The Girl Who Kept the Castle

"Wizard West was dead for nearly an entire day before he noticed. And Faye, the daughter of West's groundskeeper, is charged with the unfortunate task of informing the wizard that he is now a ghost who has lost all magical powers. (But not before West tries turning her into a cat!) To make matters worse, the enchanted castle of Celurdur, the only home that Fay has ever known, will fall apart at the next new moon if its foundation spells can't be renewed. After (sort of) accepting his demise, West decides to host a competition to choose his successor. And Faye now finds herself fighting behind the scenes to keep the tournament running smoothly: putting out kitchen fires, feeding the compost dragon, and making sure competitors stay away from the cockatrice pen. But killer roosters soon become the least of her worries. A servant of the evil Shadow Queen has sabataged the contest, and is set on destroying not only Celurdur, but the entire kingdom of Solum. Faye must find a way to stop him, but she'll need more than a mop and some magic to save everything she loves from utter destruction"--Dust jacket.