The Castle of Inside Out - Softcover

David Henry Wilson

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0330345168 ISBN 13: 9780330345163

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books, 1998

Synopsis

Lorina's sister Alice, has had adventures in strange lands. When Lorina finds the Castle, she enters a world where the Insiders have everything and the Outsiders are starving. Will she save the Outsiders, and find the rightful king of the castle? By the author of "There's a Wolf In My Pudding".

About this title

From AudioFile:

In a story that strongly parallels ALICE IN WONDERLAND, a black rabbit leads Lorina to the Castle, a mysterious and insular world run by pigs. Once inside, Lorina begins a seemingly impossible quest to save the green people who are starving and dying outside the Castle gates. Clive Mantle's lively vocal characterizations combined with his authoritative narration make the fantastic elements of the story seem plausible. Mantle has a wonderful way of integrating various animals' sounds with their dialogue. While this audio is not likely to have mass appeal, it will find an audience among young fans of the absurd. A.F. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From School Library Journal:

Grade 3-5-Clive Mantle, a talented narrator, does his best with this rather strained parable about racism, class, and the environment by British author David Henry Wilson. Lorina must write about a special place for her school report, so she decides to visit a magical land accessible through the nearby woods. There, she comes upon the malnourished green people who are being poisoned by smoke emanating from the nearby castle. Lorina goes to the castle and attempts to gain aid for the green people by talking to those in power, who happen to be pigs. After getting passed around from one inefficient bureaucrat to another, Lorina realizes that there are no good reasons for the green people to be treated as serfs or for polluting the environment. After much satire about western society, Lorina is able to restore the rightful king to the throne. Mantle is an expressive reader, using a variety of vocal characterizations to help listeners keep track of the different characters. It is questionable whether or not children will appreciate the many puns (the pompous animal administrator is a superviper, the cruel president is the piggident, the officious bureacrat is a bureaurat) and plays on common phrases, but the tale does highlight the perils of arrogance, blind belief, and falsity.
B. Allison Gray, South Country Library, Bellport, NY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0330345168
• ISBN 13: 9780330345163
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 112
• Illustrator: Chris Riddell