <----ominous music

Brynn, the youngest, is only nine. She buries her head in books, lives in the house's huge library, and sometimes sneaks into her brother's rooms at night so she doesn't have to sleep alone. She's the most fragile of the three.

At the top of the stairs, two open doors revealed a library. Floor-to-ceiling shelves circled the room, filled edge to edge with books. There were two windows on the far wall, both covered with heavy velvet drapes that made the library dim and dreary as a monastery.

"I want this room," Brynn declared.


THE SECOND TRIO
The second trio Blakemore creates is the friendship between Ephraim, Mallory, and Will. Despite being three very different kids from very different backgrounds, when they finally learn to trust each other they form a unit that can't be stopped or contained.

Mallory is the only non-white in the whole school (she has a black mom and a white dad) - and her mom is a Darling. The Darlings have cared for the Appledore's estate - The Water Castle - for generations and generations and generations. Incredibly smart, combat-boot wearing, and fast-thinking Mallory has convinced herself she's just fine with being an outsider in Crystal Springs. Let them sneer! She's going to do her own thing. It hurts, though, when she extends a welcoming hand of friendship to Ephraim and he shoves it aside. Her dad - a mechanic and general handyman who can fix almost anything - and her mom - a woman filled with a wild desire to travel and wander - have separated, leaving Mallory bereft, sad and angry. Her mom feels "tied down" by her husband and child.

Mallory held her paper lunch bag in her fist as she made her way through the cafeteria to her normal table in the back. She sat so she could see everyone, which, her dad had told her, was something mobsters always did so they could avoid attacks from the back. Same for her.

We already know Ephraim and his issues.

Will Wylie's mom is dead and his dad is full of anger and bitterness. He's hated the Appledores - like all Wylies before him - and warns Will to stay away from the Appledores and their demon spawn. So when Will meets Ephraim for the first time, he hates him on principle - as he was raised to do. Only after getting to know Ephraim better does Will start to question his dad and his dad's legacy of hate. What is it based on? Why do the Appledores and the Wylies hate each other so deeply that it's spanned generations? Will is poor and from the "wrong side of the tracks," but he's brilliant at science and a star student in school. He hopes to get a scholarship to an Ivy League college and escape from Crystal Springs.

Even though generations of hatred and misunderstanding have separated these families for more than a century, it looks like these three kids are finally going to knot the already tangled families together in an even tighter way.

"Well, here's something I never thought I'd live to see. An Appledore, a Wylie, and a Darling walking into my bakery together."
...

A GLIMPSE INTO THE PAST

Every third or so chapter in the book is taken from the diary of young Nora Darling - former chambermaid and now apprentice scientist studying on the Appledore Estate under the great 97-year-old scientist Orlando Appledore. Appledore is using the last years of his life to hunt down and finally discover the Fountain of Youth that his ancestors have shed blood, sweat and tears trying to find. Will he find the secret before his time runs out?

People like Nikola Tesla, Michael Faraday, James Clark Maxwell, Robert Peary, Frederick Cook, Matthew Henson - either actually show up or are heavily discussed in this section. I learned a lot without even realizing I was learning. o.O

This section is amazing and gives us more of any idea about how the three families interacted in 1908 - 100 or so years ago.

As the tension mounts and mounts in the 2013 section of the book, it's also mounting for very different reasons in 1908.
...

Tl;dr - *Carmen is completely gobsmacked* This is AMAZING children's literature. You don't have to be a child to enjoy it! I love the way you have no idea where Blakemore is going with this until suddenly you do and it's like "OMG OMG OMG OMG!" Wow. Just stunning. Well-crafted, intricate, a revolutionary book on many levels, this is no one-trick pony. Whether you are reading it for the science, the myths, the mystery, the creepy old house, the friendship, the 'new kid in a new school' angle, the family drama, the generations of family hate - there's SO much to this book.

And the best part? It's not ever clunky or stupid or slow. Blakemore writes at a level middle schoolers will have no problem understanding - but at the same time NEVER talks down to them or preaches about anything. What a blessing! Just an awesome book for people of all ages to enjoy - with no agenda, no 'message' or anything hokey.

I can't say enough good things. I highly recommend this. Five stars.

He heard the humming - like a piano hitting one note and holding it for an impossibly long time. Below it was a sort of skittering noise. Ephraim was normally not the type of boy who investigated strange sounds in the night, but he figured if some sort of violence befell him, at least he wouldn't have to go to school the next day.

Not available in Spanish.

[Marjorie Ingall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm cranky. This book needed MERCILESS editing. Such a great premise (Dad has had a stroke! Family moves back to the mysterious small town that spawned them, where ooh, coincidentally the water has putatively healing powers! And everyone there is a genius! And also radioactive! And the family has oodles of shared history with other families in the town and the kids of each of the three main families join forces to SOLVE THE MYSTERY OF THE WATER! And there's a backstory involving Henson, Peary and the race to the North Pole!). But oy, so much 101-level SHOW DON'T TELL fail. How many times can Blakemore say that Will's family feels ripped off and resentful, that Ephraim feels like a loser, that Mallory's and Ephraim's families have been linked through time? SO MANY TIMES, BELIEVE YOU ME. I'd say the book was as third again as long as it had to be. (Josie began editing as I read aloud, bellowing GOT IT! every time the author repeated herself.) And both kids and I were frustrated by the super-inconclusive ending -- if this book is the set-up for a series, OK, but there's no indication of that. And there's a difference between an air of allusiveness and mystery and magic and the feeling of being left hanging, particularly with the Peary-Henson-related subplot. (To add insult to injury, that old-fashioned, babyish cover was a super-tough sell.)

