Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What was your overall reaction to reading Toby’s journal? Did you find his day-to-day experiences as a page engaging, and did any aspects of his life surprise you?

2. Castle Diary uses a format similar to other historical fiction series like Scholastic’s Dear America. How does telling this story through the eyes of a young boy training to be a knight compare to other historical diaries you might have read? In what ways does Toby’s perspective offer a different window into the past?

3. The book aims to be both a story and a history lesson. How successful do you feel it was at balancing these two goals? Did the educational details feel naturally woven into Toby’s narrative, or did they sometimes pull you out of the story?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Toby’s first year at Strandborough is a period of intense learning and adaptation as he navigates a new social world with strict rules. Share a story about a time you started something new, like a school, a job, or a team. Who or what helped you adjust to this new environment?

2. A central part of Toby’s training involves the slow, often discouraging, process of learning archery. What is a skill you’ve had to learn through patient and repetitive practice? 

3. When Toby discovers David poaching, he is caught between the castle’s laws and his growing understanding of the villagers’ hardships. Have you ever had to navigate a conflict between official rules and what felt like the right thing to do? How did you handle the situation?

4. Toby arrives at the castle with romantic ideas about boar hunts and tournaments, only to find them filled with boredom, discomfort, and even tragedy. Share a story about an event or experience you were excited for that turned out to be very different from your expectations. What did you learn from that contrast between expectation and reality?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. David’s trial culminates in a “not guilty” verdict from a jury of his peers, despite clear evidence. What does this act of community solidarity reveal about the limits of feudal power and the existence of an informal justice system among the peasantry?

2. What does Lady Elizabeth’s competent and authoritative character suggest about the significant, and often overlooked, responsibilities of noblewomen during this period?

3. The story is set shortly after King Edward I’s costly conquest of Wales, a time focused on military control. How does this backdrop of a kingdom securing its power influence the daily routines, training, and overall atmosphere within Strandborough Castle?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. The book concludes with a nonfiction appendix that explains the historical context in detail. How did reading this appendix after finishing Toby’s diary change or deepen your understanding of the events in the story? Did you find this dual structure of fiction followed by fact to be an effective way to experience the narrative?

2. How does the motif of hunting contrast the lives and values of the nobility with those of the peasantry? Consider the spectacle of the lord’s boar hunt against the secretive, survival-driven poaching practiced by David.

3. Strandborough Castle’s physical layout, from the Great Hall to the dungeons, mirrors the rigid social hierarchy of its inhabitants. In what ways does the castle itself function as the book’s central symbol, representing both the protections and the constraints of the feudal system?

4. Toby’s journey is framed by the theme of Coming of Age Through Duty. How do his mundane tasks, tedious lessons, and disciplined training shape his character more deeply than the grand events like the jousts or feasts?

5. Platt uses vivid sensory details to challenge romanticized views of the past, such as the stench of the garderobes or the humiliation of eating brom-bread. Which specific descriptions were most effective for you in creating an authentic picture of the challenges of medieval life?

6. The diary format restricts our view entirely to what Toby sees and understands. What are the key strengths of this first-person perspective? Conversely, what aspects of life at Strandborough might be misunderstood or missed entirely because we only have Toby’s interpretation of events?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine you could write a diary entry from the perspective of another character, like Mark, Abigail, or David. What key event from the year would you choose to describe, and how would their account differ from Toby’s?

2. If you were adapting Castle Diary into a movie, which scene do you think would be the most powerful or visually interesting to bring to the screen? What would make that particular moment so compelling for an audience?

3. At the end of the book, Simon gives Toby a new bow. Picture Toby five years later, on the verge of becoming a squire. What does his life look like, and how have the lessons he learned during his first year at the castle shaped the young man he is becoming?