Chapter reviews 7-8 Clue in the Castle Tower

Chapter 7 - A Chase
This chapter begins with the girls and the twins racing to catch up with Lady Florance. The boys hide and overhear the help complaining about them.  As the children approach Lady Florance  about her leaving, Samantha asks her if the button she has found in the Castle is hers.
They discuss Lady Florance taking photos in the night at the castle and Lady Florance asks the children not to tell her uncle, something has come up and she needs to  leave suddenly!
Mrs. Grissom, finds them and scolds them for being late and ushers the boys to the school room. Samantha and Nellie find Mable and Daisy waiting for them by the food in the the children eat their lunch while Lady Florance leaves the castle grounds. After lunch the boys convince their tutor to let them take the girls to see the village, they set off on bicycles hoping to catch Lady Florance before the train leaves. The children find her in the book shop and the children accuse her of stealing the books but it is a misunderstanding, Lady Florance is now a published writer and bound to join her family in Egypt.
Lady Florance gives a clue to the children about a white figure disappearing through the Library window.

Chapter 8- A figure in White
The children arrive back at the manor house and find the tutor, worried about what will happen to him the children talk of what he will do when the boys are sent away, the tutor has been doing research on the history of the Castle and really doesn't wish to leave.
Their conversation has the girls thinking it may be the tutor....then they go to their room and find Mable reading on Samantha's bed.
The girls discuss that Mable has such a sad life and do not wish her to be fired for just reading!
The girls discuss their list and they are no closer to finding the thief!
The girls and the twins decide to try to catch the ghost in the Library, that night. While in the library they hear footsteps in the snow outside the window.....

So who do you think the thief is?
How frustrated the girls and the twins must be, do you think it is the ghost at the window?

As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com 

Chapter reviews 5-6 Clue in the Castle Tower

Chapter 5- Unexpected consequences
In this chapter after morning prayers the girls and the twins go have breakfast. Grandma Mary and the Admiral are going to spend the day with Sir Charles and friends in the village. So the girls will be left with the boys for the day. Sir Charles surprises the girls with a visit to the tea room and the girls worry that the trick they played on the boys will inadvertently be played on Sir Charles!
We get the impression that Sir Charles thinks that the boys have something to do with the disappearance of  books!
He even tells the boys they are going back to boarding school.
The girls and the twins form an unlikely friendship after the trick they played on the boys is revealed. The boys confide in the girls that  they do not want to go back to boarding school.
After breakfast the girls return to their rooms and discover that the maid has tidied their rooms and
they decide to make a list of possible suspects and motive. The girls notice that some of their things are moved around the room, then notice that the book marker has been moved in the book Nellie was reading......
The girls say goodbye to Grandma Mary, discuss the situation with the boys and even though they are advised against it the girls decide to help the boys anyway they can.

Chapter 6- Footprints in the Snow
The girls enter the library to investigate when the chapter begins. The girls notice out the window that the snow has been "trampled", indicating someone recently used the window.
The girls investigate out side, and notice that the tracks lead to the castle, the girls speculate that it may be Lady Florance...the boys come find the girls for lunch.
The girls explain that they are looking for clues, ask the boys to see their shoes, to rule them out, from the foot prints they found. They all discuss the list of suspects and the girls learn that Lady Florance may have motive for stealing the books. Samantha tells them about the button they found, and they notice that someone is loading boxes into a carriage and it is Lady Florance who they need to talk to.

So do you think the boys would have taken the books? If they did do you think they would know what to do with valuable books?
do you think Lady Florance is the thief??
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Chapter reivews 3-4 Clue in the Castle Tower

Chapter 3- Missing Treasure
In this Chapter we begin with the girls discovering that the twin boys are inventors of Bicycle's and that they are passionate about being inventors, that the housemaids do not like the boys. Talk turns to the Castle ghost and the 4 set off to find the ghost. While in the Library the boys play a trick on the girls just as Grandma Mary, The Admiral and Sir Charles enter the Library. The boys are sent away but the girls are invited to stay and pick out a book. They discuss the First Additions that Lady Stallsworth had collected over her life and as the Admiral looks over the books he points out to Sir Charles that the books are not first additions...which means someone has taken the books and replaced them with newer additions...

Chapter 4-  A Surprise Announcement
The girls are still in the Library and offer to help look for the missing book, they are sent to bed however and the adults begin the search.
The girls go upstairs to bed and discuss what may have happened to the book. Later Samantha hears a crash thinking it is the boys, she jumps out of bed only to find that it is Lady Florance pulling a two wheel cart towards the stairs.
Out the window Samantha notices a flash, and worries it is a ghost but decides that it must be Lady Florance taking photos...but wonders why at night. The next morning the girls awake to Mable bringing them Hot Chocolate and letting them know about morning prayers.
They have a quick conversation with Mable and then set out to find prayers, first checking the school room and then finally arriving in down stairs, but not before they get into a bit of mischief!
After prayers Sir Charles has an announcement of a reward for the lost books in the sum of one hundred pounds. This is allot of money! Every one is shocked including the boys...but who took the books?

So what do you think happened to the books? Do you think the boys took them to play a trick?
Could it be one of the house keepers?
I would love to know what you think,
As with all my posts please leave a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com
I hope you are enjoying this book as much as I am!