This woulda been four stars if someone had been tougher with the red pencil.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where does fantasy stop and science fiction begin? Is it possible to ever draw a distinct line in the sand between the two? A book with a name like The Water Castle (mistakenly read by my library's security guard as "White Castle") could fall on either side of the equation, though castles generally are the stuff of fantastical fare. In this particular case, however, what we have here is a smart little bit of middle grade chapter book science fiction, complete with arson, obsession, genetic mutation, and a house any kid would kill to live in. Smarter than your average bear, this is one book that rewards its curious readers. It's a pleasure through and through.

Welcome to Crystal Springs, Maine where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average. That last part seems to be true, anyway. When Ephraim Appledore, his two siblings, his mom, and his father (suffering from the after effects of a stroke) move to town he's shocked to find that not only does everyone seem to know more about his family history than he does, they're all geniuses to boot. The Appledores have taken over the old Water Castle built by their ancestors and harboring untold secrets. When he's not exploring it with his siblings Ephraim finds two unlikely friends in fellow outcast Mallory Green and would-be family feuder Will Wylie. Together they discover that the regional obsession with the fountain of youth may have some basis in reality. A reality that the three of them are having trouble facing, for individual reasons.

When one encounters an old dusty castle hiding trapdoors and secret passageways around every corner, that usually means your feet are planted firm in fantasy soil. All the elements are in place with Ephraim akin to Edwin in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and a dusty old wardrobe even making a cheeky cameo at one point. What surprised me particularly was the book's grounding instead in science fiction. That said, how far away from fantasy is science fiction in children's literature? In both cases the fantastical is toyed with. In this particular case, eternal life finds its basis in discussions of mutant genes, electricity, radiation, and any number of other science-based theories. Interestingly, it's actually hard to come up with many children's books that even dwell on the fountain of youth. There's Tuck Everlasting of course, but that's about as far as it goes. One gets the impression that Babbitt did such a good job with the idea that no one's had the guts to take it any farther since. Kudos to Blakemore then for rising to the challenge.

I'm very partial to children's books that are magical if you want them to be and realistic if that's what you'd prefer. This year's Doll Bones by Holly Black, for example, could be an uber-creepy horror story or it could just be a tale of letting your imagination run away with you. Similarly The Water Castle could be about the true ramifications of eternal life, or it could be explained with logic and reason every step of the way. I was also rather interested in how Ms. Blakemore tackled that age-old question of how to allow your child heroes the freedom to come and go as they please without a droplet of parental supervision. In this case her solution (father with a stroke and a mother as his sole caretaker) not only worked effectively but also tied in swimmingly into our hero's personal motivations.

In the midst of a review like this I sometimes have a bad habit of failing to praise the writing of a book. That would be a particular pity in this case since Ms. Blakemore sucked me in fairly early on. When Ephraim and his family drive into town for the first time we get some beautiful descriptions of the small town itself. "They rolled past the Wylie Five and Dime, which was advertising a sale on gourds, Ouija boards, and pumpkin-pie filling." She also has a fine ear for antiquated formal speech, though the physical appearances of various characters are not of particular importance to her (example: we don't learn that Ephraim's little sister Brynn is blond until page 183).

An interesting aspect of the writing is its tackling of race, racism, and historical figures done wrong by their times. I was happy from the get-go that Ms. Blakemore chose to make her cast a multi-cultural one. Mallory is African-American, one of the few in town, and is constantly being offered subjects like Matthew Henson for class reports because . . . y'know. Henson himself plays nicely into a little subplot in the book. Deftly Ms. Blakemore draws some similarities between his work with Robert Peary and Tesla's attitude towards Edison. Nothing too direct. Just enough information where kids can connect the dots themselves. For all this, I was a bit disappointed that when we read some flashbacks into the past there doesn't seem to be ANY racism in sight. We follow the day-to-day activities of an African-American girl and the various rich white people she encounters and yet only ONE mention is made of their different races in a vague reference to the fact that our heroine's family has never been slaves. This seemed well-intentioned but hugely misleading. Strange to discuss Henson and Peary in one breath and then ignore everyday realities on the other.

If the book has any other problems there is the fact that the author leaves the essential question about the mysterious water everyone searches for in this story just that. Mysterious. There are also some pretty heady clues dropped about Mallory's own parents that remain unanswered by the tale's end. Personally, I am of the opinion that Ms. Blakemore did this on purpose for the more intelligent of her child readers. I can already envision children's bookgroups discussing this title at length, getting into arguments about what exactly it means that Mallory's mom had that key around her neck.

In the end, The Water Castle is less about the search for eternal life and youth than it is about letting go of childhood and stories. Age can come when you put those things away. As Ephraim ponders late in the game, "No one back in Cambridge would believe that he'd been crawling around in dark tunnels, or climbing up steps with no destination. Maybe, he decided, growing up meant letting go of the stories, letting go in general, letting yourself fall just to see if you could catch yourself. And he had." Whether or not Ms. Blakemore chooses to continue this book with the further adventures of Ephraim, Mallory and Will, she's come up with a heckuva smart little creation. Equally pleasing to science fiction and fantasy fans alike, there's enough meat in this puppy for any smart child reader or bored kid bookgroup. I hope whole droves of them find it on their own. And I hope they enjoy it thoroughly. A book that deserves love.

For ages 9-12.

