Are you looking for a fun novel to use with your students? The Castle in the Attic is both entertaining and educational. Your students will enjoy reading a novel set during Medieval Times. They will also love reading about William’s adventures as he travels back in time.
The Castle in the Attic Summary
William uses the magical Janus medal to shrink Mrs. Phillips, his beloved nanny, down to the size of his index finger. He thinks this is the only way to keep her from leaving him and returning to her home in England. William takes her to the attic to live in a magical toy castle.
Sir Simon who also lives in the magical castle has lost his kingdom to the evil wizard Alastor. He asks William to shrink himself so that he can go on a quest. The plan is for Willam to not only help Sir Simon defeat Alastor but to retrieve the second half of the Janus medal so that Mrs. Phillip can return to her normal size.
Will William be able to defeat the evil wizard Alastor, help Sir Simon, and return Mrs. Phillips to her normal self? Read Elizabeth Winthrop’s book to see if William is successful in his quest.
The Castle in the Attic Activities
Book Unit Samples

This sample contains the following:
- Vocabulary
- Comprehension for Chapters 1-2
- Constructed Response Question
- Skill Lesson – Citations (Creating a Bibliography)
Teaching Idea #1 ~ Creating a Bibliography
The Castle in the Attic Book Unit includes a series of nine lessons that teach students how to complete small research projects. This free sample contains the entire first lesson “Creating a Bibliography.”
Included is the foldable organizer pictured here. Students write definitions. They then practice writing citations for 6 types of resources using the printable information pictured below the organizer.
The organizer provides examples of five commonly used sources using the MLA format.
This activity is included in the unit sample. If you missed the link above, here it is again.
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The Castle in the Attic Novel Study includes vocabulary practice, comprehension questions, constructed response writing, and skill practice.