Griffin's Castle by Jenny Nimmo

Jenny Nimmo is one of my favorite authors, and she doesn't disappoint in Griffin's Castle (Lexile: 730; Interest Level: Grades 3-6).  Dinah and her mom move into a old, dilapidated house owned by her mom's new boyfriend, Gomer.  Dinah falls in love with the grandness that she can see the house used to have.  Since Dinah has moved around a lot, she is really hoping that this new house can become home for good, but she does not like Gomer, and he doesn't like her.  Dinah is very smart and loves school, but she doesn't have (or want) many friends.  Two boys at school marvel at Dinah's intellect and imagination, and they try to befriend Dinah, but the better they get to know her the odder she seems.  It gets even stranger when the boys discover that the stone animals on the wall of the castle in the city leave at night to protect Dinah at her house.  As in the Charlie Bone books, Jenny Nimmo allows some subtle magic to seep into the lives of normal people and weaves and engaging story that captures the imagination of any child who has ever wished their life were just a little more interesting. (278 pages)

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