[Barb Middleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey folks, meet Ephraim Appledore-Smith, your average kid. I repeat, average. He used to think he was pretty smart until moving to Crystal Springs, Maine. Here everyone is a genius and most live longer than the average Joe Schmo. Ephraim goes from first to worst at school and it is not easy on his ego. Then he starts to wonder what the heck is going on. The town residents, teachers, and students are not normal with their sky-high IQ's. Even his smart sister and athletic brother have gone off the charts since moving there; unfortunately, this strange phenomena eludes him. When he hears the story of people coming to Crystal Springs in the past because of the healing waters, he wonders if that's the reason people are so smart and if it will cure his dad who has had a devastating stroke. The family has inherited the Crystal Springs castle that is now their home with the hope that their mom's mentor doctor-friend can rehabilitate their dad. History of the castle reveals that the healing water was bottled by relatives and sold to people all over the country before the hotel spa burnt to the ground. The bottled water business gave the Appledore family its fortune and the castle its name, "The Water Castle." Ephraim decides to dig into the castle's past and discovers his ancestor was looking for the Fountain of Youth and he takes up the same quest in an effort to heal his father.

Ephraim, his younger sister, Brynn, and older brother, Price, notice the loud humming the house makes and the strange blue glow at night and wonder about it. Ephraim thinks it is related to the healing waters and initially gets assistance from Brynn searching for it, but he soon realizes that he needs more specific help. He forms an unlikely friendship with classmates Will, who is brilliant at science, and Mallory, a black girl with in-depth knowledge of the castle because her family served the water castle owners for generations. Will's relatives have nursed their hatred for Ephraim's family's success for years, convinced that Ephraim's relative stole their idea of bottling the magical waters. Will desperately wants to erase this bitterness in his father and change him from one is jealous of others to one who is content. Mallory's parents are in the middle of a divorce and she wishes they could be a family like in the past. The two are drawn to Ephraim's quest and adventure to find magical waters that will heal his dad, not realizing that they all need healing too.

The characters internal struggles give this story a richness and depth that pulled me into it. Some might feel the start is too slow and be turned off by Ephraim's initial attitude and stupidity, but he changes as the story progresses and his clumsy attempts at socializing make for an authentic character. Teenage years are wrought with awkwardness and Ephraim fluctuates between being a kid who believes in magic and listens to his parents, to one believes in science and facts, and who talks back to his parents in an effort to grow up. Throw in Ephraim's anger and you have a complex personality who is grappling with loss and major life changes. I was discussing this novel with a colleague and she suggested that perhaps Ephraim represents the difficult transition from elementary to middle school. In elementary school, classes are small and students can feel smart. In middle school, students get lumped in classes with everyone else and the discovery that they are a "number" and "ordinary" can be a difficult maturation process. Ephraim also has the middle child syndrome where he is trying to find his place in the family hierarchy. Price is filling in for their father, trying to support their mother and Brynn, while Brynn is the baby who loves those around her. Ephraim, on the other hand, struggles with his identity and lashes out at his mother and siblings.

Not only does this novel deal with three sixth graders transitioning from childhood to adulthood, it tackles the hefty question of living for eternity; thus, creating a magical realism that mixes science fiction with reality. I've only read, "Tuck Everlasting," by Natalie Babbitt that attempts exploring this theme in children's literature. The subplot of Nora and Harry ties in with this theme and while I liked how Blakemore intertwines the story, she had some contradictions and left some plot elements hanging. I like that the ending is open to interpretation, but I didn't like some of the loose ends not wrapped up such as the bottle in the ground with the contradictory message in conjunction with what Mallory's parents discuss on page 179. (I'm being vague here on purpose - I don't give spoil a plot twist.) I also didn't understand in the subplot how Nora could be so highly educated (she knew French and Latin) and why the Jim Crow laws prevalent during the 1900s that disadvantaged African Americans economically, educationally, and socially were never reflected with Nora's situation. She doesn't face racism or discrimination in her story. I wondered, too, the connection between Ephraim's high radiation reading and how it prevented the healing waters from working in him. Perhaps there will be a sequel.

The author's mix of science, history, magic, and realism is well-done and marvelous. Creation stories evolved from humans trying to explain natural phenomenas. Science usurped these stories with their explanations over the years and the three characters use the scientific method to explore the healing properties of the water through the study of radiation, electricity, and genetics. The explanation of the Fountain of Youth in scientific terms is quite creative. The subplot reinforces this theme and Orlando's formal way of speaking helps set the tone of a time past. The writing is nothing short of terrific.

Ephraim was a fresh breeze in my recent profusion of book reading that has been laden with genius protagonists. I love that Ephraim is normal. No Mr. Genius. No superpowers. Just a kid who discovers that he is normal and that's okay. I hope if there is a sequel Ephraim does not become a genius. I like him just the way he is.

A great book club book.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I saw rave reviews from friends, and cover which looked (in thumbnail) like this was a lost classic, something between Narnia and "Tuck Everlasting." Then when I finally found a copy, and found that it's new, and more about science than magic, I thought, ok, cool (though, didn't I just read another MG with that idea last year, and was disappointed...).

Anyway, no. The science is vaguely hand-wavium, the logic fails, nobody behaves authentically but only to serve the plot, and there are way too many red herrings or whatever that lead to way too many loose ends. And I never felt engaged; I never cared enough to read more than a couple of pages at a time without looking up for an excuse to take a break.

Do read the classics instead.

