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Dreamwold Castle
In need of a friend, Phoebe is flattered by the overtures of a wealthy schoolmate and becomes part of her world of lies and even criminal behavior.
214 pages, Hardcover
First published September 26, 1978
8 people want to read
About the author
Florence E. Hightower
6 books4 followersMrs. Hightower was the author of six juvenile mysteries, loosely based on the activities of her own family. She grew up in Concord, MA, attended Concord Academy where her mother taught, then graduated from Vassar College. Her husband was a noted professor of Chinese at Harvard University, and the couple lived in China before and after WWII.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 22, 2016
What a wonderful book! What a horrible summary. "Phoebe recklessly allows herself to be drawn into a conspiracy of lies, deceptions, and criminal behavior." What? That's not how I saw it at all. Normally I don't write reviews, but seeing as how this book hasn't had much attention, I think it deserves a little love.
Phoebe Smith's life is going completely wrong. Her mother moves them from the friendly community she's lived in her whole life, to the stuffy old town of Denby, New Hampshire, full of rich, snobbish people. The girls at Phoebe's school tease her endlessly, and her mother is busy at her new job and begins to neglect Phoebe.
Phoebe's favorite pastime is reading, especially books about Mount Everest and the successful (and failed) attempts to climb it. Someone else in Denby seems to have the same hobby, however, as all of the most interesting books on Mount Everest have been checked out.
Eventually Phoebe discovers that the books have been checked out by Constance and Henry Mottrel, the richest kids in town. They invite Phoebe into their home, Dreamwold Castle, and become friends with her. For the first time since moving to Denby, Phoebe is happy.
I won't spoil the ending, but let's just say that so far, this is my favorite of Ms. Hightower's books. Too bad it seems to be the least popular. Yes, Phoebe takes risks for her friends, some of which happen to be illegal. But she's not tricked into it. She doesn't fall for peer pressure. Her friends don't have ulterior motives. There is no conspiracy. Constance and Henry are not the villains. At least that's what I think. You'll have to read it yourself to decide.
This book seems to be quite hard to find. I can't find it in any libraries near me, and even Goodreads can't seem to find the cover for it (which, by the way, is a beautiful illustration by Diane DeGroat). I bought it second-hand and am so glad I did. If you manage to find a copy, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
Phoebe Smith's life is going completely wrong. Her mother moves them from the friendly community she's lived in her whole life, to the stuffy old town of Denby, New Hampshire, full of rich, snobbish people. The girls at Phoebe's school tease her endlessly, and her mother is busy at her new job and begins to neglect Phoebe.
Phoebe's favorite pastime is reading, especially books about Mount Everest and the successful (and failed) attempts to climb it. Someone else in Denby seems to have the same hobby, however, as all of the most interesting books on Mount Everest have been checked out.
Eventually Phoebe discovers that the books have been checked out by Constance and Henry Mottrel, the richest kids in town. They invite Phoebe into their home, Dreamwold Castle, and become friends with her. For the first time since moving to Denby, Phoebe is happy.
I won't spoil the ending, but let's just say that so far, this is my favorite of Ms. Hightower's books. Too bad it seems to be the least popular. Yes, Phoebe takes risks for her friends, some of which happen to be illegal. But she's not tricked into it. She doesn't fall for peer pressure. Her friends don't have ulterior motives. There is no conspiracy. Constance and Henry are not the villains. At least that's what I think. You'll have to read it yourself to decide.
This book seems to be quite hard to find. I can't find it in any libraries near me, and even Goodreads can't seem to find the cover for it (which, by the way, is a beautiful illustration by Diane DeGroat). I bought it second-hand and am so glad I did. If you manage to find a copy, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
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September 29, 2008Why are there so many villainesses named Constance?
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews