An official ILLINOIS READS selection!
The Matchstick Castle
This funny, fantastical story will resonate with any reader who’s ever wished a little adventure will find them.
Brian can think of a few places he’d rather spend the summer than with his aunt and uncle in Boring, Illinois. Jail, for example. Or an earplug factory. Anything would be better than doing summer school on a computer while his scientist dad is stationed at the South Pole.
Boring lives up to its name until Brian and his cousin Nora have a fight, get lost, and discover a huge wooden house in the forest. With balconies, turrets, and windows seemingly stuck on at random, it looks ready to fall over in the next stiff breeze. To the madcap, eccentric family that lives inside, it’s not just a home—it’s a castle.
Suddenly, summer gets a lot more exciting. With their new friends, Brian and Nora tangle with giant wasps, sharp-tusked wild boars, and a crazed bureaucrat intent on bringing the dangerously dilapidated old house down with a wrecking ball.
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Learn More
“Books by Booklist Authors,” by Daniel Kraus
Watch Keir's “Behind the Book” interview with Follett Learning
Listen to Beth Golay's “Marginalia” interview for KMUW
Get the “Heads Up” from Boys' Life
See my Top 10 Homes in Middle-Grade Fiction (Nerdy Book Club)
Read Keir's Q&A with Cracking the Cover
Find out which authors have inspired Keir at Reading Is Better with Cupcakes
Praise
“Graff neatly contains his wacky plot within narrator Brian’s Everykid voice, unspooling the looniness with transparent glee. Fast-paced, anarchic fun for reluctant and avid readers alike.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Graff fashions another fascinating character in the Matchstick Castle itself through detailed descriptions of its peculiar layout and secrets. Given the van Dash family’s knack for adventure, one can only hope Graff has plans for more ‘Boring’ stories.”
—Publishers Weekly
“This quirky novel is reminiscent of a Wes Anderson movie for the tweenage set. . . . For those who enjoy a bit of absurdist humor with their realism.”
—School Library Journal
“A zippy, adventurous romp in the woods complete with fierce animals and buried treasure.”
—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books