[Emily Rosenbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally--a well-written, thought-provoking book that gives kids in the "middle reader" age group something meaty to chew upon. The characters are fully developed, the plot is engaging, and there are actual themes and ideas, which is unusual in a book for this age group. This is a great book to read aloud because the adult will enjoy it, too. I wouldn't have a child younger than 9 or 10 read it, because while younger children will like The Water Castle, they won't be able to engage some of the more complex themes to the level that this book deserves.

[TheBookSmugglers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Original review posted on The Book Smugglers

The more I read and review children’s books the more I find it all to be a Complicated Affair. Do I approach them like the adult that I am or do I approach them bearing in mind their intended audience? And even if I come to believe that its intended audience would like the book do I still recommend it even though I found flaws in the book’s logic? To sum up: do I read for myself and write my review accordingly or do I bear in mind the book’s potential readers? This is a question that applies to all reviews but which is foremost in my mind when reading Middle Grade. Especially when it comes to books like The Water Castle.

In other words: I am conflicted about this book.

On the one hand, there are things that are excellent. The Water Castle tells the story of three young kids – Ephraim, Will and Mallory. The narrative’s viewpoint alternates between those three and it also includes extracts from one of Mallory’s ancestors, a young African-American woman named Nora who is writing a journal in the early 1900s.

Ephraim’s father has recently had a severe stroke and his mother decided to move from Boston to their family estate – known locally as The Water Castle – in a small town in Maine to help with his recovery. The Water Castle is now nothing but a huge mysterious house full of undiscovered rooms but its grandiose past still lives on in the minds of everybody in town as once the Grand Hotel where people came to drink its famous healing waters. Some say that the water actually might spring from the mythical Fountain of Youth, found by one of Ephraim’s ancestors and a possible explanation for the fact that everybody in town is so healthy and smart.

Mallory’s family have always been the caretakers of the estate, a position that has been passed down the lines on her mother’s side. Will’s family has always hated Ephraim’s family: their dispute over the discovery of the mythical Fountain of Youth a source of intense hatred on the part of Will’s family over the wealth generated for Ephraim’s family.

What the book does really, really well is to expound on this basic scenario by having the three children become friends and allies. They start by working together at school on a project about early North Pole explorers (a fun theme that runs through the book and connects both present and past) and then trying to solve the mystery of the Fountain of Youth. What happens next is a fun adventure following the three kids going around town as well as up and down secret rooms in the house. As the tension builds up, questions of immortality, of tradition and of inherited feuds are addressed – to uneven results.

It’s a really interesting set-up because each kid has a different motivation for going on this quest. Ephraim hopes to find the Fountain so that he can cure his father; but this quest also gives him a sense of purpose as he often sees himself as the mediocre member of the family since his older brother and younger sister often excel at everything. The relationship with his siblings is one of the best things about the book as well, especially the way that each kid deals with their father’s ailment. Mallory’s motivation stems from a childhood brought up on hearing fantastical stories about the Water Castle and about the Fountain. Her parents have always told her those stories as though they were true and their love for each other shone through the telling. But now her mother is gone, her parents are separated and what else about her life is a filthy lie? Finding the Fountain would definitely re-establish the order of things. As for Will, he needs to find the Fountain in order to explain it: as a budding scientist, all of this will only make sense if he can understand the properties of the water. It doesn’t matter that his father will probably kill him if he finds out that he is friends with Ephraim because it is time for idiocy and ignorance to end.

In the meantime, there are Nora’s journal entries: a young woman in the early 1900s, she is a learned scholar who wants to become an explorer and who is hired by one of Ephraim’s ancestors to assist him on his scientific research about the legendary water’s properties.

As you can see, The Water Castle offers a very rich story, with several interesting threads that blend together rather well. I loved the kids (including Nora) and their storylines but there were certain things that give me cause to pause.

The approach here is kind of awesome. It’s about taking what could be otherwise “magical” with an attempt to explain the Fountain of Youth through the scientific method by examining its properties and how it can even exist. In a way, this is much more Science Fiction than Fantasy and I would have otherwise really appreciated this hadn’t it been for the fact that the “Science” was of the hand-wavy variety. This wouldn’t generally be a huge problem – I can suspend disbelief – if it wasn’t for how the book seems to be so determined to have things set in a “realistic” scenario. It does that by introducing science lessons, science experiments and in Nora’s timeline, by having her interact with famous scientists like Nikola Tesla.

So what is wrong about the science here? First of all, they find out that the water contains a new natural chemical element which, in our world, as it exists, it is not POSSIBLE – all elements occurring naturally have been found according to the periodic table of elements (although it is possible to synthesise a new element which is not the case here). Then there is how they take the water (with this element in it), put the water in a barrel then use electricity to affect the water and create the Super Water which: no. This is a completely bogus experiment – the water within the barrel would not be affected in the way intended by the author in this scenario.

Yeah, I can’t believe I am going on and on about this and let me tell you, having a partner who teaches Chemistry and Physics is both a blessing and a curse. This is also where I take a break to ask: does this matter? If the book is good otherwise and I think that really fun for children, does it matter? I personally think it does: Science is important.

