The Water Castle

Ephraim Appledore-Smith is an ordinary boy, and up until his father's stroke he lived an ordinary life. But all that changes when his family moves to the Water Castle—their ancestral home in the small town of Crystal Springs. Mallory Green's family has always been the caretakers of the Water Castle—and the guardians of the legendary Fountain of Youth, hidden on the estate grounds. Will Wylie's family has been at war with the Applegates for generations, all because of the Water Castle's powerful secrets. When Ephraim learns of the Fountain, he's sure finding it can cure his dad. With Mallory and Will's help, he embarks on a quest that will blur the lines of magic and science, creativity and discovery, leaving readers left to wonder: Do you believe in the unbelievable?

“Weaving legacy and myth into science and magic, old into new and enemies into friends, Blakemore creates an exquisite mystery . . . With keen intelligence and bits of humor, the prose slips calmly between narrative perspectives, trusting readers to pick up a revelation that Ephraim and Mallory don't see--and it's a doozy. This one is special.” —Kirkus Review, starred review

“In The Water Castle, science feels magical, and magic feels possible. This is a world I want to live in.” —Laurel Snyder, author of Bigger than a Breadbox

“Blakemore skillfully explores the intersection of science and magic in this multifaceted story . . . a sense of skeptical wonder pervades the book and lingers.” —Publishers Weekly

“An entertaining and thought-provoking fantasy.” —School Library Journal