Chapter Review 1-2 Clue in the Castle Tower

Chapter 1-Invitation from a Knight
Our book begins with the girls arriving by horse drawn carriage at London's British Museum, on a rainy and foggy London, January day. Grandma Mary explains that every proper young lady should visit England and France, explaining that they would learn more in a few weeks in England then they would in New York.
We meet Henry and Ian and their uncle Sir Charles Stallsworth. The twin boys are orphans just like Samantha and Nellie, and quite a handful. As the family travels through the museum the girls learn about Sir Charles Castle, Locks-ton Castle  and The family is invited to stay at the Manor house the following day. We also learn that the boys are about the same age as Samantha and Nellie and that they consider themselves inventors. The girls also learn of the Castles Ghost....
The next day the girls are in awe as they approach the castle which is in they learn is where Sir Reginald had died and where his ghost is still rumored to be seen on moonlight nights. The manor house is larger then the girls had expected and they are reminded to be on their best behavior! The girls notice the Castle Ruins in the distance and it sends a chill up Samantha's Spine!

In Chapter 2- The Ghost in the Library
In this chapter the girls settle in to the manor and learn from the boys that Sir Charles, God daughter Lady Florence is staying at the manor as well and the twins tell her she is looking into the Ghost as well. She wants to be a newspaper reporter instead of getting married which is what girls her age and class are expected to do. They are shown the Library which Sir Charles late wife Emily had spent her life collecting. The boys take the girls out to the castle ruins and explain a bit about the family history and they boys play a trick on the girls stealing Samantha's hat and hiding on them.
Samantha notices a button in the stones as the sun begins to set and Mr. Fisher the boys tutor comes to get the children for their tea. Mrs. Grissom the housekeeper brings the children their tea in the school room and shows the girls to their room. The girls are in the room above the library, and in a wing all to themselves. The girls see a servant girl named Mable who is about their age and she quickly ushered out of their room. The girls notice that Mable is about the same age they are. The girls try talking to Mable and learn a bit about her past. The girls wish they could do something to help Mable as they are sure she is lonely in the Manor house as well as scared.....

I love how these two chapters are written, did you find you got a clear picture of London and the Museum from reading the first chapter?
What do you think about the possibility of a ghost? Do you believe in Ghosts?
What do you think about Mable?
What do you think about the Twins?
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Ready Set Go Read! Book 3!

I hope you are ready to read A Clue in the Castle Tower this the 3rd in our book club series! 
Every few days I will post chapter reviews of the book and welcome your comments and thoughts!
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Some of our readers photos! T-shirt Contest ends March 31st!

From our get caught reading contest, I have been receiving lots of fun photos and today I thought it would be fun to share them with you! Madelon took so many wonderful photos and submitted them for your viewing pleasure!

I love this one of Gwen reading in the bath!

A tribute to Dr. Seuss 

Proving anywhere is a great place to read....

Dreaming of the beach these photos are so cute!

I love reading in bed this one is so cute!

I love this one in the shelf by Rawan!

here is one I took last holiday season.

Just a reminder that our contest is running until the end of March and there is still time to enter your photos to win the doll t-shirt! So please send your photos to karenmowen@gmail.com 
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Chapter reviews 10-13, The Stolen Sapphire, the final chapters

Chapter 10- A Question of Identity
This chapter begins with Samantha and Nellie discussing the money Samantha found in Nellie's boots, discussing how Jamie had asked Nellie to get money to his family in Ireland. Nellie explains that her mother told her the safest place for her money is in her boots, so when their tutor was suspected of stealing she put the money in her boots for safe keeping. Samantha and Nellie decided to ask the Admiral for  help in getting the money to Jamie's family in Ireland. The girls also make a list of all the possible suspects that could have taken the Sapphire. The girls after much thought decide to try to figure out who's handwriting was on the note that their tutor received the morning after the disappearance of the Sapphire. They take the papers that others had been writing on and discarded from the trash baskets in the Saloon. Taking the paper back to their room to look at the girls decide that Nellie would take the papers to show their tutor to see if any of the handwriting was that of the original letter. While Samantha is at dinner she and the Admiral discuss how the mail gets picked up and once it is dropped in Ireland they will continue on their journey. When Samantha returns to her cabin, Nellie is not there, worried she finds her tutor's cabin and looks for Nellie, but as she approaches she hears someone threatening her tutor. That some one was Mrs. Billingsley. 

Chapter 11- Lost and Found
In this chapter, Nellie emerges from the tutors cabin and she and Samantha head back to their cabin to discuss the evenings events. About how Mrs. Billingsley tried to offer the tutor money for the Sapphire. Most importantly they discover the identify of  thief, only now they need away to prove it. The girls check their clues, they decide to try out their theory in the dining room. They figure out how the thief did it just as the thief walks in with a smile. 

Chapter 12- Danger at Sea
The thief questions the girls as to why they are up so late in the dining room and the girls, he suggests the girls let him walk them back to their cabin but the girls know he is going to try to throw them overboard to hide his secret. Plato the monkey comes to the rescue by ringing the bell and alerting someone to come and help the girls. When the admiral, captain, reporter and the professor arrive the girls explain their theory of what happened. The girls leave the adults to discuss the new information, the girls are off to bed and nothing is resolved.

Chapter 13- An Unexpected Package
Harry confronts the girls and yells at them, the girls realize that they need the Admiral's help  and explain they believe that Harry has placed the Sapphire in some packages in the mail bags, the girls and the Admiral go to the captain and he calls for the mail bags, the girls are worried that they may be wrong again until the discovery of a package of books being sent out. The professor and his nephew are called to the office and Harry refuses to open the package but the Professor opens them and finds that the Sapphire was hidden inside.  Harry is locked up. The Tutor is freed and she is apologized too. The girls are rewarded with a trip to Ireland, getting off the ship with the mail and fulfilling Nellie's dream of seeing her homeland.


So what do you think of all the twists and turns in this book....

I hope you will join us for our next book club selection beginning on March 15th A Clue in the Castle Tower.
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com