But moving forward, there are also flaws in the internal logic. One of the biggest ones has to do with the connection between Nora and Mallory’s mother and without spoiling: their true connection is clearly defined in the book (at least they were for me) and although it is SUPER COOL, it is not very believable that no one else would realise this given what this connection entails. It also makes one wonder about certain things: how come these kids are the only ones finding out about the true nature of the water? How come no one has ever found this barrel in the roof, or the hidden bottles of Fountain of Youth water (which are not well hidden at all considering how the kids find them). It is also puzzling that the author addresses racism in the present storyline by having Mallory being outspoken about it but it doesn’t at all addresses it in the 1900s storyline – Nora is a African-American girl who works at a hotel-estate belonging to a white rich family with white privileged guests and not once there is any indication that she is affected by any form of racism. As much as I completely loved her storyline, I also felt there was a weird disconnect there.

And I also think the super neat ending completely defeats the bigger questions asked about immortality in a way. It was a let-down for me because I am really not interested in magical cures and despite the “scientific approach” this is ultimately what it really was to me.

That said, this is my interpretation of the book – things are not really spelled out at all (although they seemed obvious to me) and I guess that part of the fun here is to argue over What Really Happens. The Water Castle is not really as bad as what the misgivings above might indicate and has enough awesome in it to make it worth reading if you are so inclined.

[Kifflie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book better than I did.

The concept is pretty interesting. There's a town, Crystal Springs, hidden away in Maine where people seem unusually healthy, smart, and long-lived. Maybe it has something to do with the water?

Ephraim Appeldore-Smith's father has just suffered a stroke, and his mother has taken the whole family to their ancestral home in Crystal Springs to see if Dad's recovery can improve in the new environment. City boy Ephraim is in for a shock as the town kids are a lot smarter and savvier than he is. Mallory Green, descendant of the Darling family who used to work for the Appledores, and Will Wylie, whose family feuded with the Appledores long ago, become tangled up in Ephraim's life as he goes on a quest to find the magical waters that he thinks will help cure his father.

There's also flashbacks to the early 20th century and the Appledore/Darling/Wylie dynamics that were going on during that period. There is a link to the present, if one reads the story carefully. Pay especial attention to Mallory's parents, for instance.

The character development, the science, the mystery -- it's all good. But I was distracted by the constantly shifting points of view within chapters, and some sloppy editing. There are a few quotations which are poorly attributed to their speakers. And it seemed to me that the folks from the 1900's were speaking in fairly modern slang in a few places.

A good effort, but I feel it could have been better executed.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do you believe in miracles? After Ephraim's Dad has a stroke, his family moves to Crystal Springs, Maine hoping that the old homestead (The Water Castle) will help him recuperate and get well. Supposedly, the old homestead has curing powers. Supposedly, Ephraim's relatives discovered a healing spring and the fountain of youth. Could the stories possibly be true? If the fountain of youth really exists on the property, could it help Ephraim's Dad restore to his former self? Along with the help of two classmates Mallory and Will, Ephraim is determined to find out the answers. It turns out that Ephraim and his two classmates come from the families that were originally involved with the fountain of youth and they myths surrounding the water castle. For better or worse, their families have always been connected to the mysteries surrounding the castle.
Don't let the cover or title fool you into thinking this one is a fantasy story. With science interleaved throughout, young scientists will like this one best.

[Charlotte&#x1faf6; · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was incredible! Such a well written novel with duel POVs between the past and present. Real life events are are mentioned and expanded on too talking about Matthew Henson and William Perry! I learned so much and this story will certainly be one I never forgot! I feel like the author is very smart and knew what she was writing about, and every scene was thought through and valuable. What I liked most was the found family and friends trope and how the author didn’t include political views. It was just so wholesome and I benefited from it. A 6 star and must read for you!

[Kitty Jay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set in a small town in Maine, the book follows Ephraim Appledore-Smith and his family as they move into an inherited castle following his father's stroke. He quickly finds himself out of depth in the unique town, populated by extraordinary people who are just a tad smarter and stronger than everyone else. Driven by his need to find a cure for his father, he gets caught up in an ancient legend surrounding the castle and the secret of a magical elixir supposedly drawn from the fountain of youth located somewhere on its grounds.

With the help of the Appledores sworn enemy, Will Wylie, and a descendant of the caretakers of the castle, Mallory, he tries to find the secrets the castle holds.

The text cuts between the kids and a journal from 1902 written by Nora Darling. The story starts out promising, though I'll admit the journal entries never really caught me and seemed to plod along until making a jump at the end to tie up the loose ends, and I found myself enjoying the adventure immensely at the beginning. Toward the end, the story falters - there are some plot holes that were never truly resolved, and the climax has more of a resigned tone than a triumphant one. The ending left several threads hanging, as if there should have been another chapter to wrap things up completely.

It also, and this is a quibble, had the worst example of Latin I've ever encountered (Nemo can teneo, which was supposed to mean "Nobody can know". As any Latin student can tell you, that... does not at all mean that).

For those minor things, however, this was an enjoyable book, and possibly the only reason I noticed these was that I have the benefit of reading it as an adult; a juvenile probably would never even pause.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Water Castle by Megan Frazer Blakemore
Walker Books for Young Readers, 2013
Mystery/Science Fiction
344 pages
Recommended for grades 4-7

You know those special books you come across that are so good you almost want to stop reading them, to prolong your time together? That is how I feel about the first book I am reviewing. I read this book before bed each night, and instead of zipping through it, I would read a chapter or two, put my bookmark in, and think.

Open the book, the first illustration you see is an antique wooden door with cast iron embellishments that is surrounded by vines of ivy. It beckons your onward.

Main characters, Ephraim, Mallory and Will all want different things, things that the water might bring to fruition for them, if they can in fact find the Fountain of Youth water. Will wants to accomplish scientific feats, to do good with his knowledge. Mallory wants to leave behind small town Crystal Springs, and Ephraim is determined to make his father well again. As we read about Ephraim's self-doubt through the story his quest for "fixing" his father is better understood when Ephraim reveals that his father was the one person that really gets him. Ephraim is in the shadow of a strong and athletic older brother, and an intelligent younger sister.

Read the book, enjoy the mystery and the journey of looking for the magic water. Then reach the end and decide for yourself what fills the holes.

"There's no such thing as a silly story. Every story serves its purpose." pg. 73

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, on the one hand, this book was wonderful. Gorgeously written, and with a very old-fashioned feel, even though the bulk of the book takes place in the modern day. (Some of it is a 100 year old journal.) But on the other hand, just as a warning, this was a terrible read-aloud. I read this aloud to my kids, and because of the amount of (I thought wonderful) description and the length of the book, it took us a really long time to read. There's not a lot of action, but there are a lot of clues spread throughout the book, so I had to spend a lot of time toward the end reminding my kids of what had happened and trying to coax them into figuring out what was happening.

But. If you are not reading this aloud, this book is great. A beautiful book, even, and one that will certainly invite plenty of discussion, if you and your children read it separately.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ephraim Appledore- Smith’s dad has just had a stroke, so the family moves from their home in Cambridge, MA to their ancestral home that the kids have never been to in tiny Crystal Springs, ME.

Mallory’s family has always been the caretakers of the Water Castle. Will’s family has always been Ephraim’s family’s enemy. There may or may not be something magical or science fictional about the water near Crystal Springs. (This is one of the many things that is delightfully left ambiguous, at the book's end.) This book also has chapters taking place in 1909 with Ephraim’s and Mallory’s ancestors. Nikola Tesla even makes an important appearance at the Water Castle. The house, which has secret rooms and hidden stairways is compared to the Winchester Mystery House.

This is a fun and thoughtful novel!

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can see why people like The Water Castle, but it didn't work for me. The writing was only serviceable. Too many story threads were introduced (the North Pole expeditions, the town's obsession with the North Pole expeditions, the town's brilliance and lack-of-illness, Anne of Green Gables) and all were left dangling. Also, on a more personal level, the novel reminded me of an Elizabeth Enright novel without ever measuring up to one, so as I was reading, I was conscious of something missing. I kept reaching for something that wasn't there.

[Jim Sibigtroth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a good story for a young audience but not a classic like Tuck Everlasting

Three and a half. If you write a story that so obviously covers some of the same philosophical questions as Tuck Everlasting, you need to be very careful to do it well and bring some new things to the story. Unfortunately, the philosophical questions that Tuck did such a thorough and clear job of exploring, were only superficially mentioned in this book. There were also several (all very minor) editing and wording glitches that together left me feeling it should have had one more pass through the editing process. It also felt like some of the story lines were left a little ambiguous or unfinished.

[Kaitlyn Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Water Castle was a very moving, and mysterious book. I could not put it down and just wanted to read more. There was some boring parts in the book, but I still loved it. I would totally recommend this book.

[Jonny Parshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three siblings move into a giant mystery house... a family secret... an unlikely alliance... Nikola Tesla, Robert Peary, Matthew Henson... the Fountain of Youth...

... will somebody please explain what's NOT to love about this book? (It's even written well (I mean, c'mon, that ending!))

[Analie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story sounded promising: Ephraim's father has a stroke and the family moves to Maine, where Ephraim hopes to find the legendary Fountain of Youth to save his father. I just wish the storytelling had been better with fewer plot holes.

[EJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This took me. So. Long. To read. SO LONG. Which is probably influencing my opinion of it, but also Ephriam was annoying and never stopped being annoying. I realise there were extenuating circumstances, but given that this is one of this author's earlier books (and I very much enjoyed her later ones) I'm going to chalk this one up as her characters not being quite as well written as they later became and leave it at that.
Side note, I have now realised I hate historical flashbacks that tie in with present day. They're awful and I hate them.
(This book is not as bad as I am making it sound. I am very frustrated it took me so HECKING long to read.)

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

We wanted so much more ending

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: (Amazon.com)

Ephraim Appledore-Smith is an ordinary boy, and up until his father's stroke he lived an ordinary life. But all that changes when his family moves to the Water Castle-their ancestral home in the small town of Crystal Springs. Mallory Green's family has always been the caretakers of the Water Castle-and the guardians of its secrets. She has been raised to protect the legendary Fountain of Youth, hidden on the estate grounds. But ever since her mom left, she's stopped believing in magic.Will Wylie's family has been at war with the Appledores for generations, all because of the Water Castle's powerful secrets. But Will has rejected legend and magic, putting all his faith in science. When Ephraim learns of the Fountain, he's sure finding it can cure his dad. With Mallory and Will's help, the trio embarks on a mission that brings them deep into their families' shared history, through every secret room in the Water Castle, and on a quest that will blur the lines of magic and science, creativity and discovery, leaving readers left to wonder: Do you believe in the unbelievable?




My Comments:
The Water Castle is a smart book. The characters are smart. Kids in Crystal Springs, ME are just naturally brighter and more athletic (could it be the water?) The story is smart. We’re talking physics theories here and Blakemore whets our appetite for learning by tossing in background stories of scientist (Nikola Tesla), explorers (Peary vs Scott’s race to the North Pole), and discussions of weather phenomena (St. Elmo’s Fire). The language is smart. Blakemore is not shy with her vocabulary (eschewing, afficianado, charlatan, hubris) or scientific lingo (phrenology, electromagnetism). She doesn’t write down to her audience she writes up. I love books that teach me something while I am reading, and The Water Castle does this in spades. I also learned about Maine’s best kept culinary secret – The Needham. This book had me searching Wikipedia and the web for people and definitions on a regular basis, and it would be an excellent fit for the new STEM curriculum in schools.

Along with the scientific stuff, there is also the fun, imaginative stuff, like searching for The Fountain of Youth, and even the Water Castle itself, a house filled with hidden rooms, unexplained lights, and secret laboratories.

There are two parallel stories going on here, and the author switches from present to past often; however, the pages from the past look different. They have borders and shading and this helps distinguish them. The cover art is eye catching and mysterious, and each chapter starts with its own black and white illustration.

This book fits so many genres – realistic fiction, science fiction, historical fiction and mystery. There are several mysteries introduced in this book, but in the end, there are still a few left unsolved. Who really are Mallory’s parents? Was Ephraim’s grandfather able to alter the water and create life extending properties? What happened to him? What makes the people of Crystal Springs so superior in health and intelligence? Hopefully there will be a sequel to the book.

I really enjoyed The Water Castle. I wanted to read it quickly to see what happened next, but the book needs to be read slowly, at a steady and thorough pace in order to pick up all the details and clues. As it was, I want to go back and reread certain sections that I thought were particularly interesting or thought provoking.

With all these positives, I had only a few negatives. At times, the plot seemed bit contrived. When Will is injured by falling in a tunnel, Ephraim just happens to find a bottle of the magic water to give him. I would also have liked to have the parental relations explored a bit more. Mallory’s mom left so suddenly – why? Also, we know that Ephraim’s dad suffered a stroke. This would have an enormous effect on a child, but we don’t’ see or hear much from him until the end of the book. I would like to know more about him, how his treatment is going, and his relationship with Ephraim. I think this would make the ending of the book even more powerful.

The Water Castle would be best for older readers – 6th grade and up. I think it would appeal to either boys or girls because there are major characters of both sexes. There are no offensive concepts or language.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this a really nice read. However, I don't really feel that this book is "remarkable" as one reviewer put it. It is a book of a sort we haven't seen much lately: a bunch of kids who traditionally should be enemies reaching out to each other as much out of curiosity as of kindness and doing it of their own free will not because some grownup told them to do so. That part alone made me tempted to raise this to four stars. However, I felt the book never quite took off. Ephraim is in the depths of despair (sorry, perhaps I read too much Anne of Green Gables as a kid) because his dad is not making progress recovering from a stroke. He also initially comes across as a rather unlikeable character, sure that he could wow all these country bumpkins since he just moved from the Boston area. Of course, the local kids easily prove him wrong on that score but for an unusual reason. Presumably everyone in the town is a bit stronger, smarter, etc than those of surrounding villages and cities. The question is why would that be so. The kids in this time find an answer from some people of about a century ago. Nikola Tesla, among other scientists, make a quick appearance in the story taking place in the early 1900s. I kept expecting the two stories to be bridged by time travel but that is not the direction the author took this in. I felt there were too many threads left hanging: why is Winnie such a nasty person, even in today's time? What was the point of having her in the story at all? What happened to the original discoverer? I can see the author was making the point that a scientific explorer is not much different from explorers of strange lands such as the north pole. She rather pushed the idea a bit too hard. There were other threads left hanging. It would have been nice if some of the older adults in the modern story turned out to be one of the kids in the older story but if that did happen, I completely missed it. Another gripe: I found that the kids all seemed about the same age, from the youngest, age 9 to the oldest in high school.

Having said all this, I do basically recommend the book. It is a nice read, moves along well and logically, mostly. One of the major themes is whether there really is a difference between magic and science which reminds me of a famous sci fi writer who said ultimately it is hard to tell the difference if the science is pretty sophisticated. The kids are fun attractive kids, not perfect but mostly just normal approachable kids. The mystery is reasonable as are the kids' doubts. I am definitely going to keep an eye on this author because this book shows lots of potential for the author.

[Beth Kakuma-Depew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story braids three contemporary narrators and the historic flashback into a intriguing mystery of magic and science, asking questions about self identity and family identity. At 330 pages, the book does not feel overly long and the plot wraps up enough for an emotionally satifing ending, but amibigiously enough to keep a lively readers discussion going. Is there truely magic in the Water Castle? That answer is left up to the reader to decide.

I feel like the publishers are hoping for a Newbery winner with this book. And I have to say, I'd agree with them: it's a strong contender for the gold in 2014. But still, here's the cliches that scream "Newbery Medal"
1. Two main characters, one a white boy, the other an African-American girl.
2. Frequent discussions about Peary, Henson, and Cook, providing a History Curriculum tie-in. (every time the kids discussed their school project in depth, I couldn't help but roll my eyes).
3. Discussions about scientific method, the importance of keeping an open mind when forming hypothosis, VanderGaff devices, radiation, and electricity, providing science curriculum tie-ins.
4. Each kid has a family with Problems: sick fathers, divorced family and and angry single dad.
5.While discussing magic, the book never strays into a True Fantasy. The lack of talking creatures or mythical animals keeps this book in Newbery Territory.
6. Mentions the school librarian as a tattooed hipster. Flattery will get you everywhere.
7. Not very funny. Like all Newbery books, this one is Serious and Important. (I know the Gantos book is supposed to buck this trend...)

Reasons I kept reading:
1. Kids exploring a creepy old house! Dark tunnels! Weird flashes of blue light and mysterious humming!
2. Ephraim is a pathetic dork, but desperatly trying not be. My inner middle schooler totally identifies and feels sympathy for him.
3. Mallory is tough and cool, as tough and cool as I wanted to be in middle school. (is the tough cool black girl a cliche? - maybe yes, but so is the pathetic rich white kid).
4. The historic sections had distintly old-fashioned dialog, but mirrored the race to the Find the Fountain that was going on in the present day. So the plot always felt like it was moving forward, even when it jumped back in time.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Ephraim’s father has a stroke, the family moves to the Water Castle, an ancestral home in Crystal Springs, Maine. Ephraim is convinced that coming from the big city, he will be more popular and seem smarter than he ever had before. After all, his older brother has always been popular and his little sister is very smart. But things don’t work out the Ephraim expects. The house itself is unusual, filled with strange rooms and different levels; it glows blue at night and hums. Ephraim is definitely not popular, quickly showing how awkward he is and then also demonstrating how little he knows compared to his classmates. Luckily though, the mystery of the house draws in two other children his age who want to figure out how their own families are tied to the Water Castle and its connection to the Fountain of Youth.

Blakemore writes with a wonderful mix of science and fantasy here. The blend is compelling, making the book impossible to put down until the mystery is solved. Readers will not know if they are reading a fantasy book or one that could have actually happened until the very end. Told with flashbacks to the past that add to the understanding of the intertwined families as well as the fascination with explorers, this book is complex in the best of ways, keeping readers guessing right up to the end.

Ephraim is a character that has quite a few flaws. Readers will flinch as he is too brash and too confident for his own good, especially when trying to make friends. Happily, it is when he calms down and shows his feelings that Ephraim becomes entirely himself, a side that readers see long before the other characters in the book.

Complex and multilayered, this middle grade book will be embraced by historical fiction, science and fantasy fans. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this book! And to think I almost didn't read it because I didn't like the cover :O

I think this book has a good chance of winning the Newbery or at least an honor. I think the writing was great and certainly distinguished. Not in a "Splendors and Glooms" kind of way or "Navigating Early" but much better than some of the mass published stuff out there like "Percy Jackson".

I really got swept away in the story and I believed the characters and was rooting for them the whole time. This is a book I will recommend to my kids and probably buy for my own library.

The story is about a family who moves to a home in Maine that they inherited many years ago but never made time to go to it. Now that their father has just had a stroke, they go there to meet with a specialist and hope he can recover. The house though, is surrounded with mystery. At first the kids think it is haunted but quickly learn that "magic" can be easily explained by science. The story follows the kids who are on a quest to learn the truth of the history of the house and hopefully find a way to help their father while they are at it.

I loved that the author mixed history, science with suspense and mystery. I also loved that the kids are good kids. They love their parents, they try hard in school, they use their imagination and aren't sassy and obnoxious the way some kids are today. They are the type of kids I want my kids reading about and fantasizing about being like in their own adventures.

I have high hopes for this book :)

[Lia Marcoux · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up without any background knowledge because I thought the cover was lovely and sure, I like mysterious old castles built by wealthy eccentrics at least as much as the next guy. But it was like having a casual acquaintance slowly and kindly explain your own joke to you.

Each character is introduced. Their motivations are carefully demonstrated, clarified and placed in a historical context. Later, the characters meet each other and explain them again. In case there's any confusion, these motivations will be referenced periodically. Any adventure will have happened between the chapters. After 150 pages we finally get to the secret tunnels and have the least Gooniest secret tunnel interlude I've met. Apart from the abandoned shade of a half-decent mystery (I say mystery, but no one tries to solve it or, you know, notices it) and truly beautiful illustrations, I found this to be a real snoozer.

I think with a 100-page haircut and something to pep it up (a villain, maybe? Or some booby traps? Just spitballing) it coulda been a contender!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, but subtracted one star because I wished more had been explicitly concluded. This is a great combination of mystery, science inquiry, family and friend relationships, and history. Halfway through, I guessed something about Mallory's family that I think most kids would puzzle out as well, but we never get our suspicions confirmed (or is it that obvious? or not true after all?). I especially liked how the kids evolved and learned to think for themselves, and to consider the truths of what their parents had told them.

I don't think the cover portrays how much of this is set in the modern day. I would have put a black and white photo of an old glass bottle of water on the cover, lit up from the side.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Water Castle is an interesting type of book and it's a little hard for me to wrap my brain around what it is exactly supposed to do. I guess I'm not really sure what it is trying to do. It has some good moments and a great and original idea. But for me the book didn't accomplish what it attempted. I think the author probably tied up some loose ends along the way in the story, but then again, I am not sure if she did. Our book club discussion was a lot of fun, but for me something was missing here. Really, I don't need story satisfaction handed to me on a silver platter, but I think a story should come together a little better than this one does. There were just a few too many things that didn't quite connect.

[Constance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This seems like the sort of book I might've read over and over in my youth. I really enjoyed it, but the ending felt a bit unfinished to me. Just one more chapter would've made me happy, but I suppose the author meant to leave us with questions. Still a great story with adventure, science, *maybe* some magic, and a dash of mystery. Takes place in two time periods (1908 and the present) with a strong cast of well-rounded and interesting characters. The writer is a middle school librarian, and in true librarian fashion she gives a list of sources at the end for those who want to learn more about some of the subjects she